Last fact-checked: 19 October 2026. This is general information, not a personal eligibility assessment. Follow the current official guidance for your application date.
Start with the employer’s licence and the actual vacancy. A company may hold a sponsor licence but have no suitable opening, no allocation for your role or no intention to sponsor that vacancy. Treat job-board labels and directory matches as leads to verify.
Check the legal employer on the official register
The Home Office publishes a changing Worker and Temporary Worker register. Match the legal organisation name, location, route and rating; a brand name alone can identify the wrong group company. The register includes different routes, so its total is not a count of employers offering Skilled Worker vacancies.
Use the current published file rather than a historic total or a claim that it is only updated monthly. A listing is not evidence of a current vacancy or a promise to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Check the job, not just the company
Ask whether the employer will sponsor the specific post and confirm its duties, SOC 2020 code, salary and hours. The standard salary test is normally £41,700 and the going rate, with specific exceptions. Job skill requirements and shortage-list restrictions also apply.
Care worker and senior care worker recruitment from overseas is closed under current rules. Do not rely on an old advert, an agency’s assurance or an employer’s licence to bypass that restriction.
Sources: GOV.UK: Skilled Worker job eligibility · GOV.UK: Health and Care Worker eligible jobs
Build a focused shortlist
- Search employers’ careers pages and reputable job boards for your role and location.
- Read the eligibility and sponsorship wording in the full advert; contact the recruiter when it is unclear.
- Record the employer’s legal name, vacancy link, salary, closing date and response about sponsorship.
- Prepare a truthful CV that demonstrates the required experience, qualifications and registration. An AI ATS score is not an employer pass mark.
Sources: GOV.UK: register of licensed sponsors · GOV.UK: Skilled Worker job eligibility
Questions to ask before accepting
- Which legal entity will employ and sponsor me?
- Which occupation code and salary option will be used?
- What CoS and visa timings should I plan for?
- Which permitted costs and relocation support will the employer cover?
- Are there professional-registration or English-evidence conditions still to meet?
Sources: GOV.UK: certificates of sponsorship · GOV.UK: Skilled Worker English requirements
Be careful about sponsorship charges
The employer must pay the sponsor licence, Skilled Worker CoS and Immigration Skills Charge fees itself. Do not pay for a promised CoS or accept unexplained deductions for prohibited sponsor costs. Ask for an itemised agreement about any separate application or relocation support.
Sources: GOV.UK: sponsor licence fees · GOV.UK: certificates of sponsorship · GOV.UK: Immigration Skills Charge
How Jobsponsor.uk can help
Use the sponsor directory as a research aid and CV matching to identify potentially relevant vacancies. Employer-name matches against the register do not confirm that a specific job offers sponsorship. The free CV review provides an estimated ATS score and limited previews; paid access unlocks full job results. The employer and UKVI determine sponsorship and visa eligibility.
Continue your job search
Explore potential employers and prepare your CV. Confirm sponsorship with the employer for each vacancy.
Search the sponsor directoryFree CV review