Can an employer sponsor me without being on the register?

No. Only a licence holder can assign a certificate of sponsorship, and your visa application needs one. An employer not on the register must apply for a licence first.

How long does it take an employer to get a sponsor licence?

gov.uk says most applications are decided within 8 weeks, with a priority service for some. The employer pays a fee that depends on its size.

Should I pay for my own sponsorship?

Sponsors are not allowed to pass the cost of the certificate of sponsorship, the Immigration Skills Charge or the licence itself on to the worker. If an employer or agent asks you to pay, that is a warning sign. The visa application fee and the health surcharge are normally the worker's own cost unless the employer agrees to pay them. Information checked against gov.uk on 19 October 2026.

Simple Salary Visa tools Employer not on the sponsor list

My employer is not on the sponsor list. What does that mean?

Not finding a company on the register does not always mean it cannot sponsor you. Work through these checks first; most missing employers turn up in the first two.

1. Search the legal name, not the brand

The register lists the name on the licence, usually the registered company name. A shop called "Fresh Bites" might be licensed as "FB Hospitality Ltd". Look up the company on Companies House (the legal name is on your contract or payslip too), then search that name. Try a single distinctive word from the name rather than the whole thing.

2. Check the group, not the branch

Care homes, restaurants, surgeries and schools are often licensed under a parent company, a trust or an academy group. The branch you know may not be listed, but the parent is. The town shown on the register is the registered location, which may be a head office in another city.

3. A new licence takes a few days to appear

If the employer says it has just been granted a licence, it may not be in the latest published register. The Home Office updates the file most working days; this site refreshes its copy weekly, and the date of the copy is shown under the results. Check gov.uk directly for the newest file.

4. The licence may be suspended

A sponsor under investigation is removed from the register while suspended. It cannot sponsor new workers during that time, and existing workers should keep an eye on their position. Ask the employer directly; they are told in writing when a licence is suspended.

5. They may never have had one

Many employers who say "we can sponsor" have not applied for a licence or do not understand what it involves. A licence application takes the employer around 8 weeks and a fee, so an employer that is serious will have one before offering you a job. Be especially careful with anyone asking you to pay for sponsorship: charging a worker for a certificate of sponsorship or for the costs of the licence is a breach of the sponsor's duties and can lose them the licence.