Simple Salary Visa tools Sponsor ratings explained
A rating or B rating: what the sponsor register tells you
Every row of the Home Office register shows a rating next to the sponsor type. Here is what it means for you as a worker or applicant, and how to read the rest of the row.
A rating
The normal rating. The sponsor has passed the Home Office checks, is meeting its duties (reporting, record keeping, paying the right salary) and can assign certificates of sponsorship to new workers. Nearly every sponsor on the register is A rated.
B rating
The Home Office has found problems and downgraded the licence. A B-rated sponsor is put on an action plan, which costs it £1,476, and until it has completed the plan and is back to A it cannot sponsor new workers. It can still assign certificates to workers it already sponsors who need to extend. If the sponsor does not complete the plan, or needs a third action plan within the four-year life of the licence, the licence is revoked.
If you are applying for a job with a B-rated sponsor, ask them when they expect to be back to A. If you already work for one, your current permission is unaffected, but an extension may need to wait.
Suspended and revoked
Neither appears on the register. A sponsor whose licence is suspended while the Home Office investigates is removed from the published list for the time being and cannot sponsor anyone new. A sponsor whose licence is revoked is removed for good and must wait at least 12 months before applying again. If your own sponsor's licence is revoked, see the 60-day rule.
The other columns
Organisation name is the legal name on the licence, which may differ from the shop or brand name. Town/City and County are the locations the sponsor has registered, one row each. Type is Worker (Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, Global Business Mobility and other long-term routes) or Temporary Worker (Charity Worker, Creative Worker, Seasonal Worker, Government Authorised Exchange and others). Route is the specific visa route; a sponsor can hold several.