The UK Sponsor Licence Register Tracker turns the Home Office register of licensed sponsors into a monthly snapshot for employers, HR teams and journalists: how many organisations can sponsor overseas workers, how the register is changing, and how many sponsors are B-rated. Data as at 2 October 2026.
October 2026 edition · updated monthly from the official Home Office register
Reviewed by Morgan Smith Immigration · IAA-regulated UK immigration advisers · Last reviewed
TL;DR
As at 2 October 2026, 127,705 organisations are on the Home Office register of licensed Worker and Temporary Worker sponsors, and 122,323 of them can sponsor Skilled Workers. Since 1 September 2026, 1,247 organisations joined the register and 1,192 left it. 88 sponsors are B-rated, compared with 17 on 1 October 2025.
127,705
Licensed sponsor organisations
+55
Net change since 1 September 2026
88
B-rated sponsors
October 2026 at a Glance
Headline movements on the register of licensed Worker and Temporary Worker sponsors.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Organisations on the register | 127,705 |
| Organisations licensed for Skilled Worker | 122,323 |
| Joined since 1 September 2026 | 1,247 |
| Left since 1 September 2026 | 1,192 |
| Net change over 12 months (since 1 October 2025) | +4,709 |
| Joined / left over 12 months | 14,584 / 9,875 |
| B-rated sponsors now | 88 |
| B-rated sponsors on 1 September 2026 | 55 |
| B-rated sponsors on 1 October 2025 | 17 |
B-Rated Sponsors: What the Rise Means
A B-rating is a temporary downgrade. A sponsor that falls short of its duties must follow a Home Office action plan, costing £1,579, and return to an A-rating within the time set, which cannot be more than 3 months. The number of B-rated sponsors on the register has moved from 17 on 1 October 2025 to 88 now, an increase of 71.
The register shows ratings, not reasons, so it cannot tell us why individual sponsors were downgraded. For employers, the practical point is that compliance visits lead to real outcomes. A mock Home Office audit and ongoing SMS and compliance support are the most direct ways to stay A-rated.
Licences by Route
Each organisation can be licensed for several routes, so these entries add up to more than the number of organisations.
| Route | Entries 2 October 2026 | Entries 1 October 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker | 123,107 | 118,278 |
| Global Business Mobility: Senior or Specialist Worker | 10,449 | 10,253 |
| Tier 2 Ministers of Religion | 1,962 | 1,784 |
| Creative Worker | 1,585 | 1,560 |
| Charity Worker | 1,531 | 1,481 |
| International Sportsperson | 1,471 | 1,388 |
| Religious Worker | 1,433 | 1,356 |
| Global Business Mobility: Graduate Trainee | 623 | 613 |
| Global Business Mobility: UK Expansion Worker | 429 | 553 |
| Government Authorised Exchange | 247 | 241 |
| International Agreement | 134 | 134 |
| Scale-up | 93 | 81 |
| Global Business Mobility: Service Supplier | 55 | 38 |
| Seasonal Worker | 6 | 6 |
| Global Business Mobility: Secondment Worker | 6 | 7 |
| Tier 2 General | 5 | 0 |
| Intra-company Routes | 1 | 1 |
| Intra Company Transfers (ICT) | 1 | 1 |
Where Skilled Worker Sponsors Are Based
Top 15 towns and cities by number of organisations licensed for the Skilled Worker route, using the town recorded on the register.
| Town or city | Skilled Worker sponsors |
|---|---|
| London | 35,201 |
| Birmingham | 2,946 |
| Manchester | 2,753 |
| Leicester | 1,365 |
| Glasgow | 1,287 |
| Bristol | 1,234 |
| Edinburgh | 1,107 |
| Leeds | 1,035 |
| Nottingham | 994 |
| Ilford | 903 |
| Reading | 880 |
| Coventry | 865 |
| Slough | 835 |
| Cambridge | 809 |
| Milton Keynes | 806 |
Methodology and Sources
- Source: Home Office Register of licensed sponsors: workers (CSV), as published on 2 October 2026. Comparison snapshots from 1 September 2026 and 1 October 2025 are the versions captured by the UK Government Web Archive (The National Archives).
- Organisations are matched on their name and town as recorded on the register. A renamed or relocated organisation can therefore appear as one leaving and one joining.
- An organisation leaving the register may have surrendered its licence, had it revoked, merged, been taken over or stopped trading. The register does not record the reason, and this tracker does not identify individual organisations.
- Ratings are counted per organisation: an organisation is B-rated if any of its licence entries shows a B rating.
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Citing this data: Morgan Smith Immigration, UK Sponsor Licence Register Tracker, October 2026. Based on the Home Office Register of licensed sponsors: workers (2 October 2026).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many UK companies have a sponsor licence?
As at 2 October 2026, 127,705 organisations were on the Home Office register of licensed Worker and Temporary Worker sponsors, of which 122,323 could sponsor Skilled Workers.
How many sponsors are B-rated?
88 organisations held a B-rating on 2 October 2026, compared with 17 on 1 October 2025. A B-rated sponsor must complete a Home Office action plan to return to an A-rating.
How can I check if a company has a sponsor licence?
Search the Home Office register of licensed sponsors on GOV.UK, which lists each sponsor’s name, town, licence type, rating and routes. A job offer from an organisation that is not on the register cannot lead to a sponsored work visa.
Does leaving the register mean a licence was revoked?
Not necessarily. Organisations leave the register when they surrender a licence, merge, are taken over or stop trading, as well as when a licence is revoked. The register does not show the reason.
How often is this tracker updated?
Monthly. Each edition compares the latest Home Office register with the previous month and with the same point a year earlier.
Need Help With Your Sponsor Licence?
Whether you are applying for a licence, adding a route or working to stay A-rated, our advisers can help.