By Spreemkt Information reviewed: 30 October 2026
Before accepting a sponsored job in the United Kingdom, verify the employer’s sponsorship licence yourself. A company logo, an offer letter or a recruiter’s screenshot is not enough to establish that an organisation can sponsor the proposed role.
The official starting point is the UK government’s register of licensed sponsors for workers. However, finding a name on that register answers only part of the question. You also need to connect the listed organisation to the person contacting you and establish whether the job and immigration route are appropriate.
This distinction matters for Nigerian applicants and other international job seekers who may be making decisions remotely. Fraudsters can copy the name of a genuine licensed organisation and use it to promote a vacancy that the real employer has never offered.
This guide explains how to check the official register, interpret the relevant information, investigate differences in names and addresses, confirm recruiter authority and recognise questionable payment requests. It also provides a reusable checklist and practical examples.
Important: This is general educational information, not individual immigration or legal advice. Spreemkt does not certify employers, authenticate Certificates of Sponsorship or guarantee jobs and visas. Sponsor status and immigration rules can change; repeat the relevant official checks before making important decisions.
1. The Quick Answer: Where to Check a Sponsor Licence
Use the GOV.UK Register of licensed sponsors: workers. It lists organisations licensed on Worker and Temporary Worker routes and includes sponsorship categories and ratings.
Open the current register from that publication page, locate the employer’s name and check the relevant route and rating. Then contact the organisation independently to confirm the vacancy and the recruiter’s authority.
A positive name match does not authenticate an offer, prove a particular Certificate of Sponsorship is valid or guarantee that you qualify for a visa. Treat the register check as the first verification stage, followed by identity, job and application checks.
Keep a dated record of your findings. If there is a gap between checking the employer and making your travel arrangements, revisit the official information.
2. What Is a UK Employer Sponsorship Licence?
A sponsor licence is permission for an organisation to sponsor workers under the immigration routes covered by its licence. It belongs to the sponsoring organisation, rather than to an individual applicant or recruitment agent.
Do not confuse the employer’s licence with a job offer, company incorporation or your own immigration permission. Each serves a different purpose.
The GOV.UK employer-sponsorship guidance explains how licence ratings affect sponsorship activity. The conditions attached to a specific route also matter.
For your own research, use the wording “licensed for the relevant route” rather than simply “approved company.” The latter can sound like a government endorsement of every recruitment message, service or commercial activity associated with that business.
3. Gather the Employer’s Details Before Searching
Ask for the full name of the organisation that will sponsor you, not only a trading brand or the name of the recruitment agency. Also request the proposed work location and the immigration route being discussed.
Useful supporting details include the employer’s website, company number where applicable, recruitment contact and vacancy reference. These help you connect records across different sources.
You do not need to give an unverified intermediary your passport, banking details or payment to begin a public-register search. First collect enough information to know which organisation you are investigating.
If the recruiter cannot explain who the legal employer and proposed sponsor are, record that as an unresolved issue. Do not let a familiar brand name substitute for a clear answer.
4. Step One: Open the Official Publication Page
Start with the GOV.UK publication page linked above. Avoid relying exclusively on a search-result snippet, a social-media list or a spreadsheet someone saved several months ago.
Look at the page’s update information and follow its document link to the current register. The publication page is a more durable reference than a dated attachment address, which can change when a replacement file is published.
Check the website address carefully. A page containing government colours, a crown symbol or the words “UK visa” is not necessarily a government service.
You can use commercial search tools for convenience, but establish the final match against the official source. If the two sources disagree, investigate the date and the underlying entry instead of choosing whichever result is more reassuring.
5. Step Two: Open the Register in a Usable Format
The register is provided as a CSV file, with an online viewing option available from the publication page. CSV means comma-separated values: a structured file that spreadsheet software can display in columns.
If the online view works well on your device, use it. Otherwise download the file and open it with a spreadsheet application that supports CSV files.
On a small screen, check that you are not looking at a truncated preview. If searching appears unsuccessful, try the downloaded file before concluding that the employer is absent.
Keep the original download unchanged while researching. If you filter or sort a working copy, ensure you can return to the complete list and have not accidentally hidden the entry you need.
6. Step Three: Search the Employer’s Name Carefully
Begin with the full organisation name supplied by the employer. If no match appears, try a distinctive part of the name and examine the results individually.
Search tools differ between browsers and spreadsheet applications. In many desktop applications, the Find function can help; on mobile, look for Find or Search in the application’s menu.
Check the spelling, spaces, punctuation and common company endings such as “Limited” and “Ltd.” Do not assume that a slightly different name is the correct organisation merely because it resembles the offer letter.
If a search produces several possible matches, stop and compare them. Your objective is to identify the correct sponsoring entity, not to find any entry that looks close enough.
7. Step Four: Read the Whole Entry
The public register contains fields including Organisation Name, Town/City, County, Type & Rating, and Route. Read the relevant information together rather than extracting only the company name.
| Register information | What to examine |
|---|---|
| Organisation Name | Whether it matches the proposed sponsoring entity |
| Town/City | Whether the location is consistent with the organisation you are checking |
| County | Additional location context where provided |
| Type & Rating | The licence category and published rating |
| Route | Whether the entry covers the immigration route proposed for your job |
The standard public file is not a complete employment or corporate record. It does not establish your salary, confirm a vacancy or provide a public approval decision for your personal application.
Use other reliable sources to resolve questions that the register does not answer.
8. Step Five: Check the Sponsorship Route
An organisation may hold permission under one route without holding permission for another. For a proposed Skilled Worker role, establish that the relevant entry covers Skilled Worker sponsorship.
Do not treat permission for a temporary route or a particular business-mobility arrangement as interchangeable with the route described in your offer.
If multiple entries appear for the same organisation, read the route details carefully. Multiple rows are not automatically an error or warning; they may reflect different permissions.
Ask the employer to identify the route it intends to use and explain any mismatch. “We are on the government list” is not a sufficient answer when the listed route differs from the one being promised.
9. Step Six: Understand A-Ratings and B-Ratings
GOV.UK describes an A-rating as the full sponsor-licence rating that permits an organisation to begin assigning Certificates of Sponsorship. A downgrade to B-rating generally prevents new assignments until improvements are made, although the guidance provides for certain existing-worker extensions.
A B-rating is not an instruction to assume that a fresh overseas recruitment proposal can proceed normally. Ask for clarification and obtain appropriate advice before relying on the proposed sponsorship.
Do not confuse a sponsor-licence rating with an inspection rating, customer review or Companies House status. These measure different things.
An A-rating also does not certify a recruiter’s identity, guarantee an individual’s employment conditions or remove the need for other checks. See the official licence-rating explanation.
10. Trading Names, Group Companies and Different Addresses
An employer can operate under a brand that differs from its legal name. A group may also contain several companies with similar names. These situations require a clear explanation rather than an immediate assumption of fraud.
Ask which entity will employ and sponsor you. Request written confirmation connecting the trading brand, legal organisation and proposed workplace.
A registered office, head office and worksite may be different addresses. The difference itself does not prove that an offer is false. However, it should be possible to explain the relationship using reliable records and direct employer confirmation.
Do not accept an agent’s claim that any company within a group can automatically use another company’s licence. Confirm the actual sponsorship arrangement with the organisation responsible.
11. What If the Employer Is Not on the Register?
First check for simple search problems: an incomplete download, a spelling variation, a trading name or filters hiding results. Ask the employer for its exact registered sponsor name and the relevant route.
If you still cannot locate a matching entry, treat its current ability to support the proposal as unverified. A business saying that it has applied for a licence is different from appearing as a licensed sponsor.
Do not conclude from absence alone that the business is fraudulent or that its licence has definitely been revoked. There may be different explanations, and the register is not a public narrative of the organisation’s history.
Pause financial commitments that depend on confirmed sponsorship. Request a clear explanation and repeat the official check before proceeding.
12. Suspended or Revoked Licences: Why Rechecking Matters
Home Office sponsor-compliance guidance states that sponsors are removed from the public register during suspension and cannot assign Certificates of Sponsorship while suspended. Revocation also results in removal and has different consequences.
An earlier screenshot cannot establish that the same status continues today. Recheck before significant commitments and before travel.
If your application or existing permission may be affected, read the GOV.UK guidance for employees whose sponsor loses its licence. The outcome depends on your circumstances and the action taken against the licence.
Avoid calculating your own immigration deadline from a social-media post. Follow official communications about your case and seek regulated advice promptly where needed. A concern about sponsor status is a reason to investigate, not to invent a legal conclusion.
13. Confirm the Recruiter Genuinely Represents the Employer
A fraudster can impersonate a genuine organisation that appears on the sponsor register. This is why a register match is necessary research but insufficient authentication of the person contacting you.
Find the employer’s contact details independently. Use its established website or another reliable source rather than relying only on the phone number or link in the recruitment message.
Ask the employer to confirm the recruiter’s name, the vacancy reference and whether the offer was issued on its behalf. If the recruiter is an outside agency, confirm the relationship directly with the employer.
Keep the response. A dated confirmation from an independently reached contact is more useful than repeated assurances from the same person who supplied the original offer.
14. Examine Email Addresses, Websites and Communication
Look carefully at the exact email domain. Small spelling changes, added words or unexpected domain endings can make an address resemble a genuine organisation’s address.
A secure connection or professional website design does not establish that the site belongs to the employer. Equally, a small business using a basic website does not automatically mean it is dishonest.
Treat communication patterns as clues to investigate. Pressure to avoid the employer’s HR team, refusal to provide a clear job description or demands to keep the offer secret deserve further scrutiny.
Do not use good grammar as a safety test. A convincing interview, polished document or detailed message can still form part of impersonation. Verification depends on connecting the offer to the real organisation.
15. Use Companies House as a Supporting Check
For an organisation incorporated as a UK company, the Companies House search service can help you examine its company number, status, registered address and filing information.
Company registration does not equal a sponsor licence. Companies House also warns that it does not check the accuracy of information filed. Do not treat a company entry as government confirmation that an offer or recruiter is genuine.
Compare records for consistency, while remembering that not every sponsor is a limited company. Universities, charities, public bodies and other organisations can have different legal structures.
If a detail does not fit, ask a precise question rather than making a broad accusation. For example: “Which legal entity is issuing this contract, and how does it relate to the company number provided?”
16. Verify the Actual Vacancy and Contract
Ask for the job title, main duties, work location, pay, hours, employment type and proposed start date. Obtain the terms in writing.
Check whether the employer’s established recruitment channels show the vacancy or can confirm it directly. Some genuine positions are not publicly advertised, so absence from a careers page is not proof of fraud.
Compare the contract with the interview discussion. A role described as professional employment should not unexpectedly become an unexplained arrangement with different duties or a different employer.
For Skilled Worker eligibility, consult the official job and salary requirements. A licensed employer cannot make every occupation, salary or applicant eligible simply by issuing an offer.
17. A Sponsor Licence Is Not a Certificate of Sponsorship
A Certificate of Sponsorship, usually shortened to CoS, relates to a particular worker and proposed job. GOV.UK explains that it is an electronic record with a reference number, rather than a physical certificate.
A printout may display information about that record, but its appearance does not prove authenticity. Neither a decorative seal nor a document headed “Certificate of Sponsorship” is a reliable verification method.
The public sponsor register does not offer a public search for your personal CoS reference. Do not mistake a third-party “CoS checker” for a Home Office authentication service.
Confirm the assignment and details through the independently verified sponsor. If doubts remain, use appropriate official guidance or regulated advice. Do not publish your reference number, passport details or full document in an open social-media group.
18. Understand Payment Requests Before Sending Money
Separate genuine personal application expenses from employer sponsorship costs and charges connected to a questionable promise of employment.
Home Office sponsor guidance on CoS fees prohibits sponsors from recovering the Skilled Worker CoS fee or associated administration costs from the worker where the CoS was assigned on or after 31 December 2024.
There are also restrictions on recovering sponsor-licence costs, and the Immigration Skills Charge guidance identifies the employer’s responsibility for that charge where applicable.
Ask for an itemised explanation of every requested payment, who receives it and what service it covers. Do not assume every applicant expense is unlawful, but do not accept “government sponsorship fee” as sufficient explanation for a transfer to an intermediary.
Pause if the arrangement involves purchasing a job or an unexplained CoS allocation. A receipt does not turn a prohibited or fraudulent payment into a valid immigration process.
19. Extra Checks for Health and Social Care Offers
For relevant care services in England, use the Care Quality Commission’s service search to examine the provider and service. CQC registration and inspection information are separate from immigration sponsorship. CQC does not regulate the whole UK; other nations have their own regulatory arrangements.
An important rule affects applicants abroad: GOV.UK states that the immigration route for care workers and senior care workers closed to new overseas applications from 22 July 2025. Do not interpret a care company’s register entry as proof that it can bring a new applicant from Nigeria into those roles.
Other health occupations and qualifying in-country arrangements require their own assessment. Read the official health and social care recruitment guidance and the current route rules.
A phrase such as “healthcare sponsorship” is too broad to validate an offer. Confirm the exact occupation and circumstances.
20. A Fictional Example: A Genuine Sponsor, an Unverified Recruiter
Imagine an applicant receives an offer said to come from “Example Regional Services,” a fictional name used here only to illustrate the process. The recruiter supplies a screenshot showing a similar organisation on a sponsor list.
The applicant opens the current official register and locates the claimed entity. Instead of stopping there, they independently find the employer’s recruitment contact and ask about the vacancy reference and recruiter.
Suppose the employer cannot confirm either. The correct conclusion is not that the register failed. The register established information about an organisation; it never established that the sender represented that organisation.
The applicant pauses payment, preserves the messages and investigates further. This example shows why checking the licence and authenticating the offer must remain separate tasks.
21. Record Your Checks in a Simple Verification Log
Keep a record that distinguishes confirmed facts from unanswered questions. This helps you avoid gradually treating assumptions as evidence.
| Check | Record to retain |
|---|---|
| Official register | Source page, file date and matching organisation details |
| Relevant route | The route listed and its connection to the proposed application |
| Employer identity | Legal name, trading name and explanation of any differences |
| Recruiter authority | Employer confirmation obtained through independent contact |
| Vacancy | Reference, duties, location and confirmation of the offer |
| Payments | Itemised purpose, recipient and supporting explanation |
| Follow-up | Unresolved issues and the date for another check |
Store records securely. Save only what you need, and avoid placing other people’s personal data or confidential recruitment documents in public folders.
22. Questions You Can Send to the Employer
A short, organised request is usually more useful than a long message asking whether the company is “real.” Adapt the following wording to your circumstances:
Please confirm the legal name of the organisation that would sponsor my employment, the proposed immigration route and the vacancy reference. I would also appreciate confirmation that the recruiter contacting me is authorised to act for your organisation. If the trading name, contract name or worksite differs from the sponsor-register entry, please explain the relationship. Finally, please provide an itemised explanation of any costs I am expected to pay.
Send this through a contact you have independently verified. Record the reply and follow up on anything that remains unclear. A willingness to answer is helpful, but evaluate whether the answer actually resolves the question.
23. When to Repeat the Verification
Check early enough to avoid spending money on a proposal you cannot validate. Repeat the relevant checks when circumstances materially change or when time has passed before a major commitment.
Useful decision points include accepting an offer, relying on assigned sponsorship, paying substantial application-related costs and preparing to travel. There is no need to interpret a prior check as a permanent certification.
If the organisation’s name, ownership, recruiter or proposed employing entity changes, obtain a fresh explanation. Do not assume that an older offer automatically covers the new arrangement.
The purpose is to identify meaningful changes, not to create false certainty through frequent searches. A current register result still needs to be considered alongside the actual job and your immigration position.
24. What to Do If You Suspect a Scam
Stop additional payments while investigating. Preserve the offer, correspondence, payment details and relevant dates. If money has been sent, contact your bank or payment provider promptly to ask about the available response options.
Use the GOV.UK visa and immigration scam reporting guidance, which directs users to Report Fraud. Follow the reporting route appropriate to your location and circumstances.
Inform the genuine organisation through independently sourced details if its identity appears to be misused. Avoid publishing accusations or confidential records before establishing the facts.
If you disclosed passwords or sensitive account information, secure the affected accounts. Be cautious of a second person promising guaranteed recovery in exchange for another advance payment.
25. When Professional Advice Is Appropriate
Seek suitable advice if your immigration permission may be affected, the sponsorship arrangement is complex or official communications raise questions about your status.
Use the GOV.UK immigration-adviser search guidance to understand how to check an adviser’s registration or professional regulation. Verify the individual and organisation rather than relying only on a logo or claimed registration number.
Ask what the service will cover, what it costs and how you will receive copies of relevant work. An adviser can assess and explain your position but cannot guarantee a Home Office decision.
Keep the advice focused on the issue. For example, uncertainty about a group-company arrangement or a licence suspension may need a specific assessment rather than another general relocation consultation.
26. Frequently Asked Questions
The public GOV.UK register can be accessed without paying a private checker. You may choose to pay a professional for advice, but distinguish that service from access to the public list.
No. It concerns the sponsor’s licence rating. You must separately verify the sender, vacancy and proposed employment arrangement.
The standard public worker register is organised around organisation and route information, not a public licence-number lookup. Ask for the exact sponsor name and investigate the other details supplied.
A trading brand and legal entity can differ. Ask for an explanation linking them and verify it independently. Similar spelling alone is not enough.
No. Incorporation and immigration sponsorship are separate matters. Check the relevant official sponsor register as well as the identity of the employer.
No. Finding an organisation does not authenticate your individual sponsorship record. Confirm details with the independently verified sponsor and seek appropriate advice if concerns remain.
No. Search errors, naming differences and changes in licence status can have different explanations. Treat sponsorship as unresolved until you establish the facts.
A guarantee is not evidence of eligibility or approval. Verify the employer and recruitment relationship, and remember that the immigration decision is made by the relevant government authority.
27. Your Final Sponsor Verification Checklist
Before relying on an offer, confirm the organisation in the current official register, review the relevant route and rating, resolve naming differences and independently authenticate the recruiter and vacancy.
Then check the actual job requirements and payment arrangements. Keep dated records, protect your personal information and repeat checks before significant commitments if circumstances have changed.
For broader planning, explore Spreemkt’s UK guide, Skilled Work Visa comparison and Relocation Abroad From Nigeria guide.
The most useful result is a chain of consistent evidence connecting the licensed organisation, the real recruiter, the specific job and the appropriate immigration route. A single screenshot cannot provide that chain.
Choose your next step
Explore destination guides and continue your research through the official government resources linked throughout this article.