By Charles Abere
The United Kingdom has updated its register of licensed sponsors eligible to hire foreign workers under the Skilled Worker and Temporary Worker immigration routes, with the list now including over 119,000 companies as of August 2024.
According to details published on the UK government’s website, the register was last updated on January 12, 2024, when it recorded 99,856 approved entities. That figure represented an increase of 31,226 companies compared to 68,630 approved in January 2023. By May 2024 the list had grown to 113,919, and by August 2024 it reached 119,195 companies, reflecting continued expansion of employers licensed to sponsor overseas talent.
The register covers a wide range of sectors, including technology, commerce, education, media and advertising, engineering, and health and social care. The skilled worker route includes categories such as charity workers, skilled workers, creative workers, global business mobility, senior or specialist workers, and international sportspersons.
The document lists worker and temporary worker sponsors, the category of workers they are licensed to sponsor, and their sponsorship rating. Prospective applicants are advised to visit the website of individual companies to search for available vacancies.
Companies on the 2024 list include small and medium enterprises such as RSS Express Ltd T/A Ledbury Fuel Service Station, IECC Care (Independent Excel Care Consortium Limited), AboutCare Hastings Ltd, Home Accommodation Services Ltd, and 1 and 5 Tech Ltd, alongside multinational firms like GSK, HSBC, and KPMG that hold sponsor licences.
The UK government updates the register regularly as companies are added or removed. The most current version is available on the official government website under “Register of licensed sponsors: workers” and “Register of licensed sponsors: temporary workers.”
