How to Check a UK Sponsor Licence Number

Key Takeaways for Sponsor License Number

Your sponsor licence number lives in your Home Office approval letter and your SMS dashboard, check both before issuing any Certificate of Sponsorship.
The Register of Licensed Sponsors is publicly available on GOV.UK and updated regularly. Use it to verify your own or a partner's licence status before making any hiring decision.
A-rated licences are fully compliant; B-rated licences are under a Home Office action plan and at risk know which rating you hold.
Job applicants can and should verify their employer's licence status on the public register before accepting a visa-dependent job offer.

What Is a UK Sponsor Licence Number and Why Does It Matter?

A UK sponsor licence number is the unique identifier the Home Office assigns when your organisation's sponsor licence is approved. Without it, you cannot legally hire international talent or issue Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS). Read about UK sponsor licence application in the complete guide.

Where to Find Your Number

There are three reliable sources:

Home Office approval letter :

Issued when your licence was granted, containing both your licence number and SMS login details.

Sponsor Management System (SMS)

Log in at gov.uk/sponsor-management-system. Your number is displayed on the dashboard and always reflects the live record. For complete understanding on SMS, check our guide on UK Sponsor Management System best practices.

Previous CoS documents

Any Certificate of Sponsorship your organisation has issued will reference your licence number.

How to Check Your Licence Status on the Public Register

The Home Office publishes the Register of Licensed Sponsors on GOV.UK. It is publicly accessible and updated regularly at least monthly, with urgent changes (suspensions, revocations) applied sooner.

Go to the Register of Licensed Sponsors: Workers on GOV.UK
Download the latest version in CSV or Excel format.
Open the file in Excel or Google Sheets.
Use Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F) to search by company name or licence number.
Check the licence rating (A or B), the licence type (Worker, Temporary Worker, or both), and the visa routes covered.
Note the date stamp on the file always verify you have the most recent version.

If your company does not appear, your licence may have been revoked, suspended, or the application is still being processed.

Understanding Licence Ratings: A vs B

The register shows one of two ratings for each active sponsor.

Licence Ratings at a Glance

Rating	What It Means	Can Issue CoS?	Risk Level
A	Fully compliant with Home Office requirements	Yes, without restriction	Low
B	Compliance gaps identified; operating under a Home Office action plan	Yes, but at risk	High, revocation possible

A, B rating doesn't invalidate your licence, but it signals Home Office concern. Failure to resolve issues before the action plan deadline can lead to revocation.

Why You Should Check Regularly

Licence status can change without warning after a compliance visit, a missed reporting obligation, or a key personnel change.

Check your status:

Before issuing any new CoS
Before making a sponsored hire offer
After changes to your Authorising Officer or Level 1 User
At least quarterly as standard compliance practice

The cost of a missed check is high. If your licence is suspended and you assign a CoS, that CoS is invalid and the worker's visa application will fail. For a full picture of the compliance duties involved, our article on sponsor licence compliance obligations is a useful reference.

What Employers Should Communicate to Candidates About Sponsorship

Being transparent about your licence status upfront builds trust and avoids offer-stage drop-off. Before extending a sponsored job offer, make sure you can clearly confirm:

Your organisation appears on the GOV.UK register of licensed sponsors
Your licence holds an A rating and covers the relevant visa route (e.g. Skilled Worker)
You can issue a valid CoS reference number promptly once the offer is accepted
Your team is prepared to share licence details openly, hesitation here raises red flags for candidates.

When to Get Expert Support

Most licence checks are straightforward. But if your licence is not appearing on the register, your rating has dropped to B, or SMS access has been lost, you need to act fast and getting it wrong can cost you your licence entirely.

Jobbatical works with UK employers to manage sponsor licence compliance end-to-end: from SMS management and CoS issuance to audit preparation and personnel changes.

Disclaimer: Immigration rules change quite frequently; please verify with official sources or contact us for the latest info before making any decisions.