Senior Software Engineer
141,165 UK licensed sponsors·Updated 8 May 2026·Sourced from GOV.UK
Stop applying to UK jobs that can't sponsor you.
We cross-check every job against the official GOV.UK sponsor register — so you never apply to an employer who legally can't hire you.
Free · no card · ~60-second signup
How UK sponsorship actually works
Sponsorship is paperwork, not funding — and we filter for it.
A UK sponsor is an employer with a Home Office licence to issue you a Certificate of Sponsorship — the digital reference that lets you apply for a Skilled Worker visa. Sponsio surfaces only roles at licensed employers, then ranks them against your target role, salary, and visa route.
Software engineer, London
Role match94% match
Active sponsor licence
Vacancy title matches profile
Route and salary flagged for review
Matched sponsor vacancyLicence confirmed first, job fit checked next.
141,165licensed sponsors
17visa guides
Candidate SupportFrom the sponsor register to a signed offer, step by step
Templates and checklists for documents, salary thresholds, SOC code matches, and the questions to ask before you accept — written for sponsored hires, not generic UK roles.
See the templates →
Application StrategyStop spraying CVs at companies that can't hire you
We score every job for sponsor-licence status, role fit, and salary threshold. Confirmed matches sit on top; "needs review" sits below — never hidden, never overclaimed.
How matching works →
Built for the route you're actually on.
A shortlist your CV can actually win
Filter by SOC code, salary band, and live sponsor licence — built for senior hires already abroad.
Read the Skilled Worker guide →From Graduate visa to Skilled Worker, without the dead leads
We flag the roles that meet the Skilled Worker salary thresholds for new entrants and the sectors that switch graduates routinely.
Read the Graduate route guide →Sectors that sponsor outside tech and finance
Health and care, engineering, construction, education — see who's hiring and which routes apply.
Read the Health & Care guide →How it works
From a free sponsor search to a tailored application, in four steps.
Search the GOV.UK register
Filter every UK-licensed sponsor by role, sector, salary, and location. Free, no signup.
Find your visa route
Skilled Worker, Graduate, and Health and Care — see which routes your profile actually qualifies for.
Position your CV for sponsors
Templates shaped around what licensed employers and the SOC code system look for.
Save the right ones and stay in the loop
Bookmark sponsor-licensed roles, get an alert when new matches go live, and tick off the visa checklist as you progress.
By the numbers · GOV.UK register
The sponsor map LinkedIn doesn't show you.
Every figure below is computed from the official Home Office Register of Licensed Sponsors — refreshed twice a day, never estimated, never sponsored.
Top visa routes by sponsor count
Where the licensed-employer pool is concentrated today.
- Skilled Worker121,36286%
- Global Business Mobility: Senior or Specialist Worker10,3927.4%
- Tier 2 Ministers of Religion1,8911.3%
- Creative Worker1,5721.1%
- Charity Worker1,5251.1%
Top UK regions for sponsors
Where to focus your search if location flexibility matters.
- London43,128
- Birmingham3,308
- Manchester3,110
- Leicester1,489
- Glasgow1,459
- Bristol1,445
Audited by the Home Office
A-rating means the Home Office has audited the employer's sponsor systems and approved them. B-rated sponsors are on an action plan to fix issues — we exclude them by default.
141,034A-rated employers in your candidate pool
17 sponsors are currently B-rated. You can opt them in from filters if you know what you're doing.
Why Sponsio
The job board built for the sponsor question.
LinkedIn and Indeed surface jobs. Neither tells you whether the employer can legally sponsor you — every match here is cross-checked against the GOV.UK register before it lands in your feed.
CapabilitySponsioLinkedInIndeed
Filters jobs by sponsor licence✓✗✗
Live GOV.UK sponsor register dataRefreshed every 12h——
Visa-aware salary thresholdsSkilled Worker, Health & Care, Graduate——
A-rated employers on by default✓——
Auto-applies on your behalfNeverEasy Apply1-click apply
Free to useYes, no cardYesYes
LinkedIn and Indeed are great for volume — Sponsio is the sponsor-licence layer they don't have. Use both.
Before you sign up
The questions visa candidates always ask.
If we don't answer one here, it's a good question — email us.
Is Sponsio really free?
Yes. The GOV.UK sponsor register search is free with no signup. Personalised matches, saved shortlists, and alerts unlock with a free email signup — no card, no trial expiry. We don't have a paid tier today, and if we ever add one the existing free tier stays free.
How fresh is the sponsor data?
Pulled directly from the GOV.UK Register of Licensed Sponsors and refreshed every 12 hours. The Home Office publishes updates twice a day; you'll see them within hours. The 'Updated' date in the hero shows the most recent publish date from gov.uk.
Do you share my details with employers?
No. Sponsio never sends your CV, profile, or contact info to employers. We surface licensed-sponsor matches — you apply on the employer's site or LinkedIn yourself, on your own timeline.
Will Sponsio auto-apply on my behalf?
No. We don't auto-apply, auto-message, or spray your CV across the UK. You stay in control of every application. If another service offers to fire your CV at thousands of employers without you reading the role first, run.
Does a sponsor licence guarantee they'll sponsor my role?
No. A licence means the employer CAN issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for eligible vacancies — they may choose not to for a given role (salary thresholds, internal headcount, departmental policy). We label roles as 'Confirmed match' only when role profile, salary, and licence align; 'Needs review' jobs need a quick recruiter chat to confirm. These are algorithmic indicators — always verify with the employer.