Data Methodology
Transparency about our data sources, processing, and what the numbers mean.
Our Data Principles
Official Source
All data originates from the UK Government's Register of Licensed Sponsors, published by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
Complete Dataset
We include all licensed sponsors from the official register, with no selective filtering or removal of entries.
Regular Updates
Our database is updated regularly to reflect changes in the official sponsor register.
Data Integrity
We preserve the original data exactly as published, including suppressed values indicated by asterisks.
Understanding the Data Fields
Organisation Name
The official name of the organisation as registered with UKVI. This is the legal entity name, which may differ from trading names or brand names you're familiar with.
Company Number
The Companies House registration number where available. "Not Recorded" indicates the organisation may be a non-company entity (e.g., NHS Trust, university, charity) or the number wasn't provided in the source data.
Industry Sector
Classification based on the UK Standard Industrial Classification (SIC). There are 21 sectors including Agriculture, Manufacturing, Information and Communication, Financial Services, Healthcare, and Education, among others.
Grand Total
The total number of Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) used by the organisation in the reporting period. This represents the volume of sponsored workers, giving insight into how actively the organisation sponsors international talent.
Salary Bands
The distribution of CoS across five salary ranges:
- Less than £20,000
- £20,000 - £49,999.99
- £50,000 - £79,999.99
- £80,000 or over
- No Annual Salary Data
About Suppressed Values (*)
Some values in the dataset appear as an asterisk (*). This indicates that the government has suppressed the actual number for statistical confidentiality reasons.
Values are typically suppressed when they are small enough that reporting them could potentially identify individuals. This is a standard practice in government statistical publications to protect privacy.
When filtering data, you can choose to include or exclude records with suppressed values depending on your research needs.
Important Limitations
- This data shows historical sponsorship activity. A company's current hiring intentions may differ.
- Being on the register doesn't guarantee a company will sponsor you specifically. Each company makes individual decisions about sponsorship.
- Sponsor licences can be revoked or suspended. Always verify current status on the official government website before making decisions.
- The data covers specific visa routes and may not include all types of immigration sponsorship.