UK Sponsor Licence Status: What Active, Suspended and Revoked Actually Mean

Roughly one in fifty sponsor licences on the UK register loses or has its rating downgraded in any given twelve-month period. For the adult social care sector in 2024–2025 the figure has been substantially higher. If a worker accepts a job offer from a sponsor whose licence is then revoked, the Certificate of Sponsorship is cancelled and any visa already granted on it is curtailed — usually to a 60-day window. Reading a sponsor’s current licence status is therefore a basic verification step.

The three ratings you will see

Every entry on the official register carries a “Type and Rating” field. The values are:

• A-rated. The licence is in good standing. The sponsor has met the Home Office’s compliance requirements and can assign Certificates of Sponsorship freely.
• B-rated. The licence is in remediation. The Home Office has found compliance issues serious enough to downgrade but not to revoke. The sponsor cannot assign new Certificates of Sponsorship while B-rated; existing CoS holders are not directly affected. A B-rating can be upgraded back to A after an action plan is completed.
• Withdrawn / Revoked. The licence has been removed. Any outstanding Certificates of Sponsorship are cancelled. Any worker already in the UK on a visa tied to this sponsor has their leave curtailed.

A separate state — suspended — pauses the licence while the Home Office investigates. The sponsor cannot assign new CoS during suspension, but existing workers’ visas are not curtailed unless the licence is subsequently revoked.

What triggers a suspension or revocation

Published Home Office guidance lists dozens of compliance breaches. The practical top five are:

1. Failing to keep accurate records on each sponsored worker.
2. Paying sponsored workers less than the salary on the CoS.
3. Issuing CoS for roles that do not exist or do not match the SOC code claimed.
4. Failing to report changes — a worker leaving early, an unauthorised change of duties, an extended absence.
5. Compliance audit findings during a Home Office visit, including missing right-to-work checks for the wider workforce.

The Home Office can revoke a licence with very little notice. Workers typically learn of the revocation only when their employer tells them, or via the register update on this site.

Practical effect on workers

Already in the UK:

• A curtailment letter shortens the visa to 60 calendar days from the date of the letter.
• Within those 60 days, holders typically find a new sponsor and submit a fresh Skilled Worker application, switch to another visa category they qualify for, or leave the UK.
• Time already accrued continues to count toward the five-year settlement clock provided leave remains continuous.

Not yet in the UK:

• The CoS is cancelled. The employer cannot issue a new one until (and unless) the licence is reinstated.
• Any visa fee already paid is generally non-refundable; the Immigration Health Surcharge is refundable if the holder has not entered the UK.

How to check before accepting an offer

This site refreshes the entire UK sponsor register every 24 hours from the official GOV.UK source. Searching the employer’s exact registered name returns the current rating and route. A listing showing anything other than “A-rated” is a prompt to confirm details before signing.

For social care roles, applicants typically also check whether the operating company name on the CoS matches the registered care provider, and whether the Care Quality Commission, Care Inspectorate, Care Inspectorate Wales or RQIA has an active enforcement notice against the provider.

Frequently asked questions

What does A-rated mean on a sponsor licence?

A-rated is the standard "good standing" rating. The sponsor has met the Home Office's compliance requirements and can freely assign Certificates of Sponsorship.

What is a B-rated sponsor?

A B-rated licence is in remediation. The Home Office has identified compliance issues serious enough to downgrade but not to revoke. The sponsor cannot assign new Certificates of Sponsorship while B-rated; existing workers are not directly affected. The licence can be upgraded back to A once an action plan is completed.

What happens to my visa if my sponsor loses its licence?

If you are in the UK, you typically receive a curtailment letter reducing your leave to 60 days. Within that window most workers either find a new sponsor and submit a fresh application, switch to another category they qualify for, or leave the UK.

Does time on a revoked sponsor count toward settlement?

Qualifying residence on the Skilled Worker route continues to count toward the five-year settlement clock as long as leave remains continuous, even when changing sponsors. The Home Office's published guidance confirms this for Skilled Worker switches.

For the rules covered here, see the Home Office’s sponsor compliance guidance on GOV.UK.