Check the legal employer, not only the brand name
Find the legal organisation named in the advert or ask the recruiter who would employ you. Search that organisation on the official sponsor register and compare the location and route. Trading names, recruitment agencies and similarly named organisations can make a simple name match unreliable.
Look for an explicit statement about this vacancy
Read the complete original advert, not only a search-result excerpt. Look for clear wording about Skilled Worker sponsorship and any restrictions. If the advert is silent, says applicants must already have the right to work, or excludes sponsorship, treat sponsorship as unconfirmed or unavailable rather than inferring it from the employer’s licence.
Ask precise questions
Ask whether the employer will sponsor this particular role and applicant, which occupation code it will use, whether the salary and hours meet the relevant rules, and at what stage it would assign a CoS. Keep the answer in writing where possible.
Verify the vacancy through official channels
Check that the application link uses the employer’s genuine website or a recognised recruitment platform. Independently locate the organisation’s website and contact details rather than relying only on links or phone numbers sent by an unknown person.
Recognise warning signs
Be cautious about guaranteed visas, unusually easy job offers, pressure to act immediately, requests for confidential banking information or payment to secure a job or visa. GOV.UK warns that legitimate employers do not ask candidates to pay to secure a visa and that UKVI does not guarantee jobs.
Keep the three checks separate
A sponsor-register match confirms only that the named organisation appears on the register. Job eligibility depends on the duties, occupation code and salary. Sponsorship is confirmed only when the employer agrees to sponsor the applicant and assigns a valid CoS. Do not treat one of these checks as proof of the others.
Official sources
This guide supports your research and is not individual immigration advice.
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