UK Sponsor Licence Register, May 2026: 508 Firms Removed, 1,040 Added (Net +532)
In May 2026, 508 organisations were removed from the UK Register of Licensed Sponsors and 1,040 were added — a net increase of 532, according to Tarve's analysis of the Home Office register. Far from a collapse in employer sponsorship, the headline story for the month of 1 May to 1 June 2026 is one of churn and net growth: the register of organisations licensed to sponsor workers grew from 126,221 to 126,748 organisations. Removals can happen for several reasons — revocation, voluntary surrender, or simply ceasing to sponsor — and the public register does not state which applies to any given entry.
TL;DR — UK sponsor register, May 2026
- 508 organisations removed from the register
- 1,040 organisations added
- Net change: +532 (the register grew, it did not shrink)
- Register size rose from 126,221 to 126,748 organisations
- 17 Provisional→A confirmations on the Global Business Mobility: UK Expansion Worker route
- 0 A→B rating downgrades detected
Source: Tarve analysis of the gov.uk Register of Licensed Sponsors (workers), 1 May to 1 June 2026.
Key findings
- The register grew by a net +532. 1,040 organisations were added and 508 were removed over the month.
- Total licensed organisations rose from 126,221 to 126,748. The underlying register expanded from 141,071 to 141,610 rows (organisations can appear under more than one route).
- London dominates both lists. The capital accounted for 124 removals and 274 new additions — by far the largest share in each direction.
- Care and health is the biggest indicative sector both ways, with 124 removals and 168 additions on a keyword-bucket basis.
- 17 organisations moved from a Provisional to an A-rating on the Global Business Mobility: UK Expansion Worker route — a pattern consistent with overseas businesses establishing a UK trading presence.
- 0 A→B downgrades were detected between the two snapshots.
Headline figures
| Metric | 1 May 2026 | 1 June 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed organisations | 126,221 | 126,748 | +532 (net) |
| Register rows (route-level) | 141,071 | 141,610 | +539 |
| Organisations removed | — | — | 508 |
| Organisations added | — | — | 1,040 |
| Net change in organisations | — | — | +532 |
The small difference between the +532 net organisation change and the +539 row change reflects organisations holding licences across more than one sponsorship route. For a longer-run view of how revocations and removals have trended, see our predecessor report on UK sponsor licences revoked, February to April 2026.
How we measured this
Tarve compared the raw gov.uk Register of Licensed Sponsors (workers) files for two dates: 1 May 2026 and 1 June 2026. We identified every organisation that disappeared from the register and every one that appeared, then removed automatically detected renames and relocations so that a single company changing its name or address is not double-counted as one loss plus one gain.
On the removals side, 920 raw disappearances minus 412 detected renames/relocations gives 508 genuine removals. On the additions side, 1,451 raw appearances minus 411 renames gives 1,040 genuine additions. The net change is therefore +532.
Important: a removal from the register does not, on its own, mean the Home Office revoked a licence. An organisation can leave the register through revocation, voluntary surrender, or simply ceasing to sponsor — for example by ceasing to trade or not renewing. The register does not state the reason for a removal, so we do not attribute removals to revocation. Sector splits in this report are indicative only, derived from company-name keyword buckets that can overlap. The source data is the public gov.uk Register of Licensed Sponsors (workers). For employers wanting to understand how to stay on the register, see our UK sponsor licence compliance guide for 2026.
Where sponsors were removed
Removals were heavily concentrated in London, which accounted for 124 of the organisations that no longer appear on the register. The remaining top cities trail far behind.
| City | Organisations removed |
|---|---|
| London | 124 |
| Manchester | 11 |
| Leicester | 11 |
| Birmingham | 9 |
| Nottingham | 8 |
| Leeds | 8 |
| Ilford | 6 |
| Peterborough | 5 |
| Bristol | 5 |
| Harrow | 5 |
| Sheffield | 4 |
| Bradford | 4 |
At county level, the largest concentrations of removals were in London (14), Essex (11) and entries recorded simply as England (11), followed by Kent (9) and Surrey (9). We have not named any removed organisation: no household-name company left the register in May 2026, and any apparent match to a famous name is a coincidental small firm. For background on why a firm might cease to sponsor, our UK sponsor licence guide for employers walks through the obligations involved.
Where new sponsors appeared
New additions outnumbered removals by more than two to one, and again London led, with 274 newly licensed organisations. Birmingham, Manchester and a cluster of regional cities followed.
| City | Organisations added |
|---|---|
| London | 274 |
| Birmingham | 28 |
| Manchester | 18 |
| Sheffield | 15 |
| Glasgow | 15 |
| Leicester | 14 |
| Leeds | 13 |
| Nottingham | 12 |
| Southampton | 10 |
| Milton Keynes | 9 |
| Bristol | 9 |
| Harrow | 8 |
The growth was geographically broad: Glasgow and Birmingham each posted notably strong new-sponsor numbers, underlining that demand for work sponsorship is not a London-only phenomenon. The new additions span the full size spectrum, from large employers to independent local businesses. One illustrative example is G2 Superstore Ltd, trading as a Morrisons Daily convenience store in Inverurie — an independent franchisee operating under the Morrisons Daily format, not part of Wm Morrison Supermarkets / Morrisons plc. To see which employers currently hold licences, browse our database of UK companies that sponsor visas.
Which sectors gained and lost (indicative)
The following sector breakdown is indicative only. It is built from company-name keyword buckets, which overlap and cannot capture a firm's true activity with precision. Treat it as a directional signal, not a definitive sector audit.
| Indicative sector | Removed | Added |
|---|---|---|
| Care / health | 124 | 168 |
| Retail / cleaning / services | 68 | 97 |
| IT / tech / consulting | 49 | 87 |
| Food / hospitality | 29 | 47 |
| Construction | 8 | 21 |
| Logistics / transport | 5 | 12 |
In every indicative sector, additions outnumbered removals — consistent with the overall net growth of the register. Care and health saw the most movement on both sides, while IT, tech and consulting recorded one of the strongest net gains relative to its losses.
17 UK Expansion Worker sponsors confirmed
Seventeen organisations moved from a Provisional rating to an A-rating on the Global Business Mobility: UK Expansion Worker route during May 2026. A Provisional rating is the starting status for an overseas business with no established UK trading presence; an upgrade to an A-rating is consistent with that sponsor establishing UK operations. The register does not state the reason for any individual rating change, so we present these as a pattern, not a definitive cause.
| Organisation | City |
|---|---|
| AME Publishing Ltd | London |
| CEYLEX UK Pvt Ltd | High Wycombe |
| End Cue UK Ltd | London |
| Fides Box and Pack Limited | Canterbury |
| GGM Gastro UK Limited | London |
| HJK General Trading UK Limited | London |
| ITS 4 Point of Sale Ltd | London |
| Lenwood Capital Ltd | London |
| Matternet UK Ltd | Cheltenham |
| Motoalliance Limited | Edinburgh |
| Nippon Jidosha International Limited | Sutton |
| Omusubi Ltd | London |
| Overnight Ops Limited | London |
| Specright Ltd | London |
| Susan Harter Studios Limited | London |
| TT &Gizmo Limited | Newbury |
| ZOZO U.K. Limited | London |
Matternet UK Ltd (Cheltenham) is the UK arm of Matternet, the US drone-logistics firm based in Mountain View, California. In April 2026 it launched NHS medical-drone delivery operations in Central London with partner Apian — a real-world example of an overseas business standing up a UK presence, which is consistent with the kind of UK Expansion Worker confirmation seen on the register.
ZOZO U.K. Limited (London) is the UK arm of ZOZO, Inc. of Japan, confirmed on Companies House as the controlling Person with Significant Control. ZOZO operates ZOZOTOWN, a leading Japanese fashion e-commerce platform, and acquired London-based Lyst, which is now a wholly owned subsidiary. Its presence among the confirmations again fits the pattern of an established overseas group building out UK operations.
What this means for job seekers and employers
For job seekers, the headline is reassuring: the pool of licensed sponsors grew in May 2026, with more than twice as many organisations added as removed. Opportunities are not confined to London — Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and several regional cities all added sponsors. If you are searching for a sponsoring employer, our UK visa sponsor database is a practical starting point.
For employers, two points stand out. First, removal from the register is not always a regulatory event — many firms leave simply by ceasing to sponsor, so the 508 figure should not be read as 508 enforcement actions. Second, the steady flow of new sponsors shows the route remains accessible to organisations that meet the requirements. Employers planning to apply should review the current sponsor licence processing times and the typical UK visa sponsorship costs before starting.
Frequently asked questions
How many companies lost their UK sponsor licence in May 2026?
508 organisations were removed from the UK Register of Licensed Sponsors (workers) between 1 May and 1 June 2026, according to Tarve's analysis. "Removed" is not the same as "licence revoked" — an organisation can also leave by voluntary surrender or by ceasing to sponsor.
Does removal from the register mean a licence was revoked?
No. A removal can be a revocation, a voluntary surrender, or an organisation ceasing to sponsor — for instance by ceasing to trade or not renewing. The public register does not state the reason for any individual removal, so removals should not be assumed to be Home Office revocations.
Did the UK sponsor register grow or shrink in May 2026?
It grew. 1,040 organisations were added and 508 were removed, a net increase of 532. The total number of licensed organisations rose from 126,221 to 126,748.
How many new UK sponsors were added in May 2026?
1,040 organisations were added to the register over the month, after excluding renames and relocations so that name or address changes are not counted as new entries.
Which UK city gained and lost the most sponsors?
London led both lists, with 124 removals and 274 additions — the largest share in each direction. Birmingham (28 added) and Manchester (18 added) were the next largest sources of new sponsors.
What are the 17 Provisional to A-rating confirmations?
They are 17 organisations on the Global Business Mobility: UK Expansion Worker route that moved from a Provisional to an A-rating. This is consistent with overseas businesses establishing a UK trading presence, though the register does not state the reason for each change.
Where does this data come from?
From Tarve's analysis of the public gov.uk Register of Licensed Sponsors (workers), comparing the 1 May 2026 and 1 June 2026 files. Sector splits are indicative, based on overlapping company-name keyword buckets.
Source: Tarve analysis of the gov.uk Register of Licensed Sponsors (workers).
Tarve is an independent information service, not a regulated immigration adviser. This article presents data analysis, not legal or immigration advice. Figures describe the public register and do not state the reason for any individual organisation's removal. Always check the official gov.uk register and seek qualified advice for your specific circumstances.
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Mahadheer Muhammed
The Tarve team researches UK visa sponsorship directly from official gov.uk and Home Office sources — the register of licensed sponsors, the Immigration Rules, and published salary and going-rate data — to produce clear, regularly updated guides for international professionals. Tarve is an independent information and job-search service, not a regulated immigration adviser.
How we source this guide
Figures and rules on this page are taken from official gov.uk and Home Office publications and were last verified on 18 June 2026. Tarve is an independent information and job-search service, not a regulated immigration adviser — guidance here is for information only, and you should always confirm the current rules on gov.uk.