How we source our data

The list of organisations licensed to sponsor Work and Temporary Work visas is always up to date. The data comes from a document published on GOV.UK, the UK's public sector information website, which was built by the Government Digital Service to provide a single point of access to government services.

First published in November 2013, the document is updated regularly. Organisations that have lost their sponsor licence are removed, and newly licensed ones are added.

What problem does this solve?

GOV.UK publishes the register as a CSV file that has to be downloaded and scrolled through manually. It's awkward to use on a phone and can't be searched properly. SponsorIntel checks for new versions continuously and updates the site almost as soon as one appears.

Comparing versions over time also reveals organisations that used to hold a sponsor licence but no longer do. It makes it possible to build a timeline of changes to an organisation's licence history, such as whether and when it was downgraded.

Rich data on SponsorIntel

The GOV.UK file says very little about the organisations themselves. Here, you can search by location or address and view results on a map. Search by industry is also in the works.