You still see “Tier 2 sponsor companies” written in articles and Reddit posts. The term is historical.
What happened in 2020
The UK points-based system was rebuilt at the end of 2020. Tier 2 (General) — the main work route for skilled migrants — was replaced by the Skilled Worker route. The replacement removed the annual quota, scrapped the Resident Labour Market Test, reduced the salary threshold (at the time), and opened eligibility to RQF Level 3 jobs. The general threshold has since moved up twice and the eligibility list has been re-cut.
What a “Tier 2 sponsor” means today
Functionally, any company that can sponsor a Skilled Worker visa held a Tier 2 licence before 2020 if they were sponsoring then. The Home Office register now lists everything under the Worker (not “Tier 2”) category. The register you search here is the current one.
Why people keep saying Tier 2
Three reasons: inertia in search queries, old guides that have not been updated, and internal company documentation that still uses “Tier 2” as a shorthand. When a recruiter says “we can do Tier 2”, they mean Skilled Worker.
Where to look next
Read the up-to-date Skilled Worker guide and use the live sponsor search rather than any old Tier 2 list you’ve seen elsewhere.
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