Which industry sponsors the most work visas overall?

It depends on the country. Consulting leads by far in the US (over 11,000 licensed sponsors), Healthcare & Medical leads in the UK (over 4,000), and Hospitality & Food leads in Canada, New Zealand and Ireland. There is no single industry that dominates globally.

Why is Healthcare & Medical the UK's top sponsoring industry?

The UK's Health and Care Worker visa route was created specifically for the NHS and the private care sector, so a very large share of the UK's total licensed sponsors sit in that one category rather than being spread evenly across the economy.

Why is Consulting the US's top sponsoring industry?

US H-1B sponsorship is heavily driven by IT-services and staffing firms that place consultants with client companies. That single business model accounts for a disproportionate share of all H-1B petitions, which is why Consulting outsizes Technology and every other industry in the data.

Does a bigger industry mean more available jobs right now?

No. A larger count means more companies are licensed to sponsor in that industry, not that they are actively hiring. Use it to shortlist which sector and country combination is worth searching, then check individual employers' current openings.

Which industries sponsor the least?

Smaller, more specialised sectors — Legal, Security, and Accounting & Audit, for example — appear near the bottom of most countries' registers, and several fall below the threshold Pathyras uses to publish a dedicated industry page at all.

How is a sponsor's industry determined?

Industry classification comes from each country's own official sponsor register, not from Pathyras. If a company operates across multiple sectors, it is generally listed under the primary classification given in the government register.

Which Industries Sponsor the Most Work Visas? A Country-by-Country Breakdown - Pathyras

Real sponsor-register counts by industry for the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the Netherlands — and why the top industry is completely different in each one.

Pathyras — passport-first migration planning