Four companies with ties to the Russian and Iranian regimes, which are under UK sanctions prohibiting business with British nationals, have been approved by the Home Office to sponsor work visas. The firms include Russian airline Aeroflot, cryptocurrency platform Exmo Exchange, and two Iranian state-owned banks, Melli and Persia International.
Aeroflot, Russia's state-owned airline, is designated by the UK Sanctions List as 'obtaining a benefit from and supporting the Government of Russia.' Exmo Exchange is believed to be supporting the Kremlin by providing financial services, resources, or technology within a sector of strategic significance to Russia. The Iranian banks, Melli and Persia International, were sanctioned in September 2025 under the Iran (Sanctions) (Nuclear) scheme for their alleged involvement in nuclear weapons development.
Despite these designations, all four companies appear on the July 3 Register of Licensed Sponsors (Workers), a list of companies vetted and approved by the Home Office to hire non-UK citizens. These companies hold an 'A' rating for compliance, indicating their ability to issue certificates of sponsorship for visas, including skilled worker and health and care worker visas. Research indicates that Persia International and Melli had sponsored workers prior to their sanctioning. A government spokesperson stated that no worker visas have been issued by these companies since they were sanctioned, though it remains unclear if previously sponsored workers are still in the UK.
The sponsor list also features companies linked to sanctioned individuals. Chelsea Digital Ventures Ltd, set up to utilize Chelsea FC's intellectual property, lists Roman Abramovich, who was sanctioned in 2022, as a person with significant control. Eugene Tenenbaum, another sanctioned oligarch, is listed as an active director of the same company. Curzon Square Ltd, sanctioned in April 2023 for its Russia links, also remains on the visa sponsor list with an 'A' rating.
Shadow national security minister Alicia Kearns criticized the situation, calling for an urgent tightening of rules. She argued that sanctions must lead to automatic and immediate revocation of sponsor status, stating that 'Normally isn't good enough.'
A government spokesperson asserted that the UK has taken robust action against Russia and Iran, sanctioning thousands of individuals and entities. They added, 'sponsor licenses will be revoked if they would contravene sanctions imposed on a business,' and stated that the activities of these companies are regularly reviewed. Recent reports indicate that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will be banned under new parliamentary powers, with its members facing severe penalties. The Prime Minister stated that new powers will facilitate prosecution of individuals operating on behalf of hostile states within Britain.