Right-to-Work Verification
Automated right-to-work checks with Home Office integration. Never miss an expiry, always have your evidence ready.
The risk of getting it wrong
Employers can face civil penalties of up to £45,000 per illegal worker. Manual tracking with spreadsheets means expiry dates slip through the cracks, follow-up checks get missed, and when the Home Office comes knocking, you can't prove you did the right thing.
Key features
Everything you need to manage right-to-work verification efficiently and confidently.
Document verification
Upload and store passport, visa, and BRP documents with automatic format validation.
Home Office integration
Direct integration with Home Office employer checking service for real-time status verification.
Expiry alerts
Automatic notifications 90, 60, and 30 days before visa or right-to-work documents expire.
Follow-up checks
System-triggered reminders for required follow-up checks on time-limited permissions.
Audit trail
Every check timestamped and recorded with who performed it and what was verified.
Statutory excuse
Proper documentation gives you a statutory excuse if a worker is later found to be illegal.
Benefits
Use cases
A care home with 200 staff needs to track right-to-work for employees from 15 different countries, each with different visa types and expiry dates.
Outcome: Automated tracking ensures no visa expires without action, and CQC inspectors get instant evidence.
A restaurant group with high staff turnover needs to verify right-to-work quickly for new starters while maintaining compliance records.
Outcome: New hire onboarding includes right-to-work verification in minutes, not days.
A contractor needs to verify subcontractor workers have the right to work before they can start on site.
Outcome: Subcontractor portal allows workers to upload documents before arrival, speeding up site access.
Common questions
- What is right-to-work verification?
- Right-to-work verification is the legal requirement for UK employers to check that all employees have permission to work in the United Kingdom before they start employment. This applies to all employers, regardless of size or industry, and must be completed for every employee.
- What documents prove right to work in the UK?
- Valid documents include a UK or Irish passport, a biometric residence permit (BRP), a share code from the Home Office online checking service, or certain immigration documents. The specific documents accepted depend on the individual's immigration status and nationality.
- What is a statutory excuse?
- A statutory excuse is legal protection for employers who have conducted proper right-to-work checks. If an employee is later found to be working illegally, the employer will not face a civil penalty if they can demonstrate they performed the correct checks before employment began and maintained appropriate records.
- What are the penalties for employing illegal workers?
- Employers can face civil penalties of up to £45,000 per illegal worker for a first breach and up to £60,000 for repeat breaches. In serious cases involving knowingly employing illegal workers, employers may face criminal prosecution with unlimited fines and up to 5 years imprisonment.
- How often must employers check right to work?
- Initial checks must be done before employment starts. Follow-up checks are required for employees with time-limited permission to work, typically before their visa or document expires. The Home Office recommends checking at least 28 days before the expiry date.
Ready to automate right-to-work checks?
Join our founding partner programme and be among the first to use this module.