Proving your right to work in the UK

You can prove your right to work by showing your employer your British or Irish passport. It doesn’t matter if your passport has expired.

If you don’t have a British or Irish passport, you can use a valid passport from another country. The passport must have a stamp or sticker on it saying you have right of abode.

If you don’t have a passport

You’ll need to show your employer 2 different documents instead.

You should show one document with your name and National Insurance number on it - this must be from the government or your previous employer. For example, you could show a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or a tax document like a P45.

The second document you should show is either your:

• birth or adoption certificate, if it’s from a court or register office in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Ireland

• certificate of registration or naturalisation, if you became a British citizen by applying for it

You’ll need to get a share code online to prove your right to work.

If you proved your right to work before 1 July 2021, your employer shouldn’t ask you to prove it again. Your employer should only ask you to prove your right to work again if they’re asking all their employees to do this.

You can prove your right to work by showing your employer either:

• your valid passport - it must have a stamp or sticker from the Home Office saying there’s no time limit on your leave

• your online share code

If you have an immigration status document

You can show your employer your immigration status document and one other document if you don’t have a passport or online share code.

You might have an immigration status document if you got indefinite leave to remain before 2013 and you either:

• are a refugee

• don’t have a biometric residence permit yet

Your immigration status document must have a residence permit sticker on it saying you have indefinite leave to remain. 

The other document must have your name and National Insurance number on it - this document must be from the government or your previous employer. For example, you could show a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or a tax document like a P45.

You might be able to get a share code online to prove your right to work.

If you can’t prove your right to work online, you can show your employer your valid passport instead. It must have a sticker from the Home Office saying you have the right of abode.

Most people who are applying for asylum don’t have the right to work. 

You can check your application registration card (ARC) from the Home Office - if it says ‘work permitted’ it means you’re allowed to work. 

You might only be allowed to do certain types of jobs - these are called ‘shortage occupations’. If you’re only allowed to do shortage occupations, your ARC will say ‘SOL’. You can check if your job is included in the shortage occupations list on GOV.UK.

You can find out more about working in the UK while you’re seeking asylum on GOV.UK.

Talk to an adviser if you’re not sure if you have the right to work.

Proving your right to work

You can prove your right to work by showing your employer your ARC. Your employer will also need to contact the Home Office to check you have the right to work.

If you need to prove you have the right to do the job you’re applying for, you’ll need to show your employer either:

• your ARC

• a separate letter from the Home Office - it must say you’re allowed to do the job you’re applying for

You'll have limited leave to remain if you have a visa with a time limit - for example, if you have:

• a student, work or family visa

• refugee status

You can prove your right to work by showing your employer either:

• your valid passport - it must have a stamp or sticker from the Home Office saying you can stay in the UK and you can do the type of work you’re applying to do

• your online share code

Talk to an adviser to get help to understand what type of leave you have.

The Home Office will give you a 'certificate of application' - this allows you to work while you wait for a decision about your status.

You'll usually get your certificate of application through your online account, or you might get it by email or post.

When you get your certificate of application, you'll need to get a share code online. You should give your employer the share code to prove your right to work.

You can get a share code to prove your right to work on GOV.UK.

Your employer will need to check if:

• the Home Office have got your application to extend your leave 

• you have the right to work

Your employer should use the Home Office Employer Checking Service on GOV.UK.

If you’re already employed and your leave expires, your employer has to get confirmation of your right to work within 28 days. If the Home Office don’t confirm your right to work, your employer can dismiss you.

Asking your employer to contact the Home Office

Your employer should contact the Home Office at least 14 days after you applied. Your application won’t show up on the Home Office system straight away.

If the Home Office say you’ll need a biometric appointment, your application for an extension might not show up on their system until you’ve had the appointment. If you haven’t had your appointment yet, tell your employer - you can still work while you’re waiting for the appointment. 

You can find out more about biometric appointments on GOV.UK.

Make sure you tell your employer when you applied so they know when to contact the Home Office. You can show them a letter or email showing the date when you applied.

If the Home Office take more than 28 days to confirm your right to work

You can complain to the Home Office if you’re worried you might lose your job because they’ve taken too long to confirm your right to work. You can complain to the Home Office on GOV.UK.

You could also contact your local MP on the Parliament website . They can find out more about the delay and might be able to help speed up your application.

Give your MP as much information as possible - it will help them track down your application. For example, you could show them proof of your application to extend your leave and the date you applied.

Talk to an adviser if you need help complaining to the Home Office or contacting your MP.

If you've lost your British passport, you can get a new passport urgently on GOV.UK.

If you have the right of abode, you should apply for a new certificate of entitlement to go in your new passport. You can check how to apply for a new certificate of entitlement on GOV.UK.

You can usually get a new passport by contacting your embassy. You might need your new passport to prove your immigration status.

You should get a biometric residence permit. You can check how to get a biometric residence permit on GOV.UK.

You have to apply for a replacement biometric residence permit or card within 3 months. If you don’t apply for a replacement within this time, you can be made to leave the UK and fined up to £1,000. 

You also have to report your biometric residence permit or card as lost or stolen. Report your biometric residence permit or card as lost or stolen and apply for a replacement on GOV.UK.

If you have indefinite leave to enter or remain, you can apply for a replacement biometric residence permit or card on GOV.UK.

If you have limited leave to remain, your leave will probably be expiring at the same time as your biometric residence permit or card. You should apply to extend your leave instead of applying for a new biometric residence permit.