UK employers must verify employee's right to work in the UK digitally through a share code. This guide will cover every aspect of handling share codes right to work requirements, including how to get a share code for right to work, methods to effectively prove right to work, and steps employers must follow to remain compliant with UK immigration laws. Properly conducting these right to work checks is crucial as businesses could face fines of up to £60,000 for employing individuals without appropriate proof of right to work in the UK.
A share code is a secure online identifier issued by the Home Office so individuals can digitally prove their right to work to employers and other official entities. Introduced alongside the EU Settlement Scheme and digital visas, share codes simplify right to work checks by eliminating reliance on physical documents.
Each generated share code UK right to work is valid for 90 days, within which employers must perform a check using the official gov.uk share code right to work check platform. Employers typically ask job applicants or current employees to provide a share code for right to work verification purposes. This share code right to work system has significantly streamlined the immigration verification process.
Employers in the UK must conduct mandatory right to work checks under the immigration rules established by the Home Office. Properly verifying each employee’s right to work documents or digital share codes is not optional – it is a strict legal requirement.
Failure to adequately check employee right to work can have severe consequences:
Conducting compliant checks involves using the official online platform to check right to work share code, ensuring the proof right to work presented matches the details provided by the employee. Proper record-keeping following each right to work check employer action is crucial to evidence compliance in case of audits by UK immigration authorities.
The subsequent sections of this guide will detail exactly how workers can get right to work share code, how HR departments can seamlessly check a right to work share code, and best practices for continued compliance with UK immigration regulations.
Not every job applicant in the UK needs to provide a right to work share code, but many do—particularly those with digital immigration status. Employers must understand exactly who is required to generate and submit a share code for right to work checks, as failure to perform the correct verification can result in legal penalties.
The following individuals are required to get a share code for right to work and submit it to employers for verification through the GOV.UK right to work check system:
The following categories are currently exempt from needing to provide a share code right to work:
However, digital status is being rapidly expanded. Employers should be prepared for the shift to digital-only checks.
For individuals with digital immigration status, generating a right to work share code is a straightforward process done entirely online. This code allows the employer to check right to work via GOV.UK’s official systems.
To create a share code for right to work, employees must:
A unique right to work share code will be generated instantly.
This code can then be copied and shared with the employer, either directly or through the GOV.UK platform. The sharecode right to work is valid for 90 days from generation.
Each share code UK right to work is valid for 90 days. If it expires before the employer checks it, a new one must be generated. Employers must always ensure that they are performing share code right to work check using a current and valid code.
A new code can be generated at any time using the same steps listed above. Workers can generate as many codes as needed, for different employers if applying for multiple roles.
As a UK employer, it’s vital to correctly perform a right to work check using the share code right to work provided by employees. Conducting accurate and timely right to work checks online is a legal requirement that helps your business avoid severe penalties, such as fines or even criminal charges.
Here’s a detailed, step-by-step process employers must follow to properly check employee right to work using the gov.uk share code checker:
Ask your job applicant or employee to provide a valid right to work share code. This code must specifically prove right to work, as other share codes generated for different purposes won’t be acceptable for employment checks. Remind your employees that a right to work share code is valid for only 90 days.
Go to the official “Check a job applicant's right to work” page on GOV.UK, which is specifically designed for employers to securely check right to work share codes and ensure compliance with Home Office requirements.
Enter the employee’s provided share code right to work along with their date of birth. This step is essential to verify that the right to work check share code matches the applicant’s personal details accurately.
Review the displayed proof of right to work in UK carefully, ensuring the immigration status is current and valid. Save or print the verification result as it provides statutory evidence that your business has correctly performed the necessary right to work checks.
While the right to work share code system is now standard for most individuals with digital immigration status, some situations still require employers to use alternative methods to check right to work. Understanding these alternatives is vital to maintaining full legal compliance.
If a candidate does not have a digital immigration status or cannot generate a share code for right to work, employers must revert to the traditional right to work check method using physical documents. These documents fall into two categories:
When using physical documents:
For British and Irish passport holders, employers can use Identity Document Validation Technology (IDVT) through certified Identity Service Providers (IDSPs). This method can replace manual checks for UK and Irish nationals but cannot be used for non-citizens.
When an individual cannot provide documents or a right to work share code due to a pending visa application or appeal, employers must use the Employer Checking Service. This government service can provide a Positive Verification Notice (PVN), giving temporary protection against penalties for up to 6 months.
One of the most common pitfalls for UK employers is failing to perform follow-up right to work checks when employees hold time-limited permission to work. Even if an initial right to work check share code was completed correctly, employers must track expiry dates and conduct repeat checks on time.
When Follow-Up Checks Are Required:
What Can Go Wrong:
To support employers in meeting these ongoing obligations, Nation.better has launched a powerful new feature: the Right to Work Check (RTWC) tool — now included at no additional cost with your compliance subscription.
Here’s how our right to work check service helps you:
A share code for right to work is a unique code issued by the UK Home Office that allows individuals to prove their right to work in the UK digitally. Employers use this code to verify immigration status through the official GOV.UK right to work check service. The share code is valid for 90 days and must be provided by non-UK citizens with digital immigration status.
To get a share code for right to work, visit the GOV.UK “Prove your right to work” page. Enter your ID number (eVisa, BRP or BRC), date of birth, and select the purpose as “prove your right to work.” A unique right to work share code will be generated instantly, which you can share with your employer.
You need to provide a right to work share code if you are an EU citizen with settled or pre-settled status, a Skilled Worker visa holder, or hold a BRP, BRC, eVisa, or Frontier Worker Permit. Employers use your share code to check your right to work online. UK and Irish citizens are usually exempt and can show a valid passport instead.
To check a share code right to work, an employer must visit the GOV.UK “Check a job applicant's right to work” page. They enter the share code and the applicant’s date of birth to access their right to work in the UK status. The results must be reviewed, saved, and stored to meet Home Office compliance standards.
If you don’t have a share code to prove right to work, you can show physical documents like a British passport, birth certificate, or visa depending on your status. Employers may also use the Employer Checking Service (ECS) if your immigration status is under review. For UK and Irish citizens, IDVT digital checks may also be accepted.