Remote right to work checks of valid British and Irish passport holders to continue after 5 April 2022
There’s a couple of important changes to right to work checks coming up, with effect from 6 April 2022.
- The continuation of remote right to work checks (sometimes): Adjusted manual right to work checks, which were put in place in response to the pandemic, are coming to end on 5 April 2022. However, after that date, you’ll still be able to carry out right to work checks remotely in respect of individuals who hold a valid British and Irish passport (or ID card) by using Document Validation Technology (IDVT). IDVT is, put simply, a means of digitally verifying an individual’s identity and will be provided via Identity Service Providers (IDSPs).
The onus will remain on you to check that the photograph on the relevant document provided to the IDSP is that of the prospective employee; this can be done via a video call or face to face. You’ll also need to make sure that staff who are responsible for carrying out right to work checks fully understand the requirements in terms of verification of identity and ensuring that the selected IDSP meets the specified criteria.
You won’t be able to use the service of IDSPs to check the right to work of non-British and Irish nationals, for whom the Home Office’s online service can be used or, in some circumstances (see below), a manual check will need to be carried out.
The Home Office’s Guide for employers has been updated to reflect these changes.
- Biometric Residence Card (BRC) / Permit (BRP) and Frontier Worker Permit (FWPs): You’ll no longer be able to carry out manual right to work checks on individuals who hold either a BRP, BRC or FWP. Instead, you’ll need to carry out a check using the Home Office’s online service.
We will be talking about right to work checks, including IDVT, and other aspects of business immigration at our FREE coffee morning on 15 March 2022. Find out more here