Candidate guidance

To comply with the law on preventing illegal working set out in sections 15 to 25 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 (the 2006 Act) and sections 24 and 24B of the Immigration Act 1971 employers have a responsibility to ensure that an individual has the right to work in the United Kingdom.

All candidates shortlisted for interview are now required to produce documentation to satisfy the conditions placed upon employers by this legislation.

You will need to bring with you documentation as specified in the following lists.

All documents must be originals as photocopies will not be acceptable.

Any offer of employment will be wholly subject to the production of this documentation.

Document lists

This checklist is based on the Home Office – Employer’s guide to right to work checks (16 August 2017)

List A – Continuous statutory excuse
List B – Group 1 – Time limited statutory excuse until the expiry date of leave
List B – Group 2 – Time limited statutory excuse lasts for 6 months

You must produce:

One of the documents or combination of documents in List A (continuous statutory excuse) or List B (time limited statutory excuse) as proof that you are allowed to
work in the UK.

A copy of the document or documents will be taken in a format that cannot be altered.

For further information you can read the Home Office guidance here.

List A – If documents can be provided from this list then no other documents are required.

• A passport showing the holder, or a person named in the passport as the child of the holder, is a British citizen, or a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies having the right of abode in UK.

• A passport or national identity card showing the holder, or a person named in the passport as the child of the holder, is a national of a European Economic Area country or Switzerland.

• A Registration Certificate or Document Certifying Permanent Residence issued by the Home Office to a national of a European Economic Area country or Switzerland.

• A permanent residence card issued by the Home Office to the family member of a national of a European Economic Area country or Switzerland.

• A current Biometric Immigration Document (Biometric Residence Permit) issued by the Home Office to the holder indicating that the person named is allowed to stay indefinitely in the UK, or has no time limit on their stay in the UK.

• A current passport endorsed to show that the holder is exempt from immigration control, is allowed to stay indefinitely in the UK, has the right of abode in the UK, or has no time limit on their stay in the UK.

• A full birth or adoption certificate issued in the UK which includes the name(s) of at least one of the holder’s parents or adoptive parents together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a Government agency or a previous employer.

• A full birth or adoption certificate issued in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Ireland, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a Government agency or a previous employer.

• A current Immigration Status Document issued by the Home Office to the holder with an endorsement indicating that the named person is allowed to stay indefinitely in the UK or has no time limit on their stay in the UK together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a Government Agency or a previous employer.

• A certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a Government Agency or a previous employer.

List B
Group 1 – Documents where a time-limited statutory excuse lasts until the expiry date of leave.

• A current passport endorsed to show that the holder is allowed to stay in the UK and is currently allowed to do the type of work in question.

• A current Biometric Immigration Document (Biometric Residence Permit) issued by Home Office to the holder which indicates that the named person can currently stay in the UK and is allowed to do the work in question.

• A current Residence Card (including an Accession Residence Card or a Derivative Residence Card) issued by the Home Office to a non-European Economic area national who is a family member of a national of a European Economic Area country or Switzerland or who has a derivative right of residence.

• A current Immigration Status Document containing a photograph issued by the Home Office to the holder with a valid endorsement indicating that the named person may stay in the UK, and is allowed to do the type of work in question, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a Government Agency or a previous employer.

Group 2 – Documents where a time-limited statutory excuse lasts for 6 months

• A Certificate of Application issued by the Home Office under regulation 17(3) or 18A (2) of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006, to a family member of a national of a European Economic Area country or Switzerland stating the holder is permitted to take employment which is less than 6 months old together with a Positive Verification Notice from the Home Office Employer Checking Service.

• An Application Registration Card issued by the Home Office stating that the holder is permitted to take the employment in question, together with a Positive Verification Notice from the Home Office Employer Checking Service.

• A Positive Verification Notice issued by the Home Office Employer Checking Service to the employer or prospective employer, which indicates that the named person may stay in the UK and is permitted to do the work in question..

This guide conforms to the Home Office Employer’s guide to right to work checks 16 August 2017.