Employment: Proof of Identity

The Government has set out its ambition to move towards digital right to work checks. The detail of how alternative methods will operate in that future regime has not yet been finalised. Digital ID itself is under development following consultation on the proposals.

Until further policy and legislative detail is published, employers should continue to rely on the existing prescribed checking methods set out in Home Office guidance.

At present, individuals can demonstrate their right to work using the following prescribed methods:

• Manual document checks, by reviewing original acceptable documents (e.g. passports, or combinations such as a birth certificate and National Insurance evidence).
• Home Office online checks, using a share code where an individual holds digital immigration status (e.g. eVisa).
• Employer Checking Service (ECS) checks, where an individual cannot demonstrate their status through documents or the online service.
• A right to work check using a digital verification service provider.

Where carried out in accordance with Home Office guidance and statutory codes of practice, these checks provide employers with a statutory excuse and remain the lawful basis for verifying a right to work in the UK.