The check every UK employer must make, before employment starts, that someone is allowed to work in the UK. Done correctly and kept on file, it gives the employer a statutory excuse against a civil penalty if the person later turns out not to have the right.
Read the guide: Right to work checks guide
A short definition for UK employers, not legal advice. Checked 8 November 2026.
A code a person makes in their UKVI account to let an employer see their immigration status online.
An employer’s protection from a civil penalty for illegal working, earned by doing a right to work check correctly and on time.
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