Return of physical right-to-work checks postponed until April 2022

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Digital arrangements for checking overseas nationals' right to work in the UK will remain in place until 5 April 2022, a recruitment body has indicated. Organisations had been preparing for the return of physical right-to-work checks from 1 September 2021, but the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) said it had been told by the Home Office that the temporary adjustments to allow digital checks to take place during the pandemic would remain until next year. In a letter to immigration compliance and justice minister Chris Philp, the REC said reverting back to physical checks on 1 September would be a step backwards and "counterproductive", particularly when many sectors are facing staff shortages. It added that the temporary digital arrangements have been a “resounding success” and have allowed people to quickly and safely begin their roles. A permanent digital solution is being worked on by the government, but it is not yet known when it will be introduced and its implementation may require legislative change. A Home Office document shared by the REC says the decision to defer the return of physical right-to-work checks was made following positive feedback about the digital arrangements. "We have made the decision to defer the date for the end of the adjusted checks to 5 April 2022. This enables the conclusions of the review to be finalised and ensures the Right to Work Scheme continues to operate in a manner which supports employers to implement long-term, post-pandemic working practices," the document says. "From 6 April 2022, you must check the prescribed documents as set out in Right to work checks: an employer’s guide, published on Gov.uk. This m