Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Right to workCoronavirusLatest NewsImmigrationMigrant workers

Return of physical right-to-work checks postponed

by Ashleigh Webber 12 May 2021
by Ashleigh Webber 12 May 2021 Shutterstock
Shutterstock

*** Resumption of checks has now been delayed further – read this article for the latest guidance ***

The government is pushing back the reintroduction of face-to-face right-to-work checks until 21 June.

Right to work

Immigration rules and right to work 

Proof of right to work in the UK – copying of documents requirements 

The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) were among the organisations that have been lobbying the government to postpone the requirement for organisations to resume physical checks of right-to-work documents, after the Home Office updated its guidance to say they would need to do so from 17 May.

During the pandemic, organisations have been able to check an individual’s right to work in the UK virtually, by getting them to submit a scanned copy or photo of the original via email and then asking workers to hold up the original document on a video call.

APSCo said it was relieved that the proposed return of physical checks have been delayed until the date the government expects all Covid-19 restrictions will be lifted, 21 June, but was disappointed that a permanent move to digital checks had not been confirmed by the Home Office.

Tania Bowers, legal counsel and head of public policy at APSCo, said: “We wrote to the home secretary in April highlighting our concerns over both the timing of the proposed return to physical checks, which at least has now been addressed, but also the fact that a return to physical checks will disproportionately disadvantage UK workers. This is because there is already an online checking service via a share code for EU nationals which can be remote and for non-EU workers through the Government Employer Checking Service. However, the Passport Office has no online service for UK nationals.

“Additionally, physical checking does not mean safer. People are not as good as technology is at spotting fraudulent documents. We had hoped that the Home Office would prioritise the expansion of digital checks – a process much more suitable for the modern world of flexible work – it also flies in the face of the Home Office’s ‘digital by design’ concept and we will continue to lobby government for a permanent digital check which have worked so well over the last year.”

REC campaigns director Shazia Ejaz said: “This is a big win for recruiters. It allows them to continue with digital checks while social distancing is still in place.

“We will continue to push for digital checks to remain in place for the long haul. REC members have proven that these checks work and increase efficiency for all concerned.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We have kept in close contact with employers throughout the pandemic to ensure we are supporting them to undertake right-to-work checks with ease.

“After consulting with the sector extensively, we have been informed that the majority of employers will not be in a position to return fully to the office by 17 May. Therefore we have taken the decision to push back the date for physical document checks to resume from 21 June.”

The updated Home Office guidance has now been published.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Article originally published on 11 May, updated on 12 May 2021.

Recruitment and resourcing opportunities on Personnel Today

Browse more recruitment and resourcing jobs

Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is a former editor of OHW+ and former HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support.

previous post
Writing a hybrid working policy: a guide for HR
next post
How the FSCS transformed its culture

You may also like

Indefinite leave to remain proposal could place workers...

30 May 2025

UK net migration slashed by half in one...

22 May 2025

Immigration white paper: 10 key points and reaction

12 May 2025

Immigration white paper: strict limits on overseas recruitment

12 May 2025

Government could limit work visas for some nationalities

6 May 2025

Labour MPs urge more flexibility with EU over...

24 Apr 2025

Hiring international workers: key considerations for employers

8 Apr 2025

Home Office reveals employers’ costly right-to-work mistakes

7 Apr 2025

New right to work checks put onus on...

3 Apr 2025

Will new visa rules kill or cure the...

25 Mar 2025

  • Preparing for a new era of workforce planning (webinar) WEBINAR | Employers now face...Read more
  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+