Online right to work check

This guidance is intended for departmental/institutional and College use only, and is designed to assist with the online right to work checking process for international employees and workers.

You must check a person's right to work by using the 'Prove your right to work to an employer: get a share code online' and 'Check a job applicant’s right to work: use their share code' services.

Make sure they/you use these services and not the 'View immigration status' / 'Check someone’s immigration status' or 'Prove your right to rent' / 'Check a tenant’s right to rent’ services.

Who can access the online right to work check service?

In October 2024, the Home Office discontinued the production of Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs). All visa applicants who received a decision after that date will receive a ‘digital immigration status’, known as an eVisa, which they can access online.

The service is also available for EU/EEA/Swiss nationals who have been granted pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

Those with pre-existing permission evidenced by a BRP will need to apply for an eVisa before being able to access the online right to work check service. Holders of Indefinite Leave to Remain evidenced by a vignette sticker in a passport must make a free-of-charge ‘no time limit’ (NTL) application to access their eVisa.

Who can’t access the online right to work check service?

• British and Irish Citizens presenting a passport or birth certificate. You must see their original document(s) (e.g. valid/expired passport or a British or Irish birth certificate and UK national insurance number). This can be done either in person, or by them posting their document(s) to you and you verifying them by video call. Please see our webpage on manual right to work checks.

• Academic Visitor visa holders. Though they do have access, their eVisa will say that they do not have the right to work in the UK. This is technically correct, as they are not here to work and you are no longer required to undertake a right to work check.

• Anyone entering the UK as a visitor (either with a visa they have applied for in advance (visa nationals) or they are a non-visa national who doesn't need to apply in advance) for up to 6 months (you are no longer required to undertake a right to work check).

What documents should I be checking?

New starters who have come to the UK from overseas

The Home Office stopped issuing entry clearance vignettes to some visa applicants (EEA/Swiss nationals and Skilled Worker/GAE visa holders) in July 2025. They will have an eVisa instead.

You must check the person entered the UK during the validity period of their visa.

• If they have an entry clearance vignette in their passport: make sure the vignette sticker has a 'wet ink' stamp from an immigration officer at the UK border. You must see the original document, you cannot check a copy via video call. Please see our webpage on manual right to work checks. If they’re here for longer than 6 months, they will need to set up a UKVI account so they can access their eVisa, and you will need to do a follow-up right to work check once they’ve done that.

• If they do not have an entry clearance vignette and did not enter the UK through passports eGates: check and take a copy of the 'wet ink' stamp (from an immigration officer at the UK border) which will be on a blank page in their passport.

• If they do not have an entry clearance vignette and did enter the UK through passports eGates: they will not have a 'wet ink' stamp in their passport, so you must check evidence of their travel to the UK, such as travel tickets or a boarding pass. You do not need to keep a copy of this evidence, but you must note their date of entry into the UK on their right to work check.

In-country applicants

All in-country applicants will receive an eVisa. This is the only document you need to check.

As a departmental administrator/recruiter, how do I use the online service?

To undertake a right to work check using an eVisa, please follow these steps:

1. The check must be done after the visa is granted, when they are physically present in the UK and before they start work. If they're coming from overseas, they need to ‘activate’ their permission at the UK border before you carry out the check. 

2. Ask them to:
   
   1. log into ‘Prove your right to work to an employer’ and raise a share code (this is valid for up to 90 days); and
   2. send this to you either directly from the online portal or via email; and
   3. if they're a new starter, also provide you with:
      • a copy of the bio-data page of their passport for payroll purposes and so that you will have their date of birth for the right to work check; and
      • if they've just come to the UK and did not enter using a passport eGate, a copy of the passport page which shows the 'wet ink' stamp they received from the border officer; or
      • if they've just come to the UK and did enter using a passport eGate, a copy of proof of their date of entry (eg a travel ticket or boarding pass).

3. Log into ‘Check a job applicant's right to work’ using the share code and the employee’s date of birth. Enter 'University of Cambridge' as the company name.

4. On the employee/worker’s eVisa page, you will see their name, photo, the date their permission expires and any restrictions on their right to work in the UK.
   
   1. Check that the reference number starts with the letter ‘W’ – if not, it is not a valid share code for right to work purposes and you should ask the employee/worker to follow step 2 above.
   2. The page may also have the start date of their permission – if it does, please ensure that the check is being conducted after this date.

5. Make arrangements to either hold a video call with the person, or meet with them.

6. Before the video call/meeting, open the eVisa page so you are checking it ‘live’.

7. Once you have verified that the person in the photo on the digital status page is the person in front of you, click Print or Download on the eVisa page.

8. Tick the two boxes on the page.

9. Annotate the printed/downloaded PDF with:
   
   1. all checks: “The date on which this right to work check was made: [insert date and time]” AND "Visa type: insert type of visa"; and
   2. if they have entered the UK and used a passport eGate: "Date of entry into the UK: [insert date on the evidence they've shown you]".

If you have PDF editor software, you can do this directly onto the PDF; otherwise, you may need to print the document, add the annotation(s) and scan it.

10. If you are taking the right to work before completing Web Recruitment (for example if the employee/worker is already in the UK), you can upload the eVisa and passport. Otherwise, send the annotated eVisa and, if they've just come to the UK and have not entered using a passport eGate, a copy of the passport page which shows the 'wet ink' stamp they received from the border officer to:
    
    1. New employees/workers with a Skilled Worker or GAE visa, and existing employees/workers with any visa type: Compliance team;
    2. New employees with any other visa type: HR New Appointment team.

Examples of status checks by visa type

To see visual examples of eVisas for comparison with ‘real life’ versions, please click the links in the navigation menu on the left. You will note that the eVisas do not state the category of permission that the individual holds (eg Skilled Worker, Pre-Settled status). However, there are various visual clues within the eVisa page which will help you determine this.