Working in the UK - Do you need permission
2006-10-14
Your employer will need to know if it is legal for you to work in the UK and whether you need a work permit or visa. You will need to show proof of your right to work.If you want to come to the UK to work, whether you can do so depends on who you are. Unless you're a British citizen or a citizen of one of the European Economic Area (EEA) countries, you may need a visa before you travel here.
If you have to get a visa, you'll need to be cleared by officials at a British Overseas Mission in your country of origin. Once cleared, the entry clearance certificate, or visa, will be put into your passport or travel document.
Accession state workers
If you're from one of the new EU member, or 'accession', states you may need to register with the Home Office under the Worker Registration Scheme within one month of starting a job. The countries affected are:
- Poland
- Lithuania
- Estonia
- Latvia
- Slovenia
- Slovakia
- Hungary
- The Czech Republic
However, you don't need to register to work in the UK if you're:
- self-employed
- from Cyprus or Malta
There are a few other circumstances when you wouldn't need to register if you're from one of the accession, states.
As an agency or temporary worker you’ll need to register to work within a month of starting work.
Students
If you’re an international student you may not need permission to work here when you’re studying. If your home country is in the EEA, or you’re a Swiss national, you can work without restrictions on the type or amount of work you do.
Otherwise, you should check the visa stamp in your passport. If it says ‘prohibited’ you can’t work in the UK. If it grants you leave to enter or remain in the UK as a student, you can work here provided you:
- don’t work more than 20 hours a week during term time, unless the employment is part of your studies or is an internship
- don’t engage in business, are not self-employed and don’t provide services as a professional sportsperson or entertainer
- don’t take a permanent full-time position
Highly skilled migrants
The Highly Skilled Migrant programme is designed to let highly skilled and qualified workers come to the UK to work or become self-employed. If you’re allowed to enter the UK this way you don’t need a specific job offer.
Under this scheme you are issued entry clearance for 12 months, after which you can apply to stay for longer, but must remain in work/self-employment.
What proof an employer will need
If you’re from an EEA country, you’ll need to show a prospective employer your passport, national identity card or Home Office Residence Permit .
Employers can face unlimited fines if they employ illegal workers, so they need to make sure that no one they employ is working in the UK illegally. However, to protect themselves against discrimination laws they should treat all job applicants equally. So don’t be offended if you’re asked to prove your nationality, even if it’s ‘obvious’. Even UK nationals will be asked to provide proof of their nationality.
If you don’t have a passport or haven’t access to it. There are other combinations of documents that you can use as proof of your identification. Please see the article below for a list of those that are accepted.
Work permits
There are a number of schemes and programmes for people who want to work in the UK. If you’re not from an EEA country or Switzerland, you’re likely to need a work permit to work here.
There are six separate groups for ordinary work permit applications:
- business and commercial
- training and work experience
- sportspeople and entertainers
- student internships
- general agreement on trade in services (GATS)
- hospitality and food processing (sector-based schemes)
How to apply for a permit and how long it lasts for
You can’t apply for a permit yourself – you’ll need the UK-based employer who wants to employ you to do it for you. How long your permit lasts for will depend on the work you do and the type of permit applied for. For example, business and commercial work permits can be issued for up to five years, but sector-based permits are only issued for up to 12 months.
Where to get help
The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) offers free, confidential and impartial advice on all employment rights issues. You can call the Acas helpline on 08457 47 47 47 from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm Monday to Friday.
Your local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) can provide free and impartial advice. You can find your local CAB office in the phone book or online.
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