What to check after a work visa decision

After a work visa decision, check the name, permission dates, route, sponsor-related details and conditions against the application. Preserve the decision and follow any official correction process promptly if information appears wrong.

Arrange the employer’s right-to-work check and communicate verified work conditions to the hiring team. Do not assume the grant matches every date originally requested.

Read the actual decision before confirming the outcome

A message saying that a decision has been made is not necessarily the full decision or proof of permission to start work. Open the official letter or email, identify the applicant and route, and read the instructions. GOV.UK explains that the decision communication tells the applicant what to do next and how successful applicants access their digital status. Keep the original communication in the application record. ^[1]

Check whether the result is a grant, refusal or another procedural outcome. Do not infer approval from passport return, a courier notification or a change in a provider's tracking screen. If the employer has only received an informal summary, ask for the information needed to establish the work position through the appropriate process. Avoid circulating the employee's complete personal application unnecessarily.

Compare identity, dates and conditions with the application

For a grant, check the name, date of birth, route, permission dates and any work conditions against the intended employment. A difference may be an error, a shorter grant than expected or a consequence of the applicable rules. Identify the discrepancy precisely rather than assuming the CoS or offer letter overrides the decision. The digital status and official instructions should be reviewed together. ^[1]

If the eVisa appears wrong or cannot be accessed, use the relevant official correction or support route. Our guide to Handling an employee report of an eVisa error explains how to distinguish an eVisa error from an account update or access problem. Record the correction request separately from the employer's right-to-work verification. A request to fix a date does not itself establish that the employer can proceed on the date it expected.

Complete the employer's prescribed check

The employer must use the appropriate right-to-work route and confirm that the permission covers the actual role. For an online check, use the employer-facing Home Office service, compare the photograph with the individual and retain the required profile and check date. A copy of the applicant's decision email alone does not replace that prescribed online process where it is required. ^[2]

Read restrictions before authorising employment or a changed role. A person may have permission tied to a sponsor or occupation, and the dates may not align with a provisional induction plan. Give the manager a clear start instruction and any operational limits. Keep the sensitive evidence with authorised HR staff rather than asking every team involved in onboarding to interpret the immigration decision independently.

Reconcile sponsorship and family actions

Compare the grant with the CoS and planned start, then identify any reporting or update required. If recruitment has been delayed, review the sponsor's start-date rules using the actual relevant dates. Do not assume that a visa grant closes all sponsor duties. The employer needs to record the actual start and continue monitoring the employment in accordance with the applicable guidance.

Where dependants applied, check each result separately. The worker's grant does not prove that a partner or child has received the same outcome or expiry date. Family members should review their own digital records and travel arrangements. The employer should be clear about which post-decision tasks it has agreed to support and which remain with the applicant or their personal adviser.

Set the next review from verified evidence

Update the employment record with the actual permission and required follow-up dates. Preserve the previous check history where relevant rather than overwriting it. Record who reviewed the decision, who completed the employer check and who owns any unresolved correction or reporting action. A status of “visa approved” should not hide an outstanding identity error or a start restriction still needing assessment.

For help through Sponsored worker application review enquiry, provide the route, decision date and specific mismatch or condition causing concern. Case-specific immigration advice must come from an appropriately regulated or otherwise legally authorised adviser. Agree secure sharing of the relevant decision and check result. Ask for a clear conclusion on the lawful work position and the actions needed to resolve any discrepancy, without assuming a favourable decision means every operational step is complete.

Before the first working day, confirm that the manager, recruitment team and payroll are using the same authorised start. This final handover is especially useful where an application was approved earlier or later than expected. The business should implement the actual permission, not the timetable originally proposed when the vacancy was advertised.

Illustrative scenario

A worker receives a grant with an apparent personal-detail error. They retain the notice and seek correction through the official route while the employer reviews the appropriate checking evidence.

Preparation checklist

• Read the full decision
• Check identity and dates
• Review work conditions
• Complete employer checks and any correction process