Right-to-work records when staff work remotely

Remote working does not remove the employer’s right-to-work responsibilities. Use the permitted online or document-checking process for the evidence concerned and retain the required identity and check records even when the worker never visits an office.

Do not revive temporary pandemic checking arrangements without current authority. Establish who conducts the check and how original documents are handled where a manual route requires them.

Choose a check route that works for a remote employee

Remote working does not remove the employer's responsibility to complete the appropriate right-to-work check before employment begins. Decide which accepted route applies before arranging the induction call. The Home Office online service, a qualifying digital identity service and a manual document check have different requirements. A video meeting is a way to compare identity in certain circumstances; it is not an independent evidence route. ^[1]

Ask the candidate what evidence they can provide and explain the practical steps. Build enough time into recruitment for an alternative route if a preferred digital service is unsuitable. Avoid requiring everyone to use a share code, because British and Irish citizens cannot obtain one. If the employee will actually work outside the UK, identify that separately: UK right-to-work evidence does not settle overseas immigration, employment or tax obligations.

Use the employer side of the online service

For an online check, obtain the correct right-to-work share code and date of birth, then access the employer's Home Office service. Compare the photograph shown by the service with the individual on a live video call or in person. Read the work conditions and confirm that they permit the proposed role. The employer should not rely on a screen recording or screenshot supplied from the applicant's own immigration account. ^[1]

Save the employer-facing profile showing the photograph and actual check date in the permitted format. Note who completed the identity comparison and any issue resolved during the call. A calendar invitation proves that a meeting was scheduled, not that the prescribed check occurred. If the photograph is unclear or the service cannot be accessed, pause the completion decision and use the official support or verification route appropriate to the problem.

Keep original-document requirements intact

A manual check may use a live video link for the holder's presence, but the checker must physically possess the original documents. Looking at a passport held up to a webcam or receiving a scan is insufficient for that manual route. Arrange secure delivery or an in-person appointment where necessary, with clear responsibility for receiving and returning originals. Do not revive temporary pandemic-era practices as a normal remote process. ^[1]

For qualifying British and Irish passport holders, a digital verification service can provide the identity-checking element under the relevant rules. The employer still needs to satisfy itself that the result relates to the person presenting for work and retain the required evidence. A vendor's general identity badge does not establish that every right-to-work requirement has been met. Our guide to Recruiting British and Irish citizens: check routes explains the evidence choices for British and Irish recruits.

Store the evidence where it can be found

Keep remote checks in the same controlled employment-record system as office-based checks. Personal email, a recruiter's laptop downloads folder and a video platform's chat history are poor substitutes for a retrievable record. The current guidance requires secure retention throughout employment and for two years afterwards, followed by secure destruction. The record should remain available even if the person who performed the check leaves the business. ^[1]

Separate the evidence file from the operational instruction given to a manager. A supervisor may need to know a weekly hours restriction and the next review date, but not the employee's full identity documentation. Record follow-up requirements in a monitored system, with cover for absence. Remote employees can otherwise become invisible to the team that would normally notice an approaching expiry during an office onboarding process.

Confirm the handover before the first working day

The recruitment owner should provide a clear completion status to the person authorising the start. Include the check date, any relevant restriction and responsibility for follow-up. Equipment delivery, payroll creation or successful access to company software should not automatically mark the person as cleared for work. Paid induction and remote training also need to be considered within the employment start arrangements.

For help through Employer right-to-work process review, describe the proposed work location, available evidence and the obstacle preventing a compliant check. Case-specific immigration advice must be given by an appropriately regulated or otherwise legally authorised adviser. Avoid sending a video recording of the candidate unless there is a justified need and an agreed secure method. Usually the essential evidence is the prescribed check record and a concise explanation of what the employer verified.

Test the process operationally by asking whether another authorised colleague could locate the evidence and understand the next action without contacting the original recruiter. If the answer is no, improve the record and handover before the same weakness affects the next remote starter.

Illustrative scenario

A fully remote business recruits an employee with digital status. An authorised checker completes the employer online process and identity confirmation, then stores the result centrally under restricted access.

Preparation checklist

• Choose the current permitted route
• Confirm identity appropriately
• Assign a responsible checker
• Retain evidence securely