Using a share code for a right-to-work check

An employer using a right-to-work share code should access the official employer service with the code and required personal details. Check the resulting profile, photograph and work conditions; a screenshot supplied by the candidate is not the employer’s completed online check.

Confirm the code is for the right service and resolve expired or mismatched information through the proper route. Keep the employer-side result with the date of the check.

Request the right code and required details

Ask the applicant for a share code generated specifically to prove the right to work, together with their date of birth. The employer service uses those details to display the permitted work and any time limit. ^[1] Do not ask for the applicant's UKVI password or one-time sign-in code. The share-code process is designed to give the employer the relevant information without access to the person's private account.

Explain why the code is needed and how it will be used. Keep the request within the recruitment or authorised follow-up process, with a secure method for receiving personal details. If the candidate provides a code for another purpose, such as renting, ask for the correct one rather than attempting to use an unrelated checking service and treating its output as equivalent evidence.

Access the employer side of the official service

Go to the official right-to-work checking service through GOV.UK and enter the details supplied. The employer guide states that a right-to-work share code begins with W and is valid for 90 calendar days; an expired code or one generated for another purpose must be replaced. ^[2] The validity of the code is different from the duration of the person's immigration permission.

Save the result of the actual employer check, not only the email containing the code. Viewing the applicant's own status account or a screenshot they send does not complete the employer process. If a recruiter receives the code but another HR colleague performs the check, record that handover clearly. A task marked code received should remain distinct from check completed in the recruitment tracker.

Match the profile to the person

Compare the photograph in the employer result with the applicant presenting for work. The Home Office permits this identity comparison in person or by video call for the online route. ^[2] Ensure the checker can make a meaningful comparison rather than relying on a profile image that is too small or unclear. Record any discrepancy and follow the appropriate resolution process before treating the result as satisfactory.

Check names and other relevant details for consistency with the recruitment record. A difference may have an understandable explanation, but it should not be ignored or treated automatically as fraud. Ask for the appropriate supporting information and escalate uncertainty. Keep the evidence necessary to explain the resolution without collecting unrelated personal history simply because the spelling or presentation of a name differs across documents.

Read the work permission, not just the positive heading

Review the types of work allowed, any hour restrictions and the relevant dates shown. The service is intended to provide these details, and the check must relate to the proposed employment. ^[1] A positive result does not mean every possible role, working pattern or additional assignment is permitted. Compare the actual job and planned hours with the conditions before confirming the start arrangements.

If the worker is a student or has another restricted status, obtain the additional evidence required by current guidance and put practical controls in place. Ask the responsible manager to confirm that the intended rota can comply. If the result is unclear, obtain appropriately authorised immigration advice rather than selecting the most favourable interpretation from an online discussion or assuming the previous employer already resolved the issue.

Retain the result and set the next action

The employer guide requires retention of the profile page containing the photograph and check date, with secure storage and any required follow-up check. ^[2] Check that the saved file opens and shows the complete relevant result. A broken link to a temporary session or the share code alone will not preserve what the employer saw at the time. Link the file to the correct employee record.

Read Keeping evidence of an online employment check for the evidence-retention workflow and Employer right-to-work process review to discuss employer compliance preparation. Where individual immigration advice is required, confirm that it will be provided by a suitably regulated or otherwise legally authorised adviser. Keep the accepted support scope clear, especially if the candidate's start date is close and the employer is relying on a specialist to assess an unresolved condition.

If the service cannot return a usable result, record the problem and check the available official route for resolving it, including the Employer Checking Service where appropriate. Do not turn a failed lookup into an invented pass or an automatic rejection. The record should show the actual result, the action taken and the evidence eventually supporting the employment decision.

Illustrative scenario

A candidate sends an immigration-status screenshot. The employer requests the appropriate share code and completes the official check instead of filing the screenshot as the sole evidence.

Preparation checklist

• Use the official employer service
• Check identity against the profile
• Read work conditions
• Retain the dated result