Right to Work & Document Verification: The Challenge for UK Employers
It has become increasingly challenging for UK employers to navigate the evolving immigration compliance landscape and ensure accurate Right to Work verification.
The risk of non-compliance is high, and a simple error can lead to substantial penalties - fines have tripled since February 2024 to £45,000 per illegal worker for a first offense and up to £60,000 for repeat offenses. With the shift to digital visas (eVisas) and the phasing out of physical Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs), correctly authenticating a worker's right to work has become more complex. For organisations hiring overseas workers, establishing robust verification procedures is no longer optional - it's essential for mitigating financial and legal risk.
Our training course cuts through the confusion, providing you with the practical knowledge to conduct compliant Right to Work checks. Learn to implement defensible procedures that reduce the risk of substantial fines and reputational damage, and secure your position in an increasingly regulated environment.
CPD eligible — certificate of attendance provided, with hours and content confirmed for your professional body.
- Prevent illegal working: full clarification of all your legal responsibilities
- Understand the latest updates and rule changes from the Home Office
- Understand who can and cannot work in the UK and what happens if you get it wrong
- Get to grips with the rules for employing students
- Statutory Excuse: requirements to avoid penalties
- Understand what records you need to keep to prove RTW checks were made thoroughly
- Verify a non-UK candidate's immigration status
- Verify documentation: essential skills and tips
- Compare examples of real and fake documents
- Check and verify identity documentation from outside the UK, including
- passports
- photo ID and driving licenses
- birth certificates
- supporting documents
- stamps
- visas
09:30 Welcome and housekeeping
09:35 Context: Home Office agenda and sanctions
- Putting the day into context with case studies
- Sanctions for illegal working
- Expansion of scope
- Extended liaiblity
10:50 Comfort break
11:00 Understanding immigration status & who can work for you
- Overview of visas which allow work
- European nationals
- Humanitarian routes
- Indefinite leave to remain
- Family visas
- Hong Kong visas
- Points Based Sponsored visas: who can work for you?
- Skilled Workers
- Global Business Mobility
- Temporary Workers
- Talent visa
- Students
- Graduates
- High Potential Individuals
12:00 Comfort break
12:10 Right to work checks: Policy & practice
- Statutory Excuse What, Why, How, When
- What is the statutory excuse?
- Why is it so important?
- How do you obtain it?
- When do you need to do this?
- Statutory Excuse in Practice
- Manual checks
- What to copy – passports & other docs
- Online checks
- Employer Checking Service
- RTW DVSP checks
- GDPR compliance
- Common issues: expired documents, non-British documents
- What to do if you cannot obtain evidence of right to work
- Summary of recent changes
13:15 Lunch
14:15 Checking identity documents
- Acceptable documents (List A & List B) in more detail with tips
- The four steps to document checking
- Step 1: Imposter
- Step 2: Genuine document/security features
15:00 Comfort break
15:15 Checking identity documents (continued)
- Step 3: Counterfeit document / signs of alteration
- Step 4: Sense check
- How good do you need to be?
- What to do if you spot an irregularity
16:15 Final questions and wrap up
16:30 End of training
HR and recruitment professionals, administration, training, security, risk, compliance, legal, policy, vetting and screening, operations and all line managers and directors and staff with responsibility for Right to Work checks and non- UK employee recruitment.
What does BFI specialise in?
BFI provides expert-led training in HR compliance, employment law, immigration for employers, union relations, workplace inclusion, and AI and talent solutions.
Who typically attends your courses?
Attendees include HR managers, legal teams, compliance officers, operations leaders, and public sector employers.
Are your trainers practitioners?
Yes. All trainers are experienced specialists; we feature practitioners from the public and private sectors as well as lawyers, policy advisers, former regulators, and consultants.
How do I book a course?
Choose an event on the website and click Register. You can pay online with a credit card or request an invoice.
Do you accept purchase orders?
Yes. Public and private-sector organisations may use PO numbers. These can be added during the registration process, or can be retrospectively added to am invoice if the place has been booked already.
We need to set you up as a Supplier, can you complete a form or send me over your company information?
Yes, we can do either; please contact us via info@bfi.co.uk
Can I get a PO number added to our invoice?
Yes, please send details through to info@bfi.co.uk or reply to us using your confirmation email
Do you offer group discounts?
Yes. Discounts for multiple bookings are automatically applied at checkout. For groups of over ten, it may be more cost-effective to run the course in-house. Call 01983 861133 for details
Can I transfer my place to another date or colleague?
Yes. Substitutions are free, and transfers are typically allowed within a set timeframe.
What is your cancellation policy?
BFI follows standard UK training-industry cancellation terms.
How are online courses delivered?
Training is delivered live via Zoom with interactive Q\&A and case-based discussion.
Will I receive slides and supporting materials?
Yes. Attendees receive slides, templates (where relevant), and many other useful documents and links.
Will I receive a copy of the event recording?
Our monthly subscription and webinar clients receive recordings of the live sessions; otherwise we do not record our courses to encourage confidential discussion and questions under the Chatham House Rule
What time zone are online events delivered in?
All events are delivered in UTC / London time unless otherwise stated
What is included in in-person events?
Full-day training includes refreshments, full documentation which is emailed prior to the event and networking opportunities.
Are your venues accessible?
Yes. All venues are fully accessible.
Is your training CPD certified?
All our courses are either CPD accredited or CPD eligible, so every certificate of attendance can count towards your CPD requirements. Look out for the CPD badge on each course page to see which applies.
Can I ask questions about my organisation’s situation?
Yes. Trainers answer questions during the session and can respond afterward.
Will the training help us prepare for an audit?
Yes, on our audit courses you will learn what triggers visits, what officers look for, and how to evidence compliance.
Will I receive a certificate?
Yes. All attendees receive a digital certificate of course completion.
Do you offer private or in-house training?
Yes. All courses can be tailored for your team. Visit https://bfi.co.uk/team-training/
Can I ask questions about my organisation's situation?
Yes. Our trainers answer questions live during sessions and can follow up briefly afterwards, but we don't offer ongoing case-by-case advice by email. If you need dedicated support on a specific situation, we offer paid consultancy - contact us to find out more.
Do you offer consultancy?
Yes. BFI offers policy reviews, audit preparation, HR compliance support, and workforce advisory services.