The Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 – Information Sheet
Section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 makes it an offence to employ a person who is subject to immigration control and who does not have permission to reside in the UK and undertake the type of work for which he or she would be employed.
All new employees are asked to bring with them an appropriate document to provide evidence that they are eligible to accept the job to work in the UK if it is offered to them.
Evidence of eligibility to work in the UK
Appropriate documents may be one of the following:
- A passport describing you as a British Citizen or having the right to live or be re-admitted to Britain or a letter from the Home Office.
- A birth certificate from the UK or Republic of Ireland.
- A letter from the Home Office confirming your naturalisation as a British Citizen.
- A document stating your name and NI number issued by a previous employer, the Inland Revenue, the Benefits Agency or the Employment Service. Please note that a P45 may not be sufficient evidence if your visa or work permit has expired.
- A passport or a national identity card from a state which signed the European Economic Area Agreement – EEAA, confirming that you are a national of that state, or a UK residence permit granted to you as a national of such a state. The states are:
Austria Belgium Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece | Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands | Norway Poland Portugal Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden |
- A passport confirming that you are not subject to immigration control and have no restrictions to entry or residence in the UK or confirms that you have the right to enter and remain in the UK and be employed in the field for which you are applying for.
If you are a British citizen, a Swiss national or a national of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) you do not need our permission to work in the United Kingdon.
- A passport or identity card of a British Overseas Territories Citizen except those from Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus. This includes:
Anguila
Bermuda
British Antarctic Territory
British Virgin Islands
British Indian Ocean Islands
Cayman Islands
Falkland Islands and dependencies
Gibraltar
Monserrat
Pitcairn Islands
St Helena and dependencies
Turks and Caicos Islands
- A passport that confirms that you have the right to abode in the UK as a family member of a named EEAA national who is resident in the UK.
Further guidance
www.workingintheuk.gov.uk- Home Office website
Immigration and Nationality DirectorateEmployer Helpline 0208 6497878