Proving right to work.

MrTomato

Hi.

Late notice, I know.

I've an interview tomorrow, and I need to prove my right to work. My passport has expired and my birth certificate is with the oh-so-efficient Student Finance England.

So what I have are the following:
NI Card
P45
P527
Pay slip with NI number
Expired passport
Driving licence.

If I take all of these, do you think this would be sufficient? In my last job they just scanned my driving licence.

I can't phone them now, so I'm asking here:A

Savvy_Sue

Sadly, working through the checklist provided here, it doesn't look as if it's enough.

Having said that, I'd take the lot, including your expired passport, the new employer may be none the wiser. Because to my mind, if you HAD a 'proper' UK passport, it's hardly likely that you've LOST the right to work in the UK since it expired.

Would be different if it was not a UK passport, however.

Savvy_Sue

Also, I would argue that until they've offered you the job and you've accepted, you shouldn't have to 'prove' your entitlement. Say that you will, if necessary, order a new birth certificate which will be with them on your first day of work.

PasturesNew

Take that lot, just use the following words/phrases a lot: spiffing, good show, old chap, tally ho!

MrTomato

Hmmm.

So I've read the leaflet off the UK Border Agency from Savvy Sue's link which says I need a passport. However, it doesn't say if it needs to be valid or not.

But surely showing them all I have will be enough to satisfy them enough so that if I get offered the job I can take my birth certificate to sure it up.

Because they may be able to compare the photos and info on the licence and passport to see it is me and I'm allowed to work.


Thanks everyone.

Spirit_2

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Also, I would argue that until they've offered you the job and you've accepted, you shouldn't have to 'prove' your entitlement. Say that you will, if necessary, order a new birth certificate which will be with them on your first day of work.

You may get an offer that is "subject to confirming your right" to work. There is a legal requirement on employers to establish this prior to contracting you (and a possible fine of £10,000 if they fail and employ someone without the right to work).

However some employers want to ascertain that you have this at interview to avoid making an offer to someone who does not have the right to work and then the appointment falling through.

heretolearn_2

I've never thought of asking for this at interview stage, but might start now, it's a good idea. We interviewed someone who told us he had the right visa. Then after we offered him the job he told us it was a different visa but transferrable to us. OK. On day he started I took his paperwork, checked out with Home office and it was not transferrable at all. Total timewaster and we had to start all over again.

Savvy_Sue

Spirit wrote: »

You may get an offer that is "subject to confirming your right" to work. There is a legal requirement on employers to establish this prior to contracting you (and a possible fine of £10,000 if they fail and employ someone without the right to work).

However some employers want to ascertain that you have this at interview to avoid making an offer to someone who does not have the right to work and then the appointment falling through.

And you can't blame them for that. You would hope that at the interview stage an expired passport would be accepted if the full set of alternative documentation wasn't available, though, wouldn't you?

We haven't so far started asking to see passports at interviews, I'd hate to have to do it, however that's probably better than asking just the candidates you have any doubt about, which could give rise to a discrimination claim ...

We are advertising atm, and I used a site I haven't used much before. Funnily enough I've had more enquiries from the USA than before, so I've been suggesting that they check whether they would be able to work in the UK before applying.

MrT, I didn't read the leaflet in that link, but there was a questionnaire you could work your way through. Clearly not everyone who has an absolute right to work in the UK has a passport - my parents didn't have one until well after they retired and could get one for free - and passports can run out without you realising it, or you don't need / can't afford to replace it right away.

It's the lack of a full birth certificate which is the missing link for you, I'm afraid. However, you CAN order a new one - probably several - and the costs there are much lower and it shouldn't take long to arrive. This is the link for England and Wales, apologies if you're elsewhere but I'm sure there's a similar system for you!

liney

If they call the Employers Helpline, they will confirm that a UK passport if expired is fine to accept as long as the photgraph still resembles you. We were also advised to copy another form of photo ID such as a DL when a potential employee had this problem.

anamenottaken

liney wrote: »

If they call the Employers Helpline, they will confirm that a UK passport if expired is fine to accept as long as the photgraph still resembles you. We were also advised to copy another form of photo ID such as a DL when a potential employee had this problem.

Just to clarify that, though a driving licence might be acceptable as ID, it does not prove the right to work in the UK?

In fact "a driving licence issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency" is specifically named as something which does NOT provide an excuse for employing someone illegally. (See http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/employersandsponsors/preventingillegalworking/currentguidanceandcodes/summaryguidance0208.pdf?view=Binary )

However, I can see that a photo driving licence together with an expired passport would be acceptable - the passport showing the named person had the right to work in the UK and the driving licence showing that the named person was the one who also presented the licence.

cali_

Take the expired passport as long as the picture is not too old and if you get the job, you can always re-new it in time.