Employer Proof of ID request

CKhalvashi

dawn27 wrote: »

I take a copy of my passport and write across the whole page "Proof of right to work in the UK for (company) use only" so you cant easily just photocopy all the information.
The company by law must hold proof that they have checked your right to work in the UK if they dont they will get fined, and they have to check it annually.

We don't have to check annually, but we do check should visas etc expire, even though it (technically) only needs to be done at start of employment.

tizerbelle wrote: »

UKBA's own guidance document states that you have to take a copy of the front cover of passports!

See pages 11 and 87 of the full guidance for employers here

It states you are advised take copy of the front cover, not that you have to.

This_Year wrote: »

They should take a copy of the front cover too as UKBA advise that a passport front cover is the hardest thing to be able to fake. Part of my job involved checking right to work documents and I have personally found at least 3 where the emblem on the front cover had been doctored and had to be investigated further.

My British one doesn't actually have anything on the cover (it's rubbed off), but this is a valid point.

If necessary, it should be checked with either the Home Office or Embassy, to confirm it's a genuine document. I've had one case where this had to be done, and took the (Lithuanian) employee with me, when I did it, including checks in the embassy (in Lithuanian language) to confirm the staff member was native Lithuanian speaker.

In some cases (some Kazakh nationals, where everyone speaks Russian and only part of the population speaks Kazakh language) it's a lot more difficult, especially as Kazakh Russian is with the same Southern accent that Russians/Georgians/Armenians (to a much lesser extent)/Azeris speak in the border areas.

CK

jmima73

Hello - sorry to gatecrash! But my partner and I were discussing this last night. He's been to aa few job interviews and all have asked for a photocopy of his passport - JUST TO INTERVIEW HIM!!!!

Fair enough if he gets the job and they have to keep a copy, but just for the interview?!?!? Could he not just show them the passport and tell them they can photocopy if/when they offer him the job?

CKhalvashi

Due to the way we work, we usually interview for multiple jobs at one time, so I always ask for applicants to have passport, driving license and 2nd proof of address with them, as we usually know whether they've got the job straight after interview.

If this isn't going to be the case, we don't bother until formally offering the position.

CK

anamenottaken

jmima73 wrote: »

Hello - sorry to gatecrash! But my partner and I were discussing this last night. He's been to aa few job interviews and all have asked for a photocopy of his passport - JUST TO INTERVIEW HIM!!!!

Fair enough if he gets the job and they have to keep a copy, but just for the interview?!?!? Could he not just show them the passport and tell them they can photocopy if/when they offer him the job?

By providing the evidence early on:
== there is not the delay there would be in checking after a job offer has been made
== saves the successful applicant making a separate visit or going to the expense of providing a certified copy of documents
== eliminates those who do not have the legal right to work in the job on offer before more time is spent (and therefore wasted) and potentially properly qualified candidates are "lost"

jmima73

I get that but that's a lot of photocopies of people's passports floating around - just for job interviews! It's a ticking timebomb really....

Personally, I'd be happy with making a separate trip for them to photocopy if offered the job and I do feel that them seeing it prior to the interview ought to be enough to disqualify those who do not the right to work in the UK.

Coraline

tizerbelle wrote: »

UKBA's own guidance document states that you have to take a copy of the front cover of passports!

See pages 11 and 87 of the full guidance for employers here

Tizerbelle is correct. As someone subject to immigration control myself I know this to be true. It's common practice.

In terms if you feel the company is dodgy, google them and see if you come up with any webpages with people who've dealt with them have had complaints.

I had similar concerns when a recruiter I never heard of emailed me and said they were "amazed" by my CV but needed my passport and visa scanned and emailed to them before they could progress. I did some due diligence on the recruiter and wasn't impressed. So I told them to sod off.

(I actually didn't tell them to "sod off" but that's what was going through my head )