From next spring, firms will be able to go online to verify that the details contained on a foreign employee’s Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) are correct.
BRPs, which hold a person’s fingerprints and photograph on a secure chip, are issued to non-EEA nationals with permission to remain in the UK for more than six months.
BRPs are simplifying the process of checking an individual’s right to work by replacing the wide range of documents currently in use. The new online checking service for employers will enable quick and easy real-time checks on permits and their holder’s identity and right to work in the UK.
Around 600,000 BRPs have been issued since November 2008. From next year they will cover all those applying from inside the UK to remain here for more than six months.
Immigration Minister Damian Green said: “It is vital that we work with employers to give them the tools they need to meet their obligations.
“Our new online checking service will also turn up the pressure on those who wish to live and work here illegally. The message is clear – the UK is no longer a soft touch for illegal workers.”
For more information
www.homeoffice.gov.uk/media-centre/press-releases/Illegal-Worker
