Prove Right to Work in the UK: How to Check and Prove Your Status Using a Share Code

May 31, 2026

Frederic S.

Co-Founder

11 min read

A short summary

A right to work share code is a temporary 9-character code your employer uses to verify your legal work eligibility in the UK. It remains valid for 90 days, after which you can generate a new one if needed.
Non-UK nationals physically working within the country are required to submit a 'share code'. This includes remote workers and employees working from home.
Your immigration status determines whether you can legally work in the UK, what type of work you can do and whether restrictions apply to your employment rights.
If you cannot generate a valid share code due to pending applications or delays in updating your digital immigration records, employers may still be able to verify your eligibility through the Home Office Employer Checking Service (ECS).
Failure to complete proper right to work verification can delay your onboarding, pause hiring or even result in withdrawn job offers.

Introduction

The latest data suggests that non-UK nationals now account for around 1 in 5 jobs across the UK (Brindle & Fernández-Reino, 2025). Suffice to say the country continues to remain an attractive destination for international workers seeking better career opportunities and flexibility.

If you are one of those international workers navigating remote, hybrid or on-site opportunities in the UK, you are most likely to undergo a 'right to work' check during the hiring process.

It is at this stage that many of those who have never dealt with UK immigration or eVisa system before can get off guard, especially when recruiters ask them for a 'share code'. In many cases, this becomes the final hurdle standing between them and officially starting the job.

It might sound complicated at first, but the truth is that generating a right to work share code is fairly straightforward. In this guide, we walk you through what a right to work share code is, why employers ask for it, how to generate one yourself and other things you need to know about proving your right to work, so you can secure your role without unnecessary stress.

This article is based on the latest GOV.UK guidance around digital right to work checks. That said, this should not be treated as formal legal immigration advice. RemoteCorgi primarily helps connect people with handpicked remote jobs in the UK, but we are also keen to provide practical guidance to help avoid unnecessary onboarding delays or compliance issues.

What Does 'Right to Work' Mean?

Workers standing in front of the pub after a long day of work

'Right to work' refers to an individual's legal permission to work inside the UK (Peck, 2016).

Before an employer can officially allow one to begin employment, UK law requires them to confirm that the individual is legally allowed to work in the country. This process is known as a right to work check. If you are seeking employment onshore, this is the phase where your recruiter often asks you for a 'share code' to prove your eligibility to work onshore.

Without proper right to work checks, employers can face significant penalties. According to the UK government, businesses can receive hefty fines of up to £60,000 per illegal worker if they fail to carry out compliant checks properly.

Do Remote Workers Need to Prove Right to Work?

Working remotely does not exempt someone from UK right to work checks. This is easily one of the biggest misconceptions people have when applying for remote jobs.

Regardless of whether the job is work-from-home (wfh) or on-site (or a hybrid arrangement), as long as you are physically working from within the UK, you are required to undergo a work check.

In fact, even UK citizens themselves still need to go through the right to work verification process, although through a different process compared to individuals with visas or immigration restrictions.

Failing to undergo these checks can effectively place someone in illegal employment, which is a criminal offence under UK law. Under the Immigration Act 2016, consequences may include the seizure of wages, visa cancellation or even the risk of deportation.

Proving your identity is not the same as proving your right to work

Presenting a passport or residence document may help employers confirm your identity, personal details and immigration status. However, that alone does not verify your eligibility to engage in the specific type of work being offered.

It comes back to the fact that not every immigration status permits someone to work in the UK. Even in cases where work is allowed, restrictions may still be stipulated around the type of work permitted or the maximum number of hours a person is allowed to work.

Case in point, Student visa holders enrolled in a full-time degree-level course are generally restricted to a maximum of 20 working hours per week, with even lower limits applying to those below degree level. A Standard Visitor Visa, on the other hand, does not permit employment in the UK at all.

What Is a Right to Work Share Code?

A right to work share code is a unique, 9-character alphanumeric code you generate through the UK Home Office's online immigration system and provide to employers so they can verify your work eligibility in the UK.

Your employer uses this code together with your date of birth through the official GOV.UK right to work portal to access your right to work status, including:

Whether you currently have permission to work in the UK
The type of work you are allowed to do
Whether there are restrictions on your working hours or employment conditions
The expiry date of your immigration permission
Your name and photograph for identity verification

The share code remains valid for 90 days. Once it expires, you can easily generate a new one.

For many visa holders and individuals with digital immigration status (eVisa), this has effectively become the standard method employers use to conduct right to work checks during recruitment.

For additional context, the UK government also issues other types of share codes for different purposes, such as right to rent checks. Make sure you generate the one specifically intended for employment or right to work verification, which starts with the letter 'W' (for 'Work').

You need not worry about employers gaining unrestricted access to your immigration account. The share code only provides information relevant to confirming your right to work in the UK and nothing else.

Who Needs a Right to Work Share Code?

People checking on the computer their right to work

In most cases, share codes are required for visa holders and individuals with digital immigration status, such as:

Graduate Visa holders
Skilled Worker visa holders
Health and Care Worker visa holders
Student visa holders with work permissions
Individuals under the EU Settlement Scheme
Individuals with eVisas or digital immigration records

Who Does Not Need a Right to Work Share Code?

If you are a British or Irish citizen, you will not need to submit a right to work share code to your employer. Presenting your passport or Irish passport card will be enough to prove your work eligibility.

If you are a British or Irish citizen who does not possess a valid passport, whether because you never had one, it has expired or been lost, or you only recently became a citizen, you can submit these alternative documents instead:

A birth or adoption certificate issued in the UK.
A certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen.
A letter from a previous employer or government agency showing your name and National Insurance number.

Steps to Get a Right to Work Share Code

Generating a right to work share code only takes a few minutes and is done online through the official UK government website.

1. Go to the GOV.UK page

Visit the View and Prove Your Immigration Status page and click the button 'View your eVisa and get a share code'.

2. Sign in to your UKVI or immigration account.

Use the same details linked to your immigration status or eVisa, such as your passport, BRP, or other identity document connected to your account.

3. Complete the security verification step.

The system will send a 6-digit verification code to your registered phone number or email address. If successful, the platform will take you straight to your immigration profile, where you can navigate to 'Get a share code'.

4. Choose the option to prove your right to work.

Select the 'To prove my right to work - Including work placements' and select 'Continue'. Ignore the other types of checks.

5. Generate your share code.

The system will then create a temporary 9-character code for employment checks. Right to work share codes typically begin with the letter 'W' for 'Work'.

6. Copy the share code provided.

Keep a copy by taking a photo or screenshot, or sending a digital copy to your email.

7. Send the share code and your date of birth to your employer or recruiter.

Employers need both pieces of information to complete the right to work check through the official GOV.UK employer portal.

Why Can't I Generate a Share Code?

If you are unable to generate a right to work share code, you may be encountering an issue that is tied to one of the reasons outlined below:

Your visa does not include permission to work in the UK.
Your visa or immigration permission has expired.
Your immigration application (such as new visas, visa extension, leave applications) is still being processed and under review with the Home Office. Hence, records may not yet be synced in the system.
You do not currently hold a digital immigration status. This is common for those with older physical immigration documents
You are logging into the wrong UKVI account.
Technical issues on the GOV.UK website. Rare, but it can happen.

In cases where your immigration application is being processed or your records have not yet updated digitally, you can ask your employer to verify your status through the Home Office Employer Checking Service (ECS).

Can I Work in the UK Without a Share Code?

You may still legally work in the UK without providing a right to work share code under these circumstances:

Your employer receives a 'Positive Verification Notice' via manual verification through the Home Office Employer Checking Service, confirming your legal permission to work in the UK.

Note: This only applies when you are unable to generate a valid share code yourself, such as when your immigration application or visa renewal is still under review with the Home Office or your digital records have not yet updated in the system.
You are a British or Irish citizen and prove your right to work using a valid passport (or passport card) or other Home Office-approved documents.

What Happens If I Cannot Prove My Right to Work?

View of inside the underground in London

If you cannot prove your right to work in the UK, your employer will likely pause the hiring process, which can mean delays to your onboarding or even the postponement of your agreed start date. Worse, your employer may decide to withdraw the offer altogether and pursue another candidate instead.

Employers simply cannot risk breaching UK immigration law by hiring someone whose work eligibility cannot legally be confirmed, especially given the hefty fines and compliance penalties involved.

Final Thoughts

A right to work share code is essentially a secure way for employers to verify whether someone can legally work in the UK, particularly for visa holders and individuals with digital immigration status. And yes, this applies to remote workers too. Without proper right to work verification, employers may delay onboarding, pause hiring or legally be unable to proceed with employment altogether.

If you are currently searching for flexible or work from home opportunities in the UK, browse Remote Corgi's job board for handpicked remote roles from companies actively hiring across a wide range of niches.

FAQs

How long does a share code last?

Right to work share codes remain valid for 90 days after being generated. Once the code expires, employers will no longer be able to access your right to work information using that specific code. However, you can generate a new share code at any time through your UKVI account on the GOV.UK website.

Is a share code the same as a visa?

No, a share code is not your visa itself. Your visa contains the actual immigration permission that determines whether you can legally live or work in the UK, including any restrictions attached to your employment rights.

A right to work share code, on the other hand, is a secure, temporary code employers use to quickly verify that information online without manually reviewing physical immigration documents.

Can I start working before my right to work check is completed?

No, you cannot start working before your right to work check has been completed. Allowing someone to start work without properly verifying work eligibility can expose both employer and employee to serious legal and immigration consequences, including substantial fines and other criminal penalties.

Can I get a share code if my visa does not allow work?

If your current immigration status does not include permission to work in the UK, you will NOT be able to generate a valid right to work share code for employment purposes.

References

Demireva N. and Fernández Reino M. (2025) Short-term migration: the case of the UK, in Akgüç M. and Zwysen W. (eds.) Moving under the radar: ongoing challenges for short-term intra-EU mobility, ETUI.

Peck, J., 2016. The right to work, and the right at work. Economic Geography, 92(1), pp.4-30.