Verify Identity. Support Right to Work Compliance.
Verifying identity and establishing a candidate's Right to Work are fundamental parts of the UK recruitment process.
Conflict International provides ID Verification & Right to Work Checks for employers that need a structured, secure way to verify candidates and manage appropriate checks as part of their onboarding and pre-employment screening programme.
Our service can support individual hires, ongoing recruitment and higher-volume screening requirements through our online vetting portal.
The appropriate Right to Work process depends on the candidate's nationality, immigration status and documentation. Employers remain responsible for ensuring that the correct prescribed check has been completed.
For a fuller explanation of the different checking routes, employer responsibilities and how the UK Right to Work process operates, read our guide to Right to Work checks.
Reliable identity verification provides the foundation for other background checks.
Before employment, qualifications, criminal records or regulatory information can be meaningfully verified, an employer needs confidence that the information relates to the correct individual.
Identity screening can help identify issues such as:
A successful identity check does not prove that every other statement made by the candidate is accurate.
It establishes an important starting point for the wider screening process.
UK employers must take appropriate steps to prevent illegal working.
A prescribed Right to Work check carried out correctly can establish a statutory excuse against a civil penalty if it is later discovered that an individual did not have permission to undertake the work concerned.
The correct checking method depends on the candidate.
Current routes can include:
Not every method is available for every candidate.
Employers should therefore identify the appropriate route rather than attempting to process all applicants in the same way.
Eligible British and Irish citizens holding the appropriate valid passport or passport card may be checked digitally through an authorised identity verification process.
Digital identity technology can assist with:
Conflict International can incorporate digital identity verification into the wider screening workflow where the candidate and documentation are eligible.
Using an external digital identity provider does not transfer the employer's legal responsibility for completing the Right to Work process correctly.
The employer must still satisfy the requirements applicable to the check and retain the required evidence.
Many candidates with UK immigration permission can demonstrate their Right to Work through the Home Office online service.
The candidate provides the employer with a share code and relevant personal information, allowing the employer to view their current immigration status and work permissions.
The employer must check that:
Where permission is time-limited, a follow-up check may be required before the statutory excuse expires.
In some circumstances, an individual may not be able to demonstrate their Right to Work through the normal online or document-based routes.
For example, they may have an outstanding application, administrative review or appeal.
Where the Home Office requirements are met, an employer may need to use the Employer Checking Service and obtain a Positive Verification Notice.
The existence of an unresolved immigration application should therefore not automatically be treated as evidence that an applicant has no Right to Work.
The appropriate Home Office process should be followed.
Using screening technology does not remove the employer's responsibilities.
Employers should ensure that checks are:
Right to Work screening should also be kept separate from assumptions about nationality or immigration status.
Employers should apply appropriate checking procedures consistently to candidates rather than selecting individuals for additional scrutiny based on appearance, accent or perceived nationality.
Identity and Right to Work checks provide only part of the information an employer may require before making an appointment.
Depending on the role, they can be incorporated into a wider Pre-Employment Screening programme alongside:
Using a structured screening programme allows employers to select checks according to the responsibilities and risk profile of the position.
Candidates may have identity documents, employment histories and qualifications from several jurisdictions.
Conflict International can coordinate identity and background verification internationally where appropriate.
The types of documents and records available differ between countries, and an overseas identity verification process should not be confused with the prescribed UK Right to Work process.
International screening may support the wider assessment of a candidate, but employers must still complete the relevant UK Right to Work check where the individual will be employed in the United Kingdom.
Conflict International's online vetting portal allows HR, recruitment and compliance teams to manage identity and Right to Work checks alongside wider employee screening.
Authorised users can:
For organisations processing larger recruitment volumes, the portal provides a central point for managing screening rather than relying on separate email chains and manual status updates.
We can provide a demonstration when discussing your screening requirements.
Not every employee requires a repeat Right to Work check.
Where an individual has an indefinite Right to Work and the appropriate prescribed check has been completed, a routine follow-up check will generally not be required solely because time has passed.
Where permission is time-limited, employers may need to complete a follow-up check before the existing statutory excuse expires.
Employers should therefore record the outcome of the original check and identify where further action will be required.
Conflict International supports employers requiring identity verification and Right to Work checks for individual candidates, ongoing recruitment or higher-volume screening programmes.
The service can also be combined with employment, qualification, criminal-record, regulatory and other appropriate checks through our wider pre-employment screening programme.
Tell us your anticipated screening volumes, candidate locations and checks required, and we can discuss the appropriate process and provide pricing.
Complete the enquiry form below to discuss your ID Verification & Right to Work requirements or request a demonstration of our online vetting portal.
