GOV.UK Right to Work Checking Service vs Right To Work Checker

GOV.UK Right to Work Checking Service lets employers check a job applicant’s permission to work in the UK. To start an online check, an employer needs the applicant’s date of birth and right to work share code; the result shows permitted work types and, when permission is time-limited, how long it lasts. British and Irish citizens cannot get share codes, so employers must check physical documents or use an identity service provider offering Identity Document Validation Technology. The accompanying employer guidance covers initial checks, acceptable documents, and follow-up checks. Employers must check again when time-limited permission is due to expire. For manual checks, they must record the check date and keep document copies throughout employment and for two years after it ends, while following data protection law. In specified cases where an applicant cannot show documents or online immigration status, employers must ask the Home Office to check status and keep the resulting Positive Verification Notice. The service is web-based and free. The page also lists an Employer Enquiry helpline with weekday hours.

Right To Work Checker is a web and API service that checks UK right to work and right to rent share codes. It runs the corresponding gov.uk check and returns an answer as JSON, including the outcome, dates, conditions, applicant photo, and a gov.uk PDF. The right to work check is intended for employers, recruitment agencies, and platforms hiring in the UK. The right to rent check is for landlords and letting agents in England and applies to every adult tenant. The home page offers two live checks daily without an account; the Free plan includes 10 live checks a month and stops at that limit. Pro costs £14/month for 100 live checks, then £0.25 per check. Asynchronous checks can post signed results to a callback URL on every plan, including sandbox. Documentation provides cURL, Node.js, and Python examples, and says Node.js needs no SDK. Live inputs and gov.uk pages are retained for up to seven days to investigate failed or disputed checks, then deleted automatically. The service says it is not affiliated with HM Government, the Home Office, or gov.uk.