Right to work · Acceptable documents

Right to work acceptable documents: List A, List B, and the manual check process.

Direct answer

When a manual right-to-work check is the required method, the Home Office allows two categories of document. List A covers documents that show a continuous (indefinite) right to work — the check is done once and never repeated. List B covers documents that show a time-limited right to work — a follow-up check is required at the relevant point. The current document lists are set out in Annex A of the Home Office Employer's Guide to Right to Work Checks (26 June 2025 version, last updated 31 July 2025). The lists are revised periodically — always check the current Annex A before relying on a specific document, and never accept a document not on either list.

Who this applies to: UK employers carrying out a manual right-to-work check on a worker — typically because the worker does not have a share code, does not hold a valid British or Irish passport for an IDVT check, or because manual is the only option that fits the worker's documents.

Regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority

When manual is the right method

Why a manual check — and when to switch to share code or IDVT instead.

Manual is one of three valid right-to-work check methods. The right method depends on the worker — not the employer's preference. Using the wrong method does not establish the statutory excuse, even if every other step is correct.

→Use a manual check when the worker is not in scope of the online share-code service AND is not eligible for an IDVT digital check (or has declined IDVT)

→Use the share-code online check for any worker whose right to work is held digitally on the Home Office system — most sponsored workers and most non-British, non-Irish workers post-2021

→Use IDVT for British or Irish citizens with a valid passport who prefer the digital route — IDVT is optional, not mandatory

→Manual checks of photocopies, scans, emailed PDFs, or expired documents do not establish the statutory excuse — the original, in-date document is required

→When a manual check is the right method, the document must come from List A or List B of Annex A of the Home Office Employer's Guide to Right to Work Checks

List A vs List B

The two manual check document lists.

List A

Documents that show the worker has an indefinite right to work in the UK — typically British citizens, Irish citizens, settled status holders, indefinite leave to remain holders. One check, no follow-up.

Continuous right to work

List B Group 1

Documents that show a time-limited right to work with a specific expiry date — typically Skilled Worker and most other work visa documents. Follow-up check required on or before expiry.

Time-limited, with expiry date

List B Group 2

Documents covering workers with an ongoing application or appeal — typically asylum or EUSS pending status. Statutory excuse is 6 months from the date of the Home Office Positive Verification Notice; follow-up check required within that window.

Time-limited, positive verification

Authoritative source

The current document list is set out in Annex A of the Home Office Employer's Guide to Right to Work Checks. Always check the current Annex A — the lists are revised and a document on List A today may move or be removed.

Annex A of the Employer's Guide

Document categories as set out in the Home Office Employer's Guide to Right to Work Checks (26 June 2025 version, last updated 31 July 2025). The specific documents on each list are revised periodically — always verify the current position in Annex A before relying on a particular document type.

What a compliant manual check actually looks like

The five steps that establish the statutory excuse.

A manual right-to-work check is not just sighting a document. The Home Office prescribes a specific set of steps — and the statutory excuse only attaches if every step is completed correctly and the records are retained.

→1. Obtain the worker's original documents — not a copy, not a scan, not a photograph. The original document, in your physical possession, on or before the worker's first day.

→2. Check the document is from List A or List B of Annex A — and that it is genuine, original, unchanged, and in date

→3. Check that the photograph in the document matches the worker, the date of birth matches, and the document genuinely belongs to the person standing in front of you (or, for remote workers, on the live video call)

→4. Take a clear copy of the relevant pages — the photograph page and any pages showing entitlement to work, expiry date, or endorsements. Format that does not allow editing — typically a colour photocopy or PDF scan.

→5. Sign and date the copy, recording the date the check was conducted and the name of the person who conducted it

The retention rule

How long to keep the record — and why it matters.

A correctly conducted manual check only establishes the statutory excuse if the records are retained for the full retention period. This is the rule a Home Office compliance officer most often finds missing.

→Retain the signed and dated copy of the worker's documents during their entire period of employment with you

→Retain for a further 2 years after the worker stops working for you — regardless of whether the worker leaves voluntarily, is dismissed, retires, or the business ceases to employ them

→Records destroyed before the 2-year point do not establish the statutory excuse — even if the check was conducted correctly at the time

→Digital storage is acceptable — but records must be retrievable on request, including during an unannounced Home Office compliance visit

→Records of failed checks (where the worker did not have valid documents and was not employed) should also be retained, with a note of the outcome

Time-limited workers — the follow-up check

When a List B document needs to be re-checked.

A List B document only establishes the statutory excuse for a defined period. A follow-up check is required at the relevant point — and missing it is one of the most common right-to-work compliance failures we see at audit.

→List B Group 1 (documents with an expiry date) — follow-up check required on or before the expiry date shown on the document

→List B Group 2 (Positive Verification Notice) — follow-up check required within 6 months of the date of the Positive Verification Notice. Set a calendar reminder the moment the initial check is recorded.

→If the worker has been granted further leave or extended their application, conduct a fresh check using whichever method now applies (share code, manual, or IDVT)

→If the worker's right to work has expired and not been extended, they cannot continue to be employed — continued employment without a valid statutory excuse is a civil penalty risk of up to £60,000 per illegal worker

→Sponsored workers — the follow-up check is also a 10-working-day reportable event under sponsor reporting duties if the immigration status has changed

What goes wrong

The five manual check mistakes we see most often.

→Accepting a photocopy, scan, or photograph instead of the original document — does not establish the statutory excuse, even if the worker later proves the document was genuine

→Accepting a document not on List A or List B (e.g. a driving licence, utility bill, NI number letter alone) — only Annex A documents work for the statutory excuse

→Failing to sign and date the copy of the document — leaves the file looking like a check happened but with no contemporaneous evidence of when

→Missing the follow-up check on a List B document — and continuing to employ the worker past their right-to-work expiry

→Destroying the records when the worker leaves but before the 2-year-after point — even a perfect check at the time becomes legally indefensible without the retained record

How Harveys helps

What we do for employers building a defensible manual check process.

Most employers do not need ongoing help with individual manual checks once the process is set up correctly. Where we help is at design, at audit, and when something has already gone wrong — including a civil penalty notice on the way.

→Right-to-work process design — building the manual / share code / IDVT decision tree and the manual check checklist once, so the team can run it

→Right-to-work audit — structured review of recent manual checks against the current Annex A and the retention rules

→Civil penalty response — urgent regulated work where a manual check has been challenged or a notice has been served

→Audit-Ready Sponsor Compliance retainer — for licensed sponsors, manual RTW checks are part of the broader sponsor-duty framework

→All work delivered under IAA Level 1 regulation — Regulation No. F202537009

Common questions

Questions employers ask us.

List A documents show a continuous (indefinite) right to work — typically British citizens, Irish citizens, settled status holders, and indefinite leave to remain holders. A List A check is done once and never repeated. List B documents show a time-limited right to work. List B Group 1 has a specific expiry date (typically a visa document) and the follow-up check is on or before that date. List B Group 2 covers ongoing applications or appeals and gives a 6-month statutory excuse from the date of the Home Office Positive Verification Notice.

Annex A of the Home Office Employer's Guide to Right to Work Checks (26 June 2025 version, last updated 31 July 2025). The lists are published on gov.uk and revised periodically — always check the current Annex A before relying on a specific document. A document on List A today may move or be removed at the next revision.

No. A manual right-to-work check requires the original document, in your physical possession (or via live video for remote checks where permitted), on or before the worker's first day. Photocopies, scans, photographs, and emailed PDFs do not establish the statutory excuse — even if the underlying document is genuine. The only digital-from-end-to-end methods are the share-code online check (for workers with digital Home Office status) and IDVT through a certified IDSP (for British and Irish citizens with valid passports).

During the worker's entire period of employment with you, plus 2 years after they stop working for you — regardless of how the employment ends. Records destroyed before the 2-year-after point do not establish the statutory excuse, even if the check was conducted correctly at the time. The retention rule is identical for manual, share-code, and IDVT checks. Digital storage is acceptable, but records must be retrievable on request, including during an unannounced compliance visit.

A Positive Verification Notice (PVN) is a notice issued by the Home Office Employer Checking Service confirming that a worker with an ongoing immigration application has the right to work for a 6-month period. It applies to workers whose status falls under List B Group 2 — typically asylum seekers permitted to work or workers with a pending EUSS application. A follow-up right-to-work check is required within 6 months of the PVN date.

Do not employ the worker. Accepting a document not on either list does not establish the statutory excuse — and continuing to employ a worker without a valid statutory excuse exposes the business to a civil penalty of up to £60,000 per illegal worker. If the worker believes their right to work is genuine but the document does not match Annex A, ask them to obtain a share code or contact the Home Office Employer Checking Service. Do not proceed with employment until a valid check is in place.

Related services & resources

IAA

Regulated immigration advice

Harveys Legal is regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority.

Firm Reg No. F202537009. Verify on the IAA register before engagement.

Setting up a manual right-to-work check process? Get it right the first time.

Book a consultation. We will work through your specific worker mix, the manual / share code / IDVT decision tree, the manual check checklist, and the retention discipline — before a Home Office compliance visit identifies the gaps. Harveys Legal supports immigration applications, sponsor compliance preparation and related legal processes. Final decisions remain with the Home Office or relevant decision-maker.

Book a Consultation →See full RTW compliance framework

Harveys Legal supports immigration applications, sponsor compliance preparation and related legal processes. Final decisions remain with the Home Office or the relevant decision-maker.