Right to Work Audit

Right to Work for all employees

Every UK employer must prevent illegal working by conducting Right to Work checks before employment starts and follow-up checks where documents expire. Sponsored workers are not exempt from proper checks.

Who needs an RTW audit

Businesses with high turnover, remote onboarding, or mixed manual and digital checking may have hidden gaps. Audits before Home Office visits or penalty notices reduce risk.

Civil penalties

Employers who employ illegal workers face fines and possible criminal referral. Penalty amounts change — as of 2026 statutory maximums have increased for repeat breaches.

Employee list and start dates

Cross-reference every employee's start date with dated Right to Work check records.

Check method compliance

Manual lists, online checks via Home Office service, and IDVT routes each have rules — using the wrong method invalidates statutory excuse.

Follow-up scheduling

Time-limited visas and documents require diarised follow-up checks before expiry.

How to apply

We sample workforce records, grade compliance gaps, and provide remediation steps — including retrospective checks only where lawfully possible.

Costs & processing time

Audit fees depend on headcount. Civil penalties for illegal working far exceed audit costs — current penalty tables are published by the Home Office and may change as of 2026.

Common reasons applications are refused

• No Right to Work check before employment start

• Using expired statutory excuse methods

• Missing follow-up checks on time-limited permission

• Checks stored but not linked to correct employee

• Sponsored workers treated as exempt from RTW process

Related guidance: Pre-Audit Compliance Review, Mock Home Office Audit, Post-Audit Remediation, and Settlement & ILR.