Employment Legislation for Candidates

Immigration Information

For advice on working in the UK please visit www.workingintheuk.gov.uk. This Home Office website will provide details of all programmes and schemes as well and provide you will application forms and legislation updates.

All applications on the Workers Registration Scheme from 01 January 2007 must complete a revised application form available to download from www.workingintheuk.gov.uk.

If you have any queries regarding immigration rules or British Nationality please visit www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk or call the Immigration and Nationality Enquiries Bureau on 0870 606 7766 (National rate number)


Frequently Asked Questions from the Home Office:



Do I need a visa or entry clearance to enter the UK?
Not everyone needs a visa or entry clearance to enter the UK. You can check whether you need a visa by visiting the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website. You should apply for your visa before you come to the UK by contacting a British Embassy or High Commission. You can find out more information on the UKvisas website.

If I have a visa or entry clearance, will I automatically be allowed to enter the UK?
From October 2000, we treat entry clearances issued overseas as being permission to enter. Having a visa or entry clearance will normally allow you entry into the UK. However, an immigration officer has the power to refuse you entry if they have reason to believe you have broken the Immigration Rules.

Do I need a legal adviser when I make an immigration application?
You do not need a legal adviser to make an immigration application. However, you may find it helpful to take advice.

My circumstances have changed. Can I vary the terms of leave?
If your circumstances change, you should contact the Home Office as soon as possible. If you fail to tell us of a change that may affect your immigration status, you may be committing an offence and could be removed from the UK.

Can Work Permits (UK) find me a job?
No, Work Permits (UK) is not an employment or recruitment agency and are unable to provide information about job and training opportunities, or to assist people to locate or secure employment in the United Kingdom.

Who requires a work permit?
Anyone who wishes to work in the UK and who is not a national of the European Economic Area (EEA). EEA member states are: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and Switzerland.

Nationals from the following new member states: Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic who find a job in the United Kingdom are required to apply to register with the Home Office under the new 'Worker Registration Scheme' as soon as they find work.

What about work permits for the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands?
Work Permits (UK) do not issue work permits for the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands. These islands operate their own arrangements and further information is available from this site.

Does a work permit for one employer allow me to transfer and work for another employer?
No, work permits are not transferable. They are issued for an individual to do a specific job with a specific employer. If you want to work for a British based employer, they must make a fresh application on your behalf, which will be considered. You must not start work with the new employer until a decision on the application has been reached, and the employer has received notification of this.

Can the spouse of a work permit holder work without the need for a separate work permit?
Yes, spouses of work permit holders who have been granted leave to remain as dependants of a work permit holder have the right to work in the UK so long as they remain married and the work permit is still valid.