Right to work checks and sponsorship
Physical Biometric Residence Permits stopped being valid right-to-work evidence at the end of 2024, so checks now run through the Home Office's digital eVisa service. Employing someone without the right to work can now cost up to £60,000 per worker for repeat breaches, and Skilled Worker sponsorship rules tightened further in 2025 and 2026.
UK right-to-work checks have moved from physical documents to a digital system. Biometric Residence Permits stopped being issued in October 2024 and stopped being valid standalone right-to-work evidence from 31 December 2024, so most non-British and non-Irish workers now prove their status through the Home Office's online eVisa service, while British and Irish passport holders can be checked through a certified digital identity provider. The maximum civil penalty for employing someone without the right to work rose sharply in February 2024, to £45,000 per illegal worker for a first breach and £60,000 for repeat breaches. Sponsoring a Skilled Worker got harder too: the general minimum skill level rose from A-level equivalent to graduate level in July 2025, and a new rule from April 2026 requires sponsors to show salary compliance within rolling pay periods, not just as an annual average.
How do right-to-work checks work now?
Most non-British, non-Irish workers prove their right to work through the Home Office's online service using their eVisa or UKVI account. British and Irish passport holders can still be checked through a certified digital identity provider. Physical Biometric Residence Permits are no longer accepted as standalone evidence.
What is the penalty for getting it wrong?
Up to £45,000 per illegal worker for a first breach, and £60,000 per illegal worker for repeat breaches, in force since February 2024. That's a significant jump from the previous £15,000 and £20,000 maximums.
What changed for sponsoring skilled workers?
The minimum salary threshold for a Skilled Worker visa is £41,700 a year or the occupation's going rate, whichever is higher, with a reduced £33,400 threshold in limited cases. The general minimum skill level rose to graduate level (RQF6) from July 2025, and from April 2026 sponsors must show salary compliance within rolling pay periods rather than just annually.
Who handles this if you hire through Teamed?
Right-to-work checks and sponsorship risk disappear entirely when Teamed is the legal employer: your UK team is employed under our own compliant employment framework, so you never run a check, hold a sponsor licence, or carry the penalty exposure yourself.
Key figures
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| eVisa transition from physical BRPs | BRPs stopped being issued 31 October 2024 and ceased to be valid standalone right-to-work evidence from 31 December 2024. Right to work is now normally evidenced via the Home Office online 'view and prove' service using a UKVI account/eVisa, or via a certified Identity Service Provider (IDSP) digital check for British/Irish passport holders. (source) |
| Expired BRP leniency extension | Home Office extended transitional leniency for use of expired BRPs/BRCs (for certain non-right-to-work purposes) to 31 December 2026, a 6-month extension from a previous June 2026 cut-off. This extension explicitly does NOT apply to right to work or right to rent checks. (source) |
| Maximum civil penalty for illegal working | £45,000 per illegal worker for a first breach (up from £15,000) and £60,000 per illegal worker for repeat breaches (up from £20,000). Increase took effect for breaches on or after 13 February 2024. (source) |
| Skilled Worker minimum salary threshold | Standard threshold is £41,700/year or the occupation-specific going rate, whichever is higher, plus a minimum hourly rate floor of £17.13. A reduced threshold of £33,400/year applies in limited cases (Immigration Salary List roles, or a relevant PhD). (source) |
| Skill level requirement raised to RQF6 | From 22 July 2025, the general minimum skill level for new Skilled Worker sponsorship rose from RQF Level 3 (A-level equivalent) to RQF Level 6 (graduate/degree level), with exceptions for roles on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List. (source) |
| New pay-period salary compliance rule | From 8 April 2026, sponsors must show salary compliance within defined pay periods, not just as an annual average: for monthly-paid workers, pay over any rolling 3-month period must be at least one quarter of the annual minimum threshold. (source) |
Frequently asked questions
Can I still use a Biometric Residence Permit to check someone's right to work?
No. BRPs stopped being valid standalone right-to-work evidence from 31 December 2024. Checks now run through the Home Office's digital eVisa service or a certified digital identity provider.
What's the maximum fine for hiring someone without the right to work?
£45,000 per illegal worker for a first breach and £60,000 per illegal worker for repeat breaches, in force since 13 February 2024.
Do I need a sponsor licence to hire a Skilled Worker?
Yes, a UK employer needs a sponsor licence to sponsor a Skilled Worker visa, alongside meeting the salary and skill-level thresholds, which have both tightened in 2025 and 2026.
UK employment law is moving fast, and commencement dates have slipped before. When Teamed is your legal employer, we track every change and update your contracts, policies and payroll as the law lands, so you never have to read a roadmap to stay compliant.
