UK Business Immigration – Extension of Right to Work Checks

The UK Home Office has published its draft Code of Practice on Preventing Illegal Working: Right to Work Scheme for Employers, introducing significant changes to the UK’s rules on carrying out right to work (RTW) checks, which will come into force on 1 October 2026.

Most notably, the changes expand both (i) the range of working arrangements in which RTW checks must be conducted to obtain a statutory excuse against a civil penalty; and (ii) the parties who may be liable for non-compliance. As a result, organisations that have not historically regarded themselves as the “employer” for RTW purposes in certain working arrangements may now fall within scope from 1 October. This brings with it both new compliance obligations and an increased exposure to civil penalties.

We have summarised the key changes here, and invite you to join us for a webinar on Tuesday 28 July 2026 at 12:30 p.m. BST during which we will discuss:

• Which working arrangements will be in scope

• Who will be caught by the extension of liability

• Practical steps for employers to ensure compliance from 1 October

The session will include an audience Q&A and you are welcome to submit questions you would like us to cover when registering.

This webinar is aimed at anyone with responsibility for immigration compliance within their organisation, including HR, talent acquisition and global mobility professionals, as well as in-house legal teams.