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The government appears to have stepped back from its earlier plans to require workers to register for a new digital ID scheme to prove their right to work in the UK.
Although right-to-work checks will still be carried out digitally by 2029, for example through the use of biometric passports, signing up for a digital ID will be optional rather than compulsory.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has confirmed that mandatory digital right-to-work checks will be introduced as part of efforts to tackle illegal working. However, she also clarified that a digital ID will be just one of the ways a worker may be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work.
Proposals for compulsory digital IDs have proved controversial, with nearly three million people signing a parliamentary petition opposing their introduction.
At present, full details of how the digital ID system will operate have not been published. It is widely expected that it will be linked to Gov.uk One Login and the forthcoming Gov.uk Wallet.
In the meantime, employers can already use government-certified digital verification services to carry out passport checks on British and Irish citizens. The Home Office also provides an online service to verify the status of non-British or Irish citizens where an individual’s immigration status is held electronically.
