UK Right to Work Checks Extended to Gig Workers From 1 October

UK right to work checks were extended on 1 October 2026 to cover gig-economy workers, individual sub-contractors and online platforms that match workers with jobs. The change comes from section 48 of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, brought into force by regulations made on 24 June 2026. Businesses that fail to check can face civil penalties of up to £60,000 per illegal worker.

Key facts

• In force: 1 October 2026.
• Legal basis: section 48 of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, commenced by the Commencement No. 4 Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/683).
• Newly covered: individual sub-contractors, people on worker’s contracts such as agency workers, and online matching services.
• Penalty: up to £60,000 per illegal worker, according to the Home Office.
• eVisa holders are checked online using a 9-character share code starting with “W”, valid for 90 days.

What changed in UK right to work checks

Before this change, the legal duty to carry out right to work checks mainly applied to employers hiring people on employment contracts. Many delivery riders, couriers and other gig workers were engaged as sub-contractors or through apps, so the business using them was not always legally required to check their immigration status.

Section 48 of the 2025 Act extends the ban on illegal working to “other working arrangements”. The Home Office’s employer’s guide for 1 October 2026 lists the newly covered groups:

• individual sub-contractors, such as delivery platform workers
• people on a worker’s contract, such as temporary agency workers
• online matching services that connect people providing services with clients

The guide also says liability can extend along a chain. For example, a business contracted to supply services to a third party, which then uses another business to provide the workers, can be liable.

The Home Office announced the plan in March 2025. At that time it said businesses that break the rules face fines of up to £60,000 per worker, director disqualification, business closure and prison sentences of up to five years.

Who is affected

The change affects businesses first, but it will be felt by workers. It covers sectors the Home Office has named, including construction, food delivery, beauty salons and courier services.

If you are on a UK visa and do gig or agency work, expect the app or agency to ask you to prove your right to work. Under the UK right to work checks, eVisa holders must be checked online. You generate a share code, which is 9 characters long, starts with “W” and lasts 90 days. The business enters it with your date of birth on the Home Office service.

The guide also allows checks by certified digital identity providers, and manual checks of original documents for people who still use them.

What it means for Nepali and Indian students

Many Nepali and Indian students in the UK look for flexible work in delivery, warehouses, hospitality and care. Platforms and agencies now have a direct legal reason to check your status and your conditions, not just your identity.

The employer’s guide tells businesses to “refer to requirements for Students” who have limited permission to work in term time. In practice, that means businesses are expected to make sure the work fits your visa conditions, including limits on hours and types of work. If you are unsure of your own limits, use our student work hours checker and confirm with your university’s international student adviser.

Only work under an account and contract in your own name, so that any check matches your own eVisa record.

What to do now

1. Log in to your UKVI account and check that your eVisa details and passport number are correct.
2. Learn how to generate a right to work share code before a platform or agency asks for it.
3. Check your visa conditions, including any limit on weekly hours in term time.
4. Keep records of the hours you work for each platform or agency.
5. If a business refuses you work after a check and you believe your status is correct, ask it in writing which check it used and what result it got.

What we don’t know yet

• How strictly each delivery app and agency will apply the new UK right to work checks in the first months.
• Whether the penalty amounts differ for first and repeat breaches. Some law firm summaries describe a tiered system, but the official pages we opened give only the maximum of £60,000 per worker.
• How Immigration Enforcement will prioritise checks on platforms after 1 October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to do anything if I work through a delivery app?

Be ready to share proof of your right to work. If you hold an eVisa, that means generating a share code from your UKVI account when asked.

Is the business or the worker fined?

The civil penalty of up to £60,000 per worker is aimed at the business. Workers found working illegally can face separate immigration consequences.

When did these UK right to work checks start?

The extended rules started on 1 October 2026.

Sources

• The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 (Commencement No. 4) Regulations 2026 – legislation.gov.uk
• Employer’s guide to right to work checks, 1 October 2026 – GOV.UK (PDF)
• Crackdown on illegal working and rogue employers in ‘gig economy’ – GOV.UK
• Illegal working enforcement soars in drive to strengthen border security – GOV.UK
• UK right-to-work checks extend to contractors and gig workers from 1 October 2026 – Remote Work Europe

Last checked: 2 October 2026. This is general information, not immigration advice.