The UK's immigration landscape has reached a definitive milestone in 2026. The "Digital by Default" strategy, first initiated by the Home Office years ago, has now culminated in the total phase-out of physical immigration documents. For employers, this is the most significant change to Right to Work (RTW) compliance since the introduction of the civil penalty regime. Gone are the days of photocopying Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs); today, a digital e-Visa and a secure "share code" are the only legal ways to establish a statutory excuse for non-British and non-Irish hires.
The Death of the Physical BRP
As of early 2026, all physical BRPs and Biometric Residence Cards (BRCs) have officially expired and are no longer valid proof of Right to Work. Any employee who previously relied on a physical card must have transitioned to a UKVI digital account. This transition ensures that an individual’s immigration status is stored securely in the cloud, linked directly to their passport or travel document.
For HR teams, this means that manual checks—where you physically hold a card and check the hologram—are now legally insufficient for visa holders. To avoid fines that reached up to £60,000 per illegal worker in late 2025, you must use the Home Office online service. A failure to perform a digital check on a candidate who holds an e-Visa means you have no "statutory excuse" if their status is ever revoked.
3 Steps to a Compliant 2026 RTW Check
1. Obtain the Share Code:
The candidate must provide you with a 9-character alphanumeric share code and their date of birth. This code is generated from their UKVI account and is valid for 90 days.
2. Verify on the Employer Portal:
You must enter these details into the official "View a job applicant's right to work details" page. You cannot use the "Prove your right to work" page intended for candidates.
3. Record and Retain:
Simply viewing the screen is not enough. You must download the PDF profile provided by the Home Office, ensuring it contains the candidate's photograph, and store it securely for the duration of employment plus two years.
Managing the Transition Risk
The primary risk in 2026 is the "forgotten" re-check. Many employees who moved from a physical BRP to an e-Visa may have different expiry dates on their digital record than what was printed on their old cards. Furthermore, if an employee gets a new passport, they must update their UKVI account immediately; otherwise, their digital status may not appear during your check.
Recruitroo solves this by integrating directly with the digital-first environment. Our Immigration Dashboard automatically prompts employees to update their UKVI details if their passport is nearing expiry and provides HR teams with automated alerts for follow-up checks. In an era where a single compliance error can lead to a sponsor licence being revoked, automation is no longer a luxury—it is a necessity.
Compliance Alert: "As of February 2026, most visit visas and seasonal worker visas are issued as e-Visas only. Ensure your onboarding team is trained to handle digital-only entrants from Day 1."
Benefits of the Digital Shift
While the transition requires new internal workflows, the benefits are significant. Digital checks provide real-time data, reducing the risk of accepting fraudulent physical documents. It also streamlines remote hiring; as long as you can verify the person on the screen matches the digital profile photo, you can complete the check without the candidate needing to travel to your office.
By embracing the e-Visa revolution, UK employers can build more agile, global workforces. At Recruitroo, we ensure that your transition to digital-only status is seamless, keeping your business compliant and your talent pipeline moving.
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