Starting a new job in the UK? Understanding your right to work obligations is the critical first step. This guide walks you through exactly how to get your share code right to work so you can confidently start your new UK career without delay.
If you have a digital immigration status—often referred to as an eVisa (common for EU Settlement Scheme applicants, Skilled Workers, and most other modern visa routes)—your share code is the secure, 9-character key that lets your future employer instantly verify your status with the Home Office.
This article is your step-by-step guide to generating and providing your share code, ensuring a smooth and quick start to your new career.
Understanding your digital immigration status (eVisa)
A share code works by giving a potential employer limited, temporary access to your digital immigration status (your eVisa). This digital status has replaced physical documents like Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) for many people.
If you received your visa or status (like Pre-settled or Settled Status) via an online application, you have an eVisa. The Home Office requires employers to check this digital status using the share code system; they cannot legally accept a physical BRP card alone if you have a digital status.
Step 1: Access the ‘view and prove’ service
The process starts on the official UK Government website, using the service designed to let you see and share your status.
- Go to the official site: navigate directly to the UK Government’s “view and prove your immigration status” page: GOV.UK: view and prove your immigration status
- Sign in: click the ‘start now’ button and select the type of identity document you used when you applied for your visa or status (e.g., your passport or national identity card).
- Authentication: you will be asked for your date of birth and then sent a security code to the mobile number or email address linked to your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account. This is to ensure maximum security.
Pro tip: Make sure your contact details are up-to-date in your UKVI account before you start. If you’ve changed your phone number or email, you will need to update them first to receive the security code.
Step 2: Generate your right to work share code
Once you’ve signed in and verified your identity, you’ll be on your personal eVisa page.
- Select the right option: Look for the section that asks, “what do you want to prove?” Select the option: “your right to work.”
- Generate the code: The system will instantly generate your unique, 9-character share code. It’s a combination of letters and numbers (e.g., G0D-W3R-K3R).
Your share code is valid for 90 days from the day you generate it. You can use the same code with multiple employers during this 90-day period. After it expires, you simply log back into the service and generate a new one.
Step 3: Provide the Code to Your Employer
This final step is the easiest!
Simply give your future employer the 9-character share code along with your date of birth.
Your employer will then go to the separate “employer checking service” on the government website, enter these two pieces of information, and immediately view your official immigration status, including:
- A photograph of you.
- Your legal right to work status (e.g., Settled Status, or permission under your Skilled Worker visa).
- Any restrictions, such as the number of hours you are permitted to work per week.
This online check gives your employer a “statutory excuse,” which means they have officially met their legal obligation to check your right to work, allowing the hiring process to move forward without delay.
Need help with generating a share code? Book a consultation with our with one of our regulated immigration lawyers.
