IDVT and Right to Work checks – what is it and what does it mean for recruiters?

The Home Office have released further information about the changes in the rules concerning Right to Work checks effective from 6th April 2022, following their first announcements in December regarding digital Right to Work checks.

The Home Office are encouraging businesses to move away from manual Right to Work checking approaches stating that ‘new digital identity checking technology will make it quicker, safer and more convenient for employers to carry out Right to Work checks.’

This latest announcement emphasises the need for any organisation not currently embracing technology, such as Rightcheck, to re-consider their needs ahead of the 6th April. 

Our Q&A below will help you understand the issues relating to IDVT. 
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What is IDVT?  

Identity Document Validation Technology (IDVT) is now being acknowledged by the Home Office as beneficial for businesses to conduct digital Right to Work checks. IDVT encompasses several new digital technologies - cloud, mobile, AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning) that are becoming common place as a means to digitise and automate those processes that have traditionally been undertaken manually.

The technology will be provided by an Identity Service Provider (IDSP) - such as Rightcheck. The provider can acquire certification by meeting the requirements of a new UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (UKDIATF).
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Why is the Home Office promoting IDVT? 

The Home Office now acknowledges the recognised challenges of manual check processes:

• Administrative, inefficient burden for recruiters that does not support rapid on-boarding
• Potential for human errors in judgements required whilst conducting checks, leaving the organisation exposed to risk of hire of individuals without Right to Work status and/or fake ID 
• Continuous monitoring and training of recruiters to ensure they are always conducting checks in accordance with the latest legislation
• Risks on non-compliance with GDPR through mishandling of sensitive documents
• Where business needs dictate need to hire virtually an inability to conduct checks remotely

Adoption of Rightcheck’s digital platform, that incorporates IDVT, can not only address these challenges but also greatly reduce the time recruiters and HR admin expend on this vital aspect of recruitment compliance. 
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What is the significance of 6th April 2022? 

The Home Office has only released limited advance information regarding the 6th April 2022 at this stage. Some details have not been finalised by the relevant Government Departments and could be susceptible to change, or delay given certain aspects will need to be formalised in legislation. Please subscribe to our blog and we will keep you fully informed as more details become available. 

What we do know about the 6th April at the moment is as follows:

1. Share code expansion
   The following documents are to be removed as valid Right to Work documents: Biometric Residence Cards (BRC), Biometric Residence Permits (BRP) and Frontier Worker Permits, individuals holding these documents will, from 6th April 2022, need to be checked via an online share code. 
   
   With the Rightcheck app, the share code process is streamlined into a two step process that can be performed by your recruiters in seconds:

• Enter Share Code, date of birth and nationality of the candidate
• Tap ‘capture’ which automatically accesses and downloads the required eVisa from the government website
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2. End of COVID adjusted checks
   COVID adjusted checks will finally come to an end on 6th April 2022. It is important to keep in mind that there is no need for retrospective checks on employees who had a check performed on them between 30 March 2020 and 5 April 2022 (inclusive) under these temporary measures.
   
   Update (22/02/2022): The Home Office has just announced that the deadline for temporary COVID-19: Right to Work Checks has been extended to 30 September 2022.
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3. Remote checks to become a permanent option
   For those organisations who for operational reasons need to maintain the ability to recruit remotely (as they did during the pandemic) they will be able to continue to do so but only via a certified solution, such as Rightcheck, that incorporates IDVT.
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4. New ‘Employers Guide’ anticipated from the Home Office dictating the legislation and approach to Right to Work checks   
   It is evident that when this new guide is issued on, or ahead of 6th April it will undoubtedly place increased focus and emphasis on businesses embracing a digital approach to Right to Work checks.
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Will Rightcheck be a certified IDSP? 

Yes. Rightcheck is already the leading solution to conduct digital Right to Work checks and verify candidates using IDVT, currently used by thousands of recruiters. 

Rightcheck are well placed and prepared for these 6th April developments. Whilst details of UKDIATF are still emerging from the Home Office, we have been keeping abreast and involved in the consultation process of developing this new framework. Consequently, Rightcheck will secure certified IDSP status, given our advanced position in this field and involvement to date.

We are also in the advanced stage of developing a new remote checking component to the Rightcheck platform - an integrated ‘candidate app’ with a launch date to be announced imminently. 
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Will adopting IDVT result in more costs for our business? 

No. Rightcheck has a clear return on investment that makes our solution at least cost-neutral and in most cases cost-saving. The ROI is based on the administrative time savings of undertaking, processing, storing and managing manual Right to Work checks. Additionally the savings businesses derive from negating the need for continuous monitoring of legislation and the need to cascade updates and continually train recruiters - all replaced by a simple to use, intuitive app! 

Rightcheck, digitises, streamlines and automates the process of undertaking Right to Work checks.
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How can I find out more?  

Contact us now – we would be very happy to explain more about IDVT and what the changes due to take effect on the 6th April will mean for your business and recruitment activity. 

If you’d like to gain access to our ‘Fact Sheet’ concerning IDVT and the changes in Right to Work legislation from 6th April 2022 click here. Alternatively, drop us a message at sales@rightcheck.io and one of our specialists will be in touch.