Back to Legal Working

Workers Registration Scheme

On 1 May 2004 the following countries entered the European Economic Area:

Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia

Employers are required to carry out the usual checks on migrants from these countries, details of which can be found on the Legal Working pages of this site.  In addition, migrants from these countries are required to register with the Home Office Workers Registration Scheme.

Migrants are required to register with the scheme at the point they take up employment in the UK and certainly within one month of starting work.  In order to register a worker will need evidence of employment.  This may take the form of a letter from the employer or a contract of employment.

Applications should be made on the official WRS application form (Click here to download the form) It will cost £70 per individual for the first application made under the scheme.  Each applicant will be sent confirmation of their application.  A copy of his should be retained by the employer.

Employers are permitted to continue employing an unregistered worker whilst their application is being processed and should retain a copy of the registration application until notified that the worker has been successfully registered. 

Once successfully registered the Home Office will send the original certificate to the worker and an ‘employer’s copy’ to the employer.  If this is not received then the employer is required to photocopy (or scan) and retain a copy of the original registration certificate.
 
Employing a worker, for whom you have not retained a copy of their registration application, for a period of more than a month is a criminal offence.

Employing a worker whose application has been refused is a criminal offence.