Pinpoint's UK Right to Work check is a single check that covers every path a candidate can take to prove their right to work in the UK.

When you order it, Pinpoint asks the candidate a short set of questions, then paths them automatically to the right path: a digital identity check, a share code check, or a manual document check.

You’ll see the correct check in your order instead of guessing which path applies to which candidate. This replaces the previous approach of manually choosing between UK Digital Right to Work (IDSP) and UK Right to Work (Alternative) at order time.

Regardless of the path your candidate takes, three things remain your responsibility:

Pinpoint stores the check evidence in the platform, but many customers also copy it to their HRIS or other employee system of record.

The check paths each candidate to one of four paths based on two questions the candidate answers at the start of the check:

Based on their answers, the check takes the candidate down one of these paths.

The candidate completes a digital identity verification through Certn, our certified Identity Service Provider (IDSP).

This path uses the same UK Digital Right to Work (IDSP) check that runs on its own today, just reached automatically through the combined check.

The candidate submits a photo of their passport, a selfie, and their address history. The check typically completes within 30 seconds.

You receive a Right to Work certificate and a report showing the ID and selfie.

Pinpoint takes the candidate's share code and date of birth, checks it against the UK Home Office's online service, and returns an indicative result along with a PDF of the Home Office result page.

The indicative result is not a substitute for your own check.

To establish a statutory excuse against illegal working penalties, you still need to independently verify the share code yourself and conduct an imposter check on the candidate before employment begins. Pinpoint stores the PDF and result against the order for your convenience only.

Share codes are nine-character alphanumeric codes starting with the letter W. Non-citizens can generate one on the Prove your right to work page of the government website.

There's no digital path for this candidate.

The check captures the documents the candidate says they can provide (for example, a birth certificate plus a National Insurance document) and marks the check as Cancelled with a result of Unable to complete.

You then conduct the manual check offline and record the outcome using Add manual check on the order.

Same as Path 3, the check captures the documents the candidate can provide (for example, a certificate of entitlement, a current passport with a Home Office endorsement, or an application registration card).

It then marks itself as Cancelled with a result of Unable to complete, and leaves you to conduct the manual check offline.

The UK Right to Work check can be ordered individually (on its own) or as a bundle with a DBS check.

Once saved, a package is available anywhere you order Pinpoint checks:

To add an individual check to a package:

To add a check as part of a bundle:

When a check is requested, the candidate receives an invite email from Pinpoint with a link to a short form. This uses the Pinpoint Background Checks Invitation email template.

On the form, they answer the two routing questions and then see only the step that applies to their answers.

After submitting their answers, the candidate is directed to Certn to complete a digital Right to Work check. They’ll also receive an email with a link to Certn, in case they decide to continue later.

In the Certn candidate portal, they'll be asked to provide:

Once submitted, the check runs automatically and returns a result in around 30 seconds.

After submitting their answers, the candidate enters their share code and date of birth, and can optionally add a comment. Pinpoint runs the share code check against the UK Home Office service and returns an indicative result.

Candidates on either manual path are asked to indicate which documents they can provide, and can upload copies of those documents.

After they submit, the parent check is marked Cancelled with a result of Unable to complete, and the recruiter is prompted to review the uploaded documents and complete the check offline.

To review the check results:

The parent UK Right to Work check shows a status and a result derived from the path the candidate took. A callout points you to the specific sub-check or action needed for your path - digital, share code, or manual.

The sub-check row is named UK Digital Right to Work (IDSP), provided by Certn.

Download the Right to Work certificate to view the ID and selfie images captured by Certn. You still need to conduct an imposter check by confirming the person in the photo visibly matches the person turning up to work.

The sub-check row is named UK Right to Work (Share code), provided by Pinpoint.

Open it to see one of three indicative results:

You should also see:

Orders containing this check will always resolve to Complete (Review) at the order level, regardless of the individual check's indicative result. This is by design, as the indicative result should never be treated as a substitute for the check you conduct yourself.

The parent UK Right to Work check is marked Cancelled with a result of Unable to complete and a result detail indicating a manual check is required.

The result drawer shows:

You can optionally use the Add manual check action on the order to record the outcome of your manual verification.

Which check should I order?

Order the combined UK Right to Work check. It handles every path automatically, so you don't need to pick a different check for different candidates.

The older UK Digital Right to Work (IDSP) and UK Right to Work (Alternative) checks are being phased out in favor of this one.

What if my candidate picks the wrong answers by mistake?

Before the candidate submits, they can go back and change their answers from the summary screen at the end of the form.

Once they've submitted, the answers are final. If they've submitted the wrong answers, you’ll need to re-order the check for the candidate.

Can the combined check be used in a stage action?

Yes. Any package containing the combined check can be set up as a stage action, so the check is ordered automatically when a candidate reaches a specific stage.

Does the combined check trigger the same notifications as other checks?

Yes. The check follows the same notification rules as other Pinpoint checks. Reminder emails are sent to candidates who haven't completed the form.

Does the combined check establish a statutory excuse?

Only for the digital path. For the share code path, you still need to independently verify the share code yourself and conduct an imposter check.

For the manual paths, you need to complete the full manual check in line with UK Government guidance.

What does an "indicative result" mean on the share code path?

An indicative result means Pinpoint checked the share code on the Home Office website and can tell you whether the candidate appears to have the right to work.

It is not the same as you checking the share code yourself, which is what the Home Office requires to establish a statutory excuse. Treat it as a heads-up, but always complete your own verification.

Can I still order the standalone digital or alternative checks?

Yes. The standalone UK Digital Right to Work (IDSP) and UK Right to Work (Alternative) checks remain available for now. You can keep using them in existing packages or new ones.

Where can I find more information on right to work in the UK?

You can find more information on right to work on the official government website: