Asylum seekers and refugees: getting a job

Right to work in Northern Ireland

If you are a person seeking asylum, you do not have the right to work as soon as you arrive in Northern Ireland. You will receive your right to work if you are granted refugee status.

As someone seeking asylum, you can apply for the right to work if:

• you have not received an decision on your claim within 12 months and the delay is not your fault
• you are over 18 years of age and you are the main applicant on your asylum claim.  

Talk with your solicitor before applying for the right to work.

Find out more about how to apply for the right to work during the asylum process on GOV.UK:

• Permission to work and volunteering for asylum seekers

Working illegally

Working illegally is a crime and can badly affect your asylum claim or future settlement applications.

Employing people without the right to work is also a crime.

More information is available on the Home Office website:

• Penalties for employing illegal workers

Getting a job

You have the right to work as soon as you arrive in Northern Ireland, having been granted a UK Visa.

• to look for a job, you can use a website called NIJobs.com to be connected with thousands of employers
• Careers Service  give careers information, advice and guidance to people living in Northern Ireland 
• you can search for employment at Jobs and Benefits offices or visit your local office, or search at JobApplyNI

Information on employment rights and responsibilities can be found on the Labour Relations Agency website:

• Rights and responsibilities

Right to Work checks

Prospective employers will ask you to show proof that you have the right to work in the UK. 

You can use the following documents to prove your right to work:

• the UK entry stamp in your passport which is valid for six months
• the visa approval email from Home Office - it is possible that your sponsor received this email rather than you so if you do not have a copy of this, ask your sponsor to forward
• a ‘share code’ - a digital certificate provided by the Home Office which confirms your right to work - this is an online process which can be accessed at the following link: 
• Prove your right to work to an employer: get a share code

Your BRP does not provide evidence of permission to work but can be used to apply for a ‘share code.’

If you are a prospective employer, visit the following link for further information about right to work checks:

• Right to work checks: an employer's guide

Apply for the National Insurance Number

A National Insurance (NI) number is used to make sure your National Insurance contributions and tax are recorded against your name only.

This is a code with letters and numbers and never changes.

Employers must do ‘Right to Work’ checks on everyone they hire.

Having a National Insurance number is not part of these checks and does not prove that someone has the right to work.

If you do not have a National Insurance Number, you can find information on how to apply:

• National Insurance Numbers

When you make an application, you will need to give a copy of your work documents and proof that you have the right to work. Your employer will tell you what documents you need.

• Apply for a National Insurance number

If you have a professional qualification

If you are resident in Northern Ireland and need to check your qualifications against UK equivalents, you can access the free Qualification Equivalence Service by contacting your local Jobs and Benefits Office. You can find the contact details for your local office at the following page:

• Jobs and Benefits offices

To use this service you will need to have a copy of your qualification certificate or details of this. 

If you have a professional qualification, you will need to have this qualification officially recognised if you want to work in a profession that is regulated in the UK.

It will need to be recognised by the appropriate regulator for your profession. You will need to do this even if you are doing temporary or one-off work.

The UK Centre for Professional Qualifications (UK CPQ) is a free service that can give you information to help get your qualifications recognised in the UK.

The UK CPQ website has more information, like whether a profession is regulated and the entry rules. The UK CPQ service enquiry service can be contacted on:

• phone: 0871 226 2850

There are over 200 regulated professions in the UK.

A list of the regulated professions and the associated regulators is also on the UK Government website: 

• Professions regulated by law in the UK and their regulators

You can also contact the UK national agency for international qualifications and skills:

• The UK national agency for international qualifications and skills

More useful links

• Jobs and skills
• Prove your right to work with a share code