Looking for work in the UK?

The UK is a friendly, welcoming country with a long history of people coming from overseas to find work. Most of those people have a positive experience, but there are some risks you need to be aware of if you are considering travelling to the UK to work.

The ALP is a trade association that represents labour providers. Labour providers are companies who recruit workers to send to other companies to work, often on a temporary basis. ALP cannot provide you with work, or help you to find work, but we have provided some basic information on this page that may help you.

Immigration

The UK has a points-based immigration system that applies to anyone who wants to come to live, study or work in the UK. Find all the information you need on visa routes and right to work checks here.

You cannot come to the UK as a visitor and apply for a work visa when you get here. You must apply before you arrive.

Some visa routes are sponsored, which means that UK employers can recruit workers from different countries to come and work in the UK for them. The Seasonal Worker route and the Skilled Worker route are the most common visa routes for overseas workers. If you come to the UK under either of those routes, you may only work for your sponsor and you cannot usually change jobs to work for a different employer once you are in the UK.

Irish citizens can continue to freely enter, live and work in the UK. If you are an Irish citizen, you do not need permission to enter or remain in the UK, including a visa, any form of residence permit or employment permit. You will be asked to evidence your right to work by showing your passport, passport card or birth certificate.

Good UK employers will always want to see evidence of your right to work in the UK before they offer you a job. If you work in the UK without having the correct permission, both you and your employer may be committing a criminal offence.

Paying for work

You should not pay for a job. Good employers in the UK will not ask you for any money to provide you with work. There may be costs that you have to pay directly, such as for visa fees, language tests or travel to the UK, but these should be completely in your control. If you are using a labour provider or some other sort of agent, their fees should be paid by the employer.

There is a minimum wage in the UK which you can find here. Your employer must not pay you less than that minimum wage, and should not take money from your wage, or ask you to pay them money from your wages, if those payments will take your remaining pay below minimum wage. There is an exception if your employer provides you with accommodation, but even then, the amount they can take is limited.

For some jobs, the minimum rate is higher such as work through the Skilled Worker visa route.

Working and living in the UK

Just Good Work is a free app that tells you everything you need to know about working and living in the UK. You can download it in several different languages.

It tells you all about the law in the UK, what your rights are, and where you can go for help if you need it.

It is safe to report illegal behaviour in the UK. If you are being exploited or treated badly, there are many organisations who will help you, and there are email links and telephone numbers to them below and many more in the Just Good Work app.

ALP has also produced a free video in a number of different languages which tells you what to expect whilst working in the UK and where to go for help if you need it.

If you need help

If you, or someone else is in danger, call the police on 999 in an emergency, or 101 if it is not an emergency.

If you think you are being exploited, which means that you are being treated unfairly in connection with your work, call the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority on 0800 432 0804 or the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700. Your call will be treated in complete confidence and there will be interpreters available if you need one. No-one will be angry with you, and people will try to help.