Speaking on BBC Breakfast on 14 January, Chancellor Rachel Reeves reiterated that proof of right-to-work will become digitally mandatory, but stressed she is “pretty relaxed” about the form that proof takes. The comment confirms that the Labour government has abandoned its earlier insistence on a single national digital ID card.
Under the new approach, workers will be able to demonstrate eligibility with any Home Office-issued digital credential – an electronic passport chip read, an online eVisa record, or a future BritCard. Reeves argued the change focuses enforcement resources on illegal employment rather than on building a monolithic ID scheme: “What matters is the check, not the carrier document,” she said.
Former Home Secretary David Blunkett warned that mixed messaging risks confusing employers and migrants alike. Legal specialists also note that a multi-credential ecosystem will complicate onboarding software design, at least until technical standards are finalised.
![Reeves says ePassports and eVisas can serve as digital ID in ‘flexible’ right-to-work regime]()
Employers who need hands-on help interpreting the new rules can turn to VisaHQ, whose UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) aggregates current Home Office guidance and provides easy online tools for checking eVisas, ETA statuses, and other travel or work permissions—making it simpler for HR teams to stay compliant as policies evolve.
For global employers the signal is clear: invest in systems able to consume multiple Home Office APIs and to store consent records showing that workers authorised each check. Companies that already use the EU Settlement Scheme and eVisa share-codes will have a head-start, but they should audit processes to ensure data captured from ePassports is handled in line with GDPR.
The announcement comes as the government accelerates its broader border-digitisation agenda, including the full enforcement of Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETA) from February 2026 and the switch to eVisas for new overseas worker applications from today, 15 January 2026.
Under the new approach, workers will be able to demonstrate eligibility with any Home Office-issued digital credential – an electronic passport chip read, an online eVisa record, or a future BritCard. Reeves argued the change focuses enforcement resources on illegal employment rather than on building a monolithic ID scheme: “What matters is the check, not the carrier document,” she said.
Former Home Secretary David Blunkett warned that mixed messaging risks confusing employers and migrants alike. Legal specialists also note that a multi-credential ecosystem will complicate onboarding software design, at least until technical standards are finalised.
Employers who need hands-on help interpreting the new rules can turn to VisaHQ, whose UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) aggregates current Home Office guidance and provides easy online tools for checking eVisas, ETA statuses, and other travel or work permissions—making it simpler for HR teams to stay compliant as policies evolve.
For global employers the signal is clear: invest in systems able to consume multiple Home Office APIs and to store consent records showing that workers authorised each check. Companies that already use the EU Settlement Scheme and eVisa share-codes will have a head-start, but they should audit processes to ensure data captured from ePassports is handled in line with GDPR.
The announcement comes as the government accelerates its broader border-digitisation agenda, including the full enforcement of Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETA) from February 2026 and the switch to eVisas for new overseas worker applications from today, 15 January 2026.
