New Right to Work Rules Arrive This October

From 1 October 2026, significant changes to Right to Work requirements are expected to come into force, introducing new responsibilities for employers and increasing the financial penalties for non-compliance.

For adult social care providers, where international recruitment continues to play a vital role in supporting the workforce, understanding these changes will be essential.

To help members prepare, we’ve shared the latest guidance from AC Solutions, outlining what the proposed changes could mean for recruitment processes, sponsor licence compliance and day-to-day workforce management.

What’s changing?

The draft Home Office guidance includes several important updates, including:

• Higher civil penalties for employers who fail to carry out compliant Right to Work checks.
• Greater use of digital immigration status through the eVisa system.
• Wider employer responsibilities, with some agency workers, contractors and subcontractors also falling within the scope of the new rules.
• Increased expectations around record keeping and ongoing compliance.

What does this mean for care providers?

Now is a good time to review your recruitment and onboarding processes before the new rules take effect.

AC Solutions recommends that providers:

• Review current Right to Work checking procedures.
• Ensure managers understand when different checking methods should be used.
• Keep accurate records throughout employment and for the required retention period.
• Schedule follow-up checks for workers with time-limited permission.
• Consider a compliance review to identify any gaps before a Home Office inspection.

As AC Solutions notes, Right to Work checks are increasingly viewed as an essential part of organisational governance rather than simply an HR process. Taking action now could help protect your organisation from costly penalties and avoid disruption to your workforce.