Penalties for employing illegal workers

Currently, you can face up to 5 years in prison and receive an unlimited fine if you are found guilty of employing someone you know or had reasonable cause to believe does not have the right to work in the United Kingdom.

This includes situations where you have any reason to suspect that the person:

• does not have permission to enter or stay in the UK,
• their permission has expired,
• does not have the right to perform certain types of work,
• their documents are incorrect or false.

Check if your employees have the right to work in the UK and ensure that their documents are valid.

Thoroughly check your employees.
You may also face penalties if you hire someone who does not have the right to work, and you have not conducted proper checks or have not performed them correctly.

If this happens, you may receive a civil penalty (fine) of up to £60,000 for each illegal worker.

You will receive a civil penalty statement if found guilty, and you will have 28 days to respond.

The statement will tell you how to pay, what to do next, and how to appeal the decision.

Details of your company may be published by the Immigration Service as a warning to other companies.

illegal workers