Right to Work checks - Guidance for External Examiners

If you are a British or Irish national and will be visiting the Loughborough or London campus to do the examining, a scanned copy / photograph of your passport / other documentation will be requested at the point of appointment. The University will then undertake a manual in-person right to work check when you first visit the campus, so you will need to bring your original documents with you when you visit.  

Acceptable documents

• Current or expired British/Irish passport or Irish passport card
• Birth certificate, adoption certificate or certificate of naturalisation as a British citizen, as well as an official document from a government agency or previous employer which shows your National Insurance number.

Please note that you must bring your original documents with you when you visit; copies cannot be accepted for a right to work check.

If you are a British or Irish national but will be completing the examining remotely from within the UK, the University has a small number of credits available to complete remote right to work checks using a Home Office certified ID Service Provider. The check will be followed up with a video call to verify your identity. This type of right to work check is only available if you have a valid, in-date British or Irish passport or Irish passport card. If you do not have a passport, or if your passport has expired, unfortunately this type of check is not available and a manual right to work check must be completed on your original documents.  

If you are an EU national with pre-settled or settled status granted under the EU Settlement Scheme, you will be asked to provide your share code and date of birth so that we can conduct your right to work check using the Home Office’s online system. Please use the following link below to obtain your share code: view and prove your immigration status. This will be followed up with an identity check either via a Teams call or in person to verify your identity.  

If you have indefinite leave to remain in the UK and have a Biometric Residence Permit, you will be asked to provide your share code and date of birth so that we can conduct your right to work check using the Home Office’s online system. Please use the following link below to obtain your share code: prove your right to work. This will be followed up with an identity check either via a Teams call or in person to verify your identity.  

If you do not have a BRP, but have an indefinite leave to remain endorsement (sticker/stamp) in your current (must not be expired) passport, the University will need to undertake a manual in-person right to work check on your passport. Please ensure you bring your passport with you when you visit.

Please note that an indefinite leave to remain endorsement (sticker/stamp) in an expired passport is NOT acceptable for a right to work check in the UK, and in this case you will need to apply for a BRP and then complete your right to work check using the Home Office online system as above.  

If you have a Skilled Worker visa, acting as an External Examiner may be considered supplementary work and we therefore must verify that you are sponsored for your main role in Occupation Code 2311 Higher education teaching professionals. You will be asked to provide a copy of your Certificate of Sponsorship to confirm this.

In addition, you will be asked to provide your share code and date of birth so that we can conduct your right to work check using the Home Office’s online system. Please use the following link below to obtain your share code: prove your right to work. This will be followed up with an identity check either via a Teams call or in person to verify your identity.  

If you are an EU, EEA or overseas national with an e-visa or Biometric Residence Permit, you will be asked to provide your share code and date of birth so that we can conduct your right to work check using the Home Office’s online system. Please use the following link below to obtain your share code: prove your right to work. This will be followed up with an identity check either via a Teams call or in person to verify your identity.  

Acting as a Student Examiner is not permitted on a standard visitor route.  

Therefore, if you do not have an existing right to work in the UK, and are travelling to the UK for the purpose of examining students, you will need to obtain Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor status. The University can provide you with an invitation letter to help you obtain this status.

There is information about Permitted Paid Engagement status available here: https://www.gov.uk/permitted-paid-engagement-visitor  
Depending on your nationality, you’ll either:  

• have to apply for a Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa before you travel to the UK
• be able to visit the UK for up to 1 month without needing a visa.

You can check if you need a visa from the link below.

If you are a visa national and need to apply for a Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa before you travel, you will need to include an invitation letter from the University with your Permitted Paid Engagement visa application.

If you are a non-visa national, you must show your invitation letter to a Border Force Officer on arrival in the UK and obtain a stamp in your passport. You must not use an ePassport gate. If you enter the UK via an eGate you will not be provided with the correct entry stamp in your passport, and will not be permitted to carry out the activities you are coming to do.  

If you are overseas and will not be entering the UK to do any of the examining activity, a formal right to work check is not required. However, the University will ask you to complete a basic identity check. You will be asked to provide a photograph / scanned copy of some ID and this will be followed up with a video call to verify your identity.