Asylum seekers and refugees: getting a job

Right to work 

If you are a person seeking asylum, have been granted a visa or have been granted refugee status you need to find out your right to work before working.

Find out more about how to apply for the right to work during the asylum process on GOV.UK:

• Permission to work and volunteering for asylum seekers
• Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview

Working illegally

Working illegally is a crime and can badly affect your asylum claim or future settlement applications.

Employing people without the right to work is also a crime.

More information is available on the Home Office website:

• Penalties for employing illegal workers

Getting a job

If you have the right to work in Northern Ireland.

• to look for a job, you can use a website such as NIJobs.com 
• the Careers Service  offers career information, advice and guidance to people living in Northern Ireland
• you can search for employment at Jobs and Benefits offices or visit your local office, or search at JobApplyNI

Information on employment rights and responsibilities can be found on the Labour Relations Agency website:

• Rights and responsibilities

Right to Work checks

Prospective employers will ask you to show proof that you have the right to work in the UK. 

Find out how you can prove your right to work:

• Prove your right to work to an employer: get a share code

If you are a prospective employer, visit the following link for more information about right to work checks:

• Right to work checks: an employer's guide

Apply for the National Insurance Number

If you are working you will need a National Insurance Number. 

If you do not have a National Insurance Number, you can find information on how to apply:

• National Insurance Numbers
• Apply for a National Insurance number

Get your country’s qualifications recognised in the UK

If you live in Northern Ireland, the Department of Communities (DfC) offers a free qualification equivalence service to compare your qualifications to the UK equivalent.

You can access the free service by contacting your local Jobs and Benefits office, the Careers Service or the Cross Border Partnership for Employment Services (CBPES)

Find out more about the service at the following link:

• Are your country's qualifications recognised in the UK? 

Proof of residence in Northern Ireland is needed to use the free service. 

Contact details for UK ENIC are available at the following link:

• UK ENIC 

More useful links

• Jobs and skills
• Prove your right to work with a share code