Employers are not required to check the status of EU citizens during the transition period

The UK government has confirmed that in the event of no-deal Brexit, employers during the transition period will not be required to carry out immigration checks to hire Europeans.

Home Office secretary Sajid Javid said that the transitional period should be “sensible” and “practical” for all EU citizens. At the same time, it should allow local employers extra time to adapt to the new immigration rules.

During the transition period, employers will still have to carry out standard checks when hiring EU citizens. For example, future employees need to present a valid passport or identity card. However, companies do not need to enquire about their immigration status. The employers do not need to investigate if the potential employees have lived in the UK for some time or have just moved to the UK.