Can a UK visa check work rights with an expired passport?

Both employment and rental housing require "digital verification," but the required documents are different. Just distinguishing the entry points is already complicated.

Changes in October, falling on digital check

The UK Government Digital Identity Office announced on September 3, 2026: The 1.1 version of the supplementary specifications for the verification of right to work and right to rent became effective on September 2, 2026, and related regulatory changes will be implemented on October 1, 2026. One of them is allowing eligible expired passports to be used for DVS (Digital Verification Service). This change involves Right to Work and Right to Rent, but the applicable documents are limited to British and Irish passports and Irish passport cards, and cannot be extended to all nationalities.

My judgment is that people with eVisa should not pay for this English passport DVS service, and the preparation time should be spent on account access and immigration status verification.

Hold a UK visa or ILR, still check immigration records

This category includes people holding a Chinese passport, using eVisa to prove work permit, spouse visa or permanent residency status. When employed, employers check work rights and restrictions through the Home Office online service; when renting in England, landlords check via the corresponding rental service. When preparing documents, first confirm you can log in to the UKVI account, then generate the required share code and provide your date of birth. Being able to log in to the account and having records on the page are different checkpoints from the verification results showing permission to work; employers must also verify that the photo matches the person and check the job conditions listed in the system. Even if you have just received a new passport, you still need to complete the applicable immigration status verification; checking the authenticity of the passport alone cannot confirm these conditions.

The region for rental inspections also needs to be clarified: the Right to Rent system in this article applies to England, and cannot be directly applied as the landlord's obligations across the entire UK.

British and Irish citizens, new six-month window

Another category includes British and Irish citizens who use the corresponding national passports, and the Irish passport card is also on the list. Starting from October 1, 2026, DVS that comply with the Version 1.1 supplementary specifications can use the above documents that have expired no more than six months to complete the digital check. Both of the two supplementary specifications state in section 3.1.b that the actual inspection date is the basis, therefore the six months cannot be fixed based on the date when the job offer is received, the house viewing is scheduled or the documents are uploaded. Those who plan to use an old passport need to confirm that the actual verification date still falls within this window.

Holding ILR without naturalization will not result in being included in the British citizen passport group; the Chinese passport is also not listed in this DVS document list.

Within six months, also check the corner cutting and chips.

A detail that is easy to overlook is hidden in section 3.1.c and 3.2.b of the two supplementary specifications: documents must not have obvious cut corners; when using expired documents, their encrypted security features must also be verified. The official update notes explain this requirement as reading the chip. Therefore, "not expired for long" is only one of the conditions, and clear photos cannot replace chip verification. On October 1, 2026, when employers or landlords choose DVS, they must also use services certified and registered under the trust framework and supplementary specifications for the corresponding purposes, in order to establish a legal exemption basis.

The six-month line refers to this digital inspection route. Home Office The current employer guidance Appendix A allows eligible British and Irish citizens to use expired passports for manual checks, without imposing the same six-month time limit.

Confirm which route to take before submitting the materials

When receiving verification requirements, you can directly confirm whether the Home Office online check or the DVS check for British and Irish citizens is being used. For the former, prepare your own electronic identity documents; for the latter, verify the type of document, expiration date, and whether it has been cut, then confirm the required checks for service support. If a British or Irish citizen's passport has expired for more than six months, you may discuss with the employer the manual check that complies with the guidelines, without postponing the employment arrangement just because the digital entry cannot accept the document. Manual checks still require checking the original document, verifying the person concerned, and keeping records as required.

This article is for reference only. For specific issues, please consult a licensed attorney.

[Data source] Updated on September 3, 2026 by the UK Government Digital Identity Office; Section 3 to 4 of Version 1.1 of the "Supplementary Specifications for Digital Rental Verification"; Home Office Current "Employer Right to Work Verification Guide" Appendix A. The following quotation is from Section 3.1.c of the rental verification supplementary specifications:

"not be visibly clipped"
The document shall not have visible corner cuts.

Dealing with a UK legal matter? JustiScript can help