Work Entitlement Checks: Your Guide to Accepted Right to Work Documents
Every employer in Australia has a legal responsibility to make sure their employees have the right to work. That means obtaining consent, collecting the right documents, ensuring someone on your team verifies them, and running a VEVO check for foreign citizens. A simple oversight can lead to big compliance headaches.
In this article, we’ll dive into why right to work checks are vital, highlight critical points in the employee lifecycle for these checks, and share best practices to ensure compliance every step of the way.
Documents for Working Rights Checks – Australian Citizens
To verify an Australian Citizen’s right to work, you’ll need to collect one of the following:
Australian Passport
The passport must be Australian. The passport image must be clear, showing the entire photo page of the passport. An expired passport can also be accepted when conducting a right to work check on an Australian citizen.
Australian Citizenship Certificate & Photo ID
A Citizenship certificate is issued by the Australian Government and is proof that someone born outside Australia is now an Australian citizen. It must show the entire document. It must look like an Australian Citizenship certificate Ensure that the name listed matches your employee.
Look for an Evidence ID number or Citizenship ID found on the bottom left hand corner on the front of the citizenship certificate after the words “Evidence No:” or “No.”. It is 11 digits in length, and may include letters if it’s an older document.
The photo ID should be an official government or institution document (e.g. Drivers Licence or Student Card). You also need to verify that you recognise the individual in this photo as the employee, and that the name listed matches that of your employee.
Australian Birth Certificate & Photo ID
The Birth certificate must be Australian, show which state of Australia it is from, and must show the entire certificate.
As above, the photo ID should be an official government or institution document (e.g. Drivers Licence or Student Card). You also need to verify that you recognise the individual in this photo as your employee, and that the name matches your employee.
Documents for Working Rights (VEVO Checks) – Foreign Citizens
To verify a Foreign Citizen’s right to work in Australia using a VEVO check, you’ll need to collect one of the following:
Foreign Passport
The passport image must show the entire photo page of the passport including the MRZ (Machine readable zone). The machine readable zone is the two lines of text that appear at the bottom of the passport photo page. The photo of the passport holder must be clearly shown, and match your known employee. An expired passport can also be accepted for the purpose of a VEVO check as long as that passport is the one on record at the Department of Home Affairs.
ImmiCard
An ImmiCard is issued to certain visa holders who don’t have and can’t obtain a passport recognised by the Australian Government. There are four types of ImmiCards; Australian Migration Status (AMS), Evidence of Immigration (EIS) ImmiCard, Permanent Resident Evidence (PRE), Residence Determination (RDI).
The ImmiCard Number format is 3 alpha characters followed by 6 numeric characters.
Travel Document
A travel document, often mistaken for an ImmiCard, is an older type of identification used exclusively by foreign nationals for their initial travel to Australia. These documents are commonly provided to refugees who do not have access to national passports.
A single travel document may cover an entire family, and it can be used to perform a VEVO check for any listed family member. If an employee is a dependent on the document, enter their name and date of birth, along with the document number and country of origin of the primary document holder.
Key Tips for Checking Right to Work
- Always Verify Photo ID – Whether it’s a passport or a driver’s licence or other photo ID to confirm the individual who is being employed matches the photo on the evidence document.
- Ensure Documents Are Clear and Complete – Ensure all documents are legible, with no obstructions, blurring, or missing sections.
- Ensure You Obtain Consent – The DHA requires individuals to provide written consent before an organisation can run a visa (VEVO) check using the individual’s information.
- Follow Data Privacy Laws – Ensure that you handle sensitive personal information in line with the Australian Privacy Principles.
- Maintain Clear Records – Maintain comprehensive records of identity documents having been sighted and reviewed, and visa check results in case of an audit by Border Force.
- Use CheckWorkRights for a Streamlined Process – Automate compliance, prevent errors and reduce administration effort.
Ensuring the accurate collection of work entitlement documentation from the outset is essential for a seamless onboarding process, and to maintain compliance with your legal requirements. Early verification of work rights mitigates the risk of hiring complications, legal exposure, and unexpected compliance issues. It also ensures adherence to the Migration Act 1958, safeguarding your organisation from significant fines and penalties. Establishing a structured and transparent process not only strengthens compliance but also enhances efficiency for both your business and new employees.
CheckWorkRights helps you collect, verify, and securely store the documents detailed above for a complete compliance solution with minimal training for your team or incoming candidates. You’ll minimise compliance risk, reduce admin overhead, and ensure every hire meets legal work requirements. It’s compliance made easy for Australian HR leaders and recruitment teams.
Ready to make work entitlement checks effortless? Book a demo with CheckWorkRights today.
