Can Asylum Seekers Work in the UK? Permission to Work Explained
Most asylum seekers can't work while their claim is decided, but after 12 months' wait through no fault of their own they can apply for permission to work in jobs on the Immigration Salary List. Here is how it works, what volunteering is allowed and what changes once you get refugee status.
By Tony Musso on
The short answer is usually not, at first. People who claim asylum in the UK are generally not allowed to work while the Home Office decides their claim. There is one main exception: if you have waited more than 12 months for a decision and the delay isn't your fault, you can apply for permission to work, although only in certain jobs. Volunteering is allowed throughout, and once you are granted refugee status you can work in any job.
This guide explains each of those rules in plain English, how permission to work is proved to employers, and what you can do now to be ready for work later. It is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules change, so check GOV.UK or speak to a regulated adviser about your own case.
Why most asylum seekers can't work
While your claim is being considered, you are not allowed to take paid work or be self-employed unless the Home Office gives you permission. If you have nowhere to live and no money, you can apply for asylum support instead, which can include accommodation and a small weekly allowance.
The Home Office records your conditions on your asylum paperwork and immigration record, including whether you are allowed to work. If your documents say employment is prohibited, an employer can't legally take you on.
The 12-month rule: applying for permission to work
You can ask the Home Office for permission to work if:
- you have waited more than 12 months for a decision on your asylum claim, or on further submissions you made after an earlier claim was refused, and
- the delay was not your fault, for example it wasn't caused by you missing interviews or not providing information the Home Office asked for.
Permission isn't given automatically. You have to apply to the Home Office in writing, and a legal adviser or refugee charity can help you do this. If permission is granted, it usually lasts until your claim is decided and any appeal rights are used up. If your claim is finally refused, permission to work ends.
Which jobs can you do with permission to work?
Permission to work for asylum seekers comes with strict conditions:
- Only jobs on the Immigration Salary List. This is the government's list of occupations, mostly skilled roles, where employers can't find enough workers. It replaced the Shortage Occupation List in 2024 and changes over time, so check the current version on GOV.UK before you apply for a job.
- Employed work only. You can't be self-employed, work as a freelancer or set up a business.
- Full-time or part-time. Within those rules, the hours are up to you and the employer.
Because the list is mostly skilled roles, it suits people who already have qualifications and experience in one of those occupations. It's worth getting your overseas qualifications checked early (see below), so you can show an employer what they're equivalent to in the UK.
How you prove permission to an employer
Every employer must check that a new worker has the right to work before they start. Most visa holders prove this online with a share code, but asylum seekers with permission to work are usually checked differently: the employer confirms your permission with the Home Office, often through its Employer Checking Service, using the details on your documents. Give the employer your documents as early as you can, because the check must be done before your first day.
Our guide to proof of right to work in the UK explains the checks employers carry out for different groups, including refugees.
Volunteering while you wait
You can volunteer while your claim is being decided, and it's one of the best things you can do to get ready for work. Volunteering builds your English, your confidence and your UK experience, and it gives you a local reference.
The rules are about making sure volunteering is genuine:
- it should be for a charity, voluntary organisation or public sector body, such as a food bank, charity shop, community garden, sports club or refugee support group
- you mustn't be paid, although you can usually be given reasonable expenses such as travel or lunch
- it mustn't replace a paid job or amount to unpaid work, such as an unpaid internship or helping out in a business for free
If you're not sure whether a role counts as volunteering, ask the organisation or your adviser before you start.
Studying and improving your English
Asylum seekers can study, and many colleges run English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, sometimes free or at low cost, so ask your local college what you're eligible for. Children of school age have the right to a school place whatever their parents' status.
If you have qualifications from another country, UK ENIC, the national agency for recognising international qualifications, can tell you what they are comparable to in the UK. Employers understand a UK comparison much more easily than an unfamiliar certificate.
Once you are granted refugee status
If you're granted refugee status or humanitarian protection, the restrictions end. You can:
- work in any job, at any level
- be self-employed or start a business
- apply for benefits and help to find work, such as through Jobcentre Plus
You prove your right to work with a share code from your eVisa, in the same way as other people with immigration status. Our guide to jobs in the UK for foreigners covers how the UK job market works, which sectors are hiring and how visa sponsorship works for people on other routes.
Working without permission
Working without permission is illegal. It can also leave you open to exploitation: people working illegally are often paid far below the minimum wage, made to work very long hours and threatened with being reported if they complain. Be very wary of anyone offering cash-in-hand work, especially if they keep your documents or ask you to pay for the job.
If you think you or someone you know is being exploited, contact the Modern Slavery and Exploitation Helpline or the police. Being a victim of exploitation is not your fault, and there is support available.
Different rules for other routes
The asylum rules don't apply to everyone who came to the UK for safety. People who arrived through the Ukraine schemes or on a British National (Overseas) visa from Hong Kong, for example, can work from arrival. If you're unsure which rules apply to you, check the conditions on your own immigration record.
Getting help
- Migrant Help runs the Home Office-funded advice line for asylum seekers, including questions about asylum support.
- The Refugee Council and local refugee charities can help with permission to work, volunteering and English classes.
- Citizens Advice can help with work, money and housing questions.
- For legal advice on your claim, use a solicitor or an immigration adviser registered with the Immigration Advice Authority (formerly OISC). Only regulated advisers can give immigration advice.
Getting ready for work
You don't have to wait for a decision to prepare. Write a CV that explains your skills and experience clearly, including volunteering. Our volunteer CV example shows how to make unpaid experience count, and the jobs in demand in the UK hub shows where employers are hiring now.
Ready to start your CV? CV Studio walks you through a UK-style CV step by step, which helps if you've never written one for a UK employer.