Table Of Contents:
- What is Seeking Asylum in the UK
- Can Asylum Seekers Work in the UK
- Eligibility
- Can Asylum Seekers Work in the UK in Other Situations
- Asylum Seekers Can Volunteer
- Dependants
- How to Apply
- What If Your Application is Successful
- What if the Application for Permission to Work is Rejected
- Final Thoughts
People who flee their country and are unable to return due to fear of persecution can apply for asylum to stay in the UK as a refugee. You should apply for asylum when you arrive in the UK or as soon as you think returning to your own country would be unsafe for you. If you wait to apply for it, your asylum application is more likely to be refused.
Many people also ask if their asylum application is approved, ‘Can asylum seekers work in the UK?’ Well, the answer is that normally, asylum seekers while waiting for a decision cannot work in the UK. However, in certain circumstances, they can apply to seek permission to work in the UK.
What is Seeking Asylum in the UK?
Seeking asylum in the UK means applying to seek protection status (refuge) in the UK because you have left your country and you are unable to return there due to fear of persecution. When you apply for asylum, you will need to register your claim at a ‘screening’, which means a meeting with an immigration officer where you tell them about your case.
If you claim asylum as soon as you arrive, your screening will take place at the UK border, or else in the UK if you are already in the country. Your screening may also happen once you are in the UK if you become eligible for asylum.
During your screening:
- Your photograph will be taken
- Your fingerprints will be taken
- You will attend an interview to check who you are and where you are from
Can Asylum Seekers Work in the UK?
Those who have left their country and are seeking asylum in the UK find it difficult to survive here. They want to work to earn a livelihood. But the truth is those claiming asylum in the UK are not normally allowed to work whilst the Home Office is considering their claim. However, they are provided with accommodation and support to meet their essential living needs, preventing them from being destitute.
Eligibility
In certain circumstances, asylum seekers can be permitted to work in the UK. Immigration Rules set out the policy outlining when asylum seekers will be permitted to take up employment.
- You may apply for permission to work if an initial decision on your asylum claim is pending for more than 12 months, but this will only be considered if that delay was through no fault of your own.
- You can ask for permission to work if your asylum application was refused, but you have sent the Home Office more asylum-based pieces of evidence (further submissions to be considered as a fresh claim) that are more than 12 months old, and if the delay was through no fault of your own.
Under this policy, if the Home Office granted you permission to work and you submitted an application on or before 3 April 2024, you are restricted to jobs on the SOC (Shortage Occupation List) published by the Home Office.
If you submitted your application on or after 4 April 2024, and the Home Office granted your application, you are restricted to jobs on the ISL (Immigration Salary List). The ISL replaced the SOC (Shortage Occupation List).
Please note that, per the White Paper released by the government in May 2025, ISL will be abolished in the future, and a TSL (Temporary Shortage List) will be published.
Can Asylum Seekers Work in the UK in Other Situations?
The Home Office may have given you permission to work as part of another UK visa. If that is the case, then as long as you made your application for asylum in time while your original visa was still valid, the Home Office may allow you to continue to work.
On the other hand, if you apply for asylum after your visa expired, then with the expiry of your visa, the permission to work you had under your previous visa also ended. Therefore, you can no longer work in the UK.
Any permission to work that the Home Office granted will come to an end if the Home Office refuses your asylum claim, and any appeal rights available to you have been exhausted. However, if the Home Office grants you leave, you will have unrestricted access to the labour market.
Asylum Seekers Can Volunteer
Asylum seekers, whilst their asylum claim is being considered, are allowed and encouraged to volunteer. You don’t need permission from the Home Office for volunteering. Volunteering cannot be a substitute for paid work. This means it should not involve payment beyond reasonable expenses or have contractual obligations. You can support your local community by volunteering for a charity or public sector organization, and this will also help you integrate into the UK if you are granted leave to remain in the UK.
Dependants
Your dependants are not eligible to apply for permission to work. However, they may apply if they have also made an asylum claim in their own right.
The Home Office cannot give permission to take up employment to children under the age of 18.
However, children (seeking asylum on their own or dependent on their parents), whilst their claim is being considered, are entitled to access the UK education system until they reach 18 years of age. They may also participate in work experience placements or training if that forms part of their education.
How to Apply?
When you ask, can asylum seekers work in the UK, and you come to know that in certain circumstances you may be allowed to take up employment, the next question will be how to apply for this.
You may ask your lawyer to help with the application if you have one. But if you do not, you can apply yourself.
You need to use form PTW1 and send it to:
Permission to Work Team
Level 0
Capital Building
Old Hall Street
Liverpool
L3 9PP
Fees
Fees
You are not required to pay any fees for an application for permission to work.
Getting a Decision
The Home Office will contact you if they find your application is complex and will take longer, for example:
- If they need to verify your supporting documents.
- They require further information.
What If Your Application is Successful?
If the Home Office grants you permission to work, it will notify you through a letter. The letter will let you know the relevant details attached to your grant, including contacting the Department for Work and Pensions to apply for an NI (National Insurance) number.
You can only apply for jobs listed on the ISL (Immigration Salary List).
You need to return your ARC (Application Registration Card), which is the evidence that you have submitted an asylum claim in the UK, if the Home Office has granted you permission to work.
You need to return your ARC to the address below:
Permission to Work Team
Level 0
Capital Building
Old Hall Street
Liverpool
L3 9PP
You will be issued with a new ARC confirming your permission to work.
What if the Application for Permission to Work is Rejected?
If the Home Office rejects your application and you think that it has made a wrong decision, you can apply again by completing the PTW1 form and providing further evidence as to why the Home Office should grant you permission to work.
Final Thoughts
Can asylum seekers work in the UK? Well, technically yes. However, it is not so easy. You can apply for jobs on the Immigration Salary List. On the other hand, even if you get the permission to work from the Home Office, your employer may withdraw its job offer after knowing you are seeking asylum in the UK, especially if it’s a ‘conditional’ job offer.
Therefore, it is in your best interest to have your asylum claim approved. If possible, you should seek legal help because processing an asylum claim often takes a very long time.
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