United Kingdom EU Worker Registration Scheme
The Accession State Worker Registration Scheme was a temporary measure used in the period from 1 May 2004 to 30 April 2011 by the UK Home Office to restrict and monitor incoming workers from eight of the ten nations that joined the European Union during the 2004 enlargement. These nations are collectively known as the "A8 countries".
The scheme was established under the Accession Regulations 2004. It attempted to help the UK government track the impact of A8 workers on the UK labour market and restrict access to certain state benefits until a worker had completed 12 months of continuous employment.
The scheme is no longer in operation. The last day on which a new worker in the UK was required to register was 30 April 2011. However, historical compliance with the scheme remains a critical legal requirement for A8 nationals seeking to prove their lawful residence in the UK for the purpose of naturalisation or permanent residence applications.
A8 countries
The A8 countries were eight of the ten countries that joined the European Union in 2004. Nationals from these countries were subject to the WRS:Note: Cyprus and Malta also joined the EU in 2004 but their nationals were fully exempt from the WRS. In 2007, Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU; they were not subject to the WRS but faced different restrictions which required work permits until 2014, when the seven-year transitional limit allowed by their Treaty of Accession was reached.
Operation and requirements
Between 2004 and 2011, the scheme operated to monitor where citizens of the A8 countries were entering the labour market, the type of work being performed, and the impact on the UK economy.Registration process
Nationals of the A8 countries were required to register with the Home Office within one month of starting a new job in the UK. The process involved:- Completing a WRS application form.
- Paying a registration fee.
- Providing a passport or ID card and a letter from the employer confirming employment.
The 12-month rule
A key component of the scheme was the 12-month qualifying period. Once an A8 national had been working legally in the UK for 12 months without a break in employment of more than 30 days, they were no longer required to register on the WRS. At this point, they acquired full free movement rights and could apply for a residence permit confirming their status, as well as access full social security benefits.Incentives and penalties
While the scheme was mandatory, enforcement was often described as "light-touch." It was a criminal offence for an employer to employ an A8 national who had not applied to register within one month of starting work, but prosecutions were rare.However, there were significant administrative consequences for the workers themselves:
- Benefits: By registering, immigrants were able to claim some in-work benefits, such as Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, and Tax Credits. Unregistered workers were generally ineligible for these.
- Permanent Residence: Failure to register had severe long-term consequences for those seeking British citizenship. Periods of work undertaken while unregistered are often considered "unlawful" by the Home Office. Consequently, they do not count towards the five-year qualifying period for Permanent Residence or Settled Status. Applicants often find they must restart their five-year count from the date the scheme was abolished or from when they achieved 12 months of registered work.
Exemptions
Certain categories of A8 workers were exempt from the requirement to register. These included:- Those who were self-employed.
- Those who were students.
- Those who were working legally in the UK on 30 April 2004 and continued in that employment.
- Those who had been in continuous employment for at least 12 months falling partly or wholly after 30 April 2004.
- Those providing services in the UK on behalf of an employer not established in the UK.
- Dual nationals who also held citizenship of the UK, Switzerland, or another EEA state that was not an A8 country.