UK Digital ID Cancelled: What Happens to Right-to-Work Checks, One Login and eVisas?

The UK has cancelled its proposed national Digital ID programme. It has not cancelled GOV.UK One Login, GOV.UK Wallet, eVisas or employers’ responsibility to check a worker’s right to work. As of 28 October 2026, an employer does not have to make every right-to-work check digital. But an eVisa holder generally still proves their right to work through the Home Office online checking service, and new rules apply when employers choose certified digital verification services. These are separate systems with different purposes.

This guide is for UK employees, job applicants, HR teams, small-business employers and people who have heard conflicting claims about “digital ID being cancelled”. It distinguishes the policy that ended from the services and legal duties that remain, then gives practical check routes, links to live government services, and steps to take if your eVisa or share code does not work. Policy status is checked against the government’s written answer of 8 September 2026, its formal response to Parliament published 18 September, and the updated October right-to-work guidance (ministerial answer; government response; October checklist).

At a glance: cancelled, continuing or changing?

Important distinction: “a digital check is not mandatory for every worker” does not mean “an eVisa holder can simply show a screenshot or an expired residence permit”. The Home Office prescribes different evidence routes for different people. The decision table later in this article helps you choose the right route.

What did the government cancel, and when?

The government announced a proposed national digital identification scheme in September 2025. The original ambition included a mandatory national credential for right-to-work checks. During January 2026, it stepped back from making that credential compulsory, while proposals about digital checks continued to evolve. In July 2026, the national programme itself was cancelled. The House of Commons Library research briefing traces the sequence and its political and technical context.

On 8 September 2026, a written parliamentary answer said the national Digital ID programme had been cancelled while One Login, Wallet and the existing digital verification market would continue. The government’s response published 18 September 2026 reinforced this and explicitly said the programme’s proposed mandatory digital right-to-work arrangement would not proceed. The specific government programme is over; digital identity as a technology and a set of existing government services is not.

Why do some older pages still say digital ID “will” be introduced? Government announcements and consultation pages may remain online as historical records, and some pre-cancellation guidance still reflects the original proposal. For current operational advice, prefer the latest official answer, current employer guidance and the live GOV.UK service pages over an archived scheme explainer.

Digital ID vs One Login vs Wallet vs eVisa: four different things

1. The cancelled national Digital ID

This was a proposed government-backed national identity credential. Its cancellation does not require anyone to close an existing UKVI account, erase a One Login account or stop following an employer’s existing legal checks. The phrase “digital ID” is also used informally for many private and government identity tools, which is part of the confusion.

2. GOV.UK One Login: a sign-in system, not an immigration status

GOV.UK One Login gives users one account for a growing selection of government services. It can involve identity verification, but having a One Login does not itself prove that you have permission to work in the UK. GOV.UK states that One Login does not yet work with all services; Universal Credit is one example of a service not covered. Existing users should follow the sign-in route shown by the particular service rather than create duplicate accounts.

If a GOV.UK service asks you to use One Login, the usual route is to open that service’s official GOV.UK page, select sign in or create account, and use the credentials and verification options requested. For help, use the support information linked from the official One Login page. Never buy a “digital ID” or pay an unofficial site to obtain a One Login.

3. GOV.UK Wallet: a separate product, still being developed

The live GOV.UK Wallet page says the general-purpose wallet is not ready for public download or use yet. It is intended to store government-issued digital documents on a phone, and use will be optional. A digital HM Armed Forces Veteran Card can already be added through the One Login app for eligible users, but this limited capability should not be confused with a nationwide public Wallet launch. Future digital driving-licence support is planned; confirm availability on the official page before relying on it.

4. UKVI eVisa: your immigration status, not the cancelled scheme

An eVisa is the Home Office’s online record of a person’s immigration permission and relevant conditions. Access normally sits in a UKVI account and is used through the eVisa view-and-share service. It is a separate system from GOV.UK One Login. Its right-to-work process remains in use. If a person has a UKVI eVisa, the employer’s prescribed route generally uses the official online right-to-work checking service rather than a photograph of the eVisa screen.

Real official visual references for the steps

These are genuine images or guidance pages published by the UK government—not screenshots invented for this article. They are provided as direct, clickable source references because the relevant account-specific screens cannot be accessed without a real user login, and the appearance of government services may change.

• Official GOV.UK One Login creation/sign-in screen (government-hosted image) — useful for recognising the sign-in entry point.
• Official GOV.UK guide containing the One Login screen image — check the image in context.
• Official GOV.UK Wallet preview in a government announcement — promotional preview, not a live public user screen.
• GOV.UK: Get a right-to-work share code — current public service entry; the private screens appear after sign-in.
• GOV.UK: Employer share-code checking entry — public page showing the employer route before entering a person’s details.
• Home Office employers’ checklist with the actual official flow — includes details on receiving, checking and retaining evidence.

Image accuracy: A government preview is not proof that a feature has launched, and an old screenshot is not proof that the current live page looks identical. Use the linked live page to start the task. Do not type your password, passport number or share code into any third-party demonstration screenshot.

Which right-to-work checking method applies to you?

The following table is a practical routing guide based on GOV.UK’s overview for employers, share-code eligibility guidance and October checklist. It does not replace the precise document lists or special-case rules in the Home Office guidance. Always check the actual evidence you hold and whether it is acceptable for your circumstances.

How an eVisa holder proves the right to work: employee steps

1. Open the official service. Start at Prove your right to work – get a share code online or the View your eVisa service. Check the address begins with gov.uk before signing in.
2. Sign in with the correct UKVI account details. Have the passport or other accepted identity-document details and access to the email/phone used for security verification. Do not create a different One Login account expecting it to replace UKVI access.
3. Choose the right reason for sharing. Select the option to prove your right to work (not right to rent or a general status check). Share codes are purpose-specific.
4. Generate the code. GOV.UK guidance describes a nine-character right-to-work share code; for this purpose the code starts with the letter W. It is normally valid for 90 calendar days.
5. Give the employer your code and date of birth securely. Your employer then visits the separate Home Office employer service and checks the actual result against you and the proposed job.
6. Keep your UKVI account details accurate. If your passport, name or sign-in details have changed, follow the official UKVI update process before an important check. See our guide to updating passport details on UKVI.

If you already have a valid share code, you may not need another one merely because somebody saw news of the national ID cancellation. However, the code must be appropriate for the intended purpose. A right-to-rent “R” code or other-status “S” code will not substitute for the required right-to-work check.

How an employer conducts the online check and retains evidence

1. Open Check a job applicant’s right to work: use their share code. Use the Home Office employer service, not a general “check immigration status” page.
2. Enter the applicant’s right-to-work share code and date of birth. Check that the code is issued for the correct purpose.
3. Confirm the identity match. Verify the online photograph corresponds to the person presenting for work and check whether any occupation or working-hours restrictions apply.
4. Record the result in the prescribed way. Keep the evidence and date of the check in line with the current Home Office guidance, and carry out a follow-up check if the result requires one.
5. Use the Employer Checking Service when eligible. For an outstanding application or technical failure, use the official Employer Checking Service rather than guessing or accepting an unverified screenshot.

The Home Office’s October 2026 right-to-work checklist explains what employers must check and retain. Merely looking at an employee’s own eVisa display, or receiving an email with a share code without completing the online employer check, is not the same as a compliant prescribed check. The right record-keeping step is particularly important for a business seeking a statutory excuse against a civil penalty.

What changed for digital verification services on 1 October 2026?

A key distinction from the cancelled national ID proposal is the separate framework for digital verification services (DVS). From 1 October 2026, where an employer chooses the relevant DVS route for prescribed digital right-to-work checks, the provider must be certified against the applicable trust framework and supplementary code and appear on the statutory register in the required capacity. This is not a general requirement that every job applicant must get a new national digital ID. See the 8 September written answer and official statutory DVS register.

The employer should check the service, not simply the provider’s logo. A supplier may be registered for some identity services without its particular right-to-work offering meeting the supplementary requirements needed for the check being carried out. The Home Office also retains a separate online immigration-status route for eVisa holders.

A practical DVS due-diligence checklist for HR

• Locate the provider and relevant service in the statutory DVS register.
• Confirm the provider’s current certificate covers the type of prescribed check you plan to rely on, including the supplementary right-to-work code where required.
• Check the exact nationality and document types the proposed DVS workflow can lawfully handle.
• Confirm how identity-photo comparison, evidence delivery and retention are handled and who is responsible for each task.
• Provide a lawful alternative route when the worker cannot or does not wish to use a DVS, where government rules permit that alternative.

What if an employer says “digital ID is compulsory for all new hires”?

Ask which specific right-to-work method is being required, not merely whether the onboarding app uses identity technology. A business can use digital onboarding systems, but the government did not proceed with making the cancelled national credential mandatory for everyone. The October 2026 code of practice on avoiding discrimination explains that an employer should not unfairly prefer eVisa holders or reject applicants who are entitled to use an acceptable alternative method. For eVisa holders, the prescribed Home Office online route can still be required.

A practical way to challenge confusion is to ask HR: “Are you requesting a Home Office eVisa share code, a DVS identity check, or the cancelled national Digital ID?” This question often exposes the mix-up. If the employer relies on a specific law or internal process, ask for the relevant GOV.UK guidance and which check type it covers. Seek independent immigration or employment advice if your particular circumstances are disputed.

Troubleshooting: a failed share code or inaccessible eVisa

Digital ID cancellation does not automatically repair UKVI account access, alter visa conditions or extend permission to work. Diagnose the technical symptom separately from the policy news.

If you can view your eVisa but a code cannot be generated or your status is wrong, use Report an error with your eVisa. GOV.UK says most issues are aimed to be fixed within five working days, while complex issues may take up to 15 working days. Those are service aims, not guaranteed deadlines. If you cannot sign in at all, use the UKVI account recovery route instead. Our related guides address UKVI account login problems, share codes that do not work and incorrect eVisa details.

Four real-world examples: which service should you use?

Example A: a British applicant joins a small business

The employer asks for a national Digital ID because it read an outdated article. The applicant has an eligible British passport. The business should consult the Home Office checklist and conduct a prescribed manual check or a lawful digital verification check where eligible; the cancelled national credential is not a prerequisite. British and Irish citizens do not normally obtain a UKVI right-to-work share code.

Example B: a Skilled Worker visa holder starts a new job

The individual has digital immigration status in a UKVI account. The employer must complete the Home Office online right-to-work check with a purpose-correct share code and date of birth, including any work restrictions. A One Login confirmation or photo of the person’s online status is not a substitute. If the new employment also involves sponsorship rules, the employer must follow those separate obligations.

Example C: a person cannot generate a code before an interview

An applicant’s UKVI account displays the wrong details. They should follow the official eVisa error-reporting or account-recovery route as appropriate. The employer should consider the Home Office Employer Checking Service where the rules allow it, instead of treating a technical failure as automatic evidence of ineligibility. Our troubleshooting matrix above can help identify the correct channel.

Example D: a company uses a digital identity vendor for British passports

The company wants a quicker onboarding workflow. That may be permissible, but from 1 October 2026 the right-to-work DVS service must satisfy the relevant certification and statutory registration requirements. Simply advertising “AI identity verification” or pointing to a generic supplier membership is not enough. Confirm both the allowed document route and the specific registered service.

Privacy, scams and the limits of a digital identity

The cancellation of the national programme does not prevent private identity fraud. Job applicants should use the official One Login page or the official UKVI eVisa service rather than a sponsored link, messaging-app number or identity “activation” service. Do not share One Login passwords, verification codes, full passport images or unrestricted account access with an employer. A legitimate right-to-work process normally needs the appropriate evidence or share code, not your account password.

For employers, use only the data necessary for the prescribed check, restrict access to retained evidence, and follow your organisation’s information security and retention rules. For a person with an eVisa, a share code gives time-limited access for the selected purpose; that is different from handing over their UKVI account credentials. For further reading on the related but separate rental process, see our UK right-to-rent checks guide.

Short answers to questions readers are asking

Is there still a compulsory UK national digital ID?

No. The planned national Digital ID programme has been cancelled. That does not cancel existing immigration-status checks or every use of digital identity technology.

Can a UK employer still ask for a digital check?

Yes, where the relevant method is lawful. Employers must still carry out prescribed right-to-work checks; not all checks must be digital. People with an eVisa normally use the Home Office online route, while other workers may have different permitted evidence routes.

Does cancelling national Digital ID cancel GOV.UK One Login?

No. One Login continues for supported government services. It is a sign-in system and should not be mistaken for a UKVI eVisa or the cancelled national scheme.

Has the GOV.UK Wallet app launched for everyone?

As of this article’s review on 28 October 2026, the live GOV.UK Wallet page says the general wallet cannot yet be downloaded or used by the public. Its rollout must be checked separately from the cancellation of the national scheme.

Do I need a new eVisa or a new share code because of the cancellation?

The policy cancellation alone does not require a replacement eVisa. Use your existing UKVI account and obtain a new right-to-work share code only when the purpose, validity or circumstances make it necessary.

Primary sources and publication method

• Government response to the Home Affairs Committee, published 18 September 2026 — confirms cancellation and explains what continues.
• Ministerial written answer, 8 September 2026 — specifically addresses One Login, Wallet, eVisas and right-to-work checking.
• Home Office right-to-work checklist, updated 1 October 2026 — authoritative operational check routes.
• Code of practice: avoiding unlawful discrimination, October 2026 — employer obligations and equal treatment.
• GOV.UK One Login service page; GOV.UK Wallet service page — current product availability.
• Get a right-to-work share code; check an applicant’s share code; Employer Checking Service — official action links.
• Statutory digital verification services register — verify providers and certified services.
• Report an error with your eVisa — official UKVI troubleshooting service.

Editorial note (reviewed 28 October 2026): This article separates the abandoned policy from live government services and uses primary parliamentary and GOV.UK material for factual claims. It is general information, not an individual immigration or employment-law determination. Government services and requirements may change; use the linked official pages before acting.