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Original poster

Question about showing passport for new job

19 replies

Linnet · 02/08/2011 20:43

My dh started a new job and they asked for a copy of his passport, so he copied the last page with his photo and info on it, as he has done for previous jobs, and took it in.

His manager then said that they need a copy of every single page in the passport not just the last page. Nearly all the pages are empty and we don't understand why they want all the pages copied, is this normal now that they copy every page? He offered to bring his passport in to work so they could copy it in the office and was told that they don't have a photocopier,so he'll have to photocopy it himself. In his last job they just copied the last page.

Now he has no problem with copying every page if they want it, but he was surprised that they would need it.

Has this happened to anyone else? is it normal procedure?

OP posts:
nocake · 02/08/2011 21:06

They need to see his passport as proof of identity. A photocopy is never good enough as it's too easy to alter so the company should require him to take the original in.

dreamingbohemian · 02/08/2011 21:09

I've had loads of jobs where you have to show your passport, but never photocopies of every page. Even when I've applied for visas and residence permits, I've never had to copy every page. All that shows is where you have travelled and that's really no one's business.

Is he a UK citizen? Possibly they are trying to suss out his immigration history...

jenniec79 · 02/08/2011 21:27

It should be proof of ID not passport. You don't have to have a passport if you're not going abroad. NI number card/birth certificate/driving licence should all be acceptible (but they might want more than 1) Passport is just deemed "easier" as a shortcut for immigration and ethnicity monitoring.

I don't intend to get my passport renewed straight away when it runs out, but I'll still be working.

Original poster
Linnet · 02/08/2011 22:21

Yes he is a British citizen. Like I said he has no problem showing them his passport and giving them a copy of it, we're just a bit confused as to why the would need a copy of every single page. His manager is going to check with the lady in HR to see if the page he has photocopied is enough or do they really need all the pages. If they insist I'll be annoyed as we don't have enough paper in the printer and I'll need to go and get more as they can't copy it themselves as they don't have a photocopier Hmm I find that very strange seeing as it's an office.

They specifically asked for passport and in his last job he had to take in his passport for them to see. He can produce his national insurance card and his birth certificate but I think they want to see photo ID which for him is his passport as he doesn't have a driving licence.

It's not a problem as I said, I just wondered if anyone else had ever been asked to give in copies of their entire passport.

OP posts:
piprabbit · 02/08/2011 22:24

I think it depends what his job is exactly.
Does the company need to be 100% sure he hasn't visited any specific countries recently?

Original poster
Linnet · 02/08/2011 22:39

It's a supermarket, who he has worked for in the past. He left them about 3 years ago and went to another job but has now gone back to them, so I wondered if in the past three years it has been decided that they must photocopy every page of your passport.

We'll wait and see what the lady from HR says tomorrow.

OP posts:
Original poster
Linnet · 03/08/2011 13:56

Have heard from the HR lady today and dh has to photocopy every page of his passport as aparently this is what the government wants/needs nowadays. So I have photocopied all the blank pages in his passport and he will take them in. Very odd

OP posts:
dreamingbohemian · 03/08/2011 14:33

I think they don't know what they're talking about, to be honest. Not everyone has a passport so it can hardly be a government requirement!

saggarmakersbottomknocker · 03/08/2011 14:39

It's to satisfy the eligibility to work criteria and is a government/immigration requirement. If you don't have a passport you have to show a whole host of other documents. Employers supposed to see the original passport/documents to check if they appear fake and you do have to copy more than just the photo page. We are told front and back, photo page, inside front cover and any visa stamps.

HTH

pookamoo · 03/08/2011 14:42

Make sure it's a black and white copy - it is illegal to make a colour copy of a passport!

bunjies · 03/08/2011 14:49

Sounds like they have got the regulations wrong. It is up to THEM to make the photocopies as they need to see the orginal. And yes, highly unusual to need to copy every page. They're supposed to check the entire passport but only need to photocopy pages that have anything significant on them (unless this has changed in the last 6 months) and I work in HR!

dreamingbohemian · 03/08/2011 14:53

Saggar -- visa pages, sure, but empty pages?? No way.

saggarmakersbottomknocker · 03/08/2011 15:19

They're asking for the empty pages because they're not doing the photocopying themselves. They should be doing their own copying and then they wouldn't need to do every page - they're also not checking if the passport is fake. Crap job all round really.

Original poster
Linnet · 03/08/2011 23:46

I photocopied every page and dh took it in and gave it to them. I even copied the front and back page which didn't work out as it was too dark, but they took it anyway. When he handed it in he mentioned that it seemed odd and was told that up until a certain date the information page was acceptable but after that date they now need every page copied.

To be honest how do they know that I didn't just copy the blank pages out of my passport and the info pages from dh's. I also can't believe that they don't have a photocopier in the office.

Anyway it's done now and handed in.

OP posts:
Takeresponsibility · 04/08/2011 23:37

Pookamoo - why do you think that?

mrsbiscuits · 05/08/2011 13:24

No, they need to see evidence of birth cert, passport or visa and as far as possible satisfy themselves that new employees have a right to work in the UK. As to taking copies and keeping evidence then each company will have their own procedures - but speaking as someone who does this all the time getting you to photocopy the whole thing, including the blank pages is excessive IMO.

jenniec79 · 05/08/2011 19:10

The whole thing seems a bit excessive to me really. Surely the more copies of your passport there are floating around outwith your control (and I've been to interviews where they want these copies before I was seen, much less got the job and AGAIN once appointed - way to make me feel you're looking after the info!) the more likely identity fraud becomes.

pointythings · 07/08/2011 19:03

Where I am (NHS) It's photo/info pages plus front and back. No empty pages required, save the trees!

RandomMess · 07/08/2011 19:05

I don't even have a passport!

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