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Non-UK citizens to get ID cards.

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The British government will begin issuing compulsory identity cards to foreign nationals who apply for leave to remain in the UK from November 25. The cards mark the first stage of the national identity scheme (NIS) and will be extended to all foreigners in the UK over three years. The first people affected will be non-EEA nationals who request further leave to remain in the UK as students or on the grounds of a marriage or civil partnership.

The Home Office says that the scheme allows people to prove who they are in a secure and convenient way, offering protection from illegal immigration and employment, identity fraud and terrorism. Applicants' fingerprints and facial images will be recorded at six centres around the country. The technology has been tested in a pilot phase involving about 10,000 people, according to the UK Border Agency (UKBA). An employer will need to check job applicants' cards and information about their entitlement to work or study. The Home Office is urging organisations to familiarise themselves with the cards' key features. The UKBA will offer a verification hotline for firms that are concerned about the validity of a card. Any firm that sponsors foreign workers must keep records, including their contact details and, when they are issued, copies of their identity cards so that it can supply these to the agency on request.

In September the Home Office issued guidance to employers on checking cards. Businesses should be aware that...

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