Don't know / no documents
Not sure about your status?
Work Rights Centre can help you figure it out.
Work Rights Centre — safe first call, Russian-speaking
0300 4000 100 📞 ПОЗВОНИТЬ Mon–Fri · Free · Russian-speaking advisers · They don't share with Home Office
Что сказать по телефону
EN
I need help. I worked in the UK and my employer hasn't paid me. I'm not sure what my immigration status is.
RU
I need help. I worked in the UK and my employer hasn't paid me. I'm not sure what my immigration status is.
Соберите перед звонком
- Any documents you have — passport, BRP, ARC card, visa letter
- Photo of the workplace or where you worked
- Messages from your employer (WhatsApp, SMS)
- Employer name, workplace address
- How many days and hours you worked, how much they owe
- They speak Russian — explain the situation as best you can
- They won't share your details with the Home Office without your consent
- Free — they will help you work out what to do next
Если угрожают или удерживают
Если босс угрожает вам, держит ваш паспорт, не выпускает вас или ограничивает свободу — это экстренная ситуация.
Modern Slavery Helpline08000 121 700
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More details — expand if you need
How to understand your status from documents
Look at what you have:
- ARC card (grey-blue with photo) → you are an asylum seeker
- BRP card (blue/burgundy plastic) → visa or Refugee Leave
- Visa letter + passport → check the visa type (Student, Skilled Worker, Visitor, Family)
- Letter saying "Permission to Work" → asylum with right to work
- Nothing at all → call Work Rights Centre — they will help you figure it out
If you have no documents at all
If you don't have any documents, that doesn't mean you can't get help. There are two options:
- Work Rights Centre — 0300 4000 100 (safe all-round option, Russian-speaking)
- Migrant Help — 0808 801 0503 (help with status and documents)
Don't go anywhere with a wage complaint without understanding your status first.
Basic rights to pay in the UK
The UK has a minimum wage: £12.71/hour (21+), £10.85/hour (18–20). Your employer must pay you for every hour you work — that's the law, regardless of any contract.
For some immigration statuses the path to getting your money is more complicated — that's why Work Rights Centre should be your first step.
Other organisations that can help
- Work Rights Centre — 0300 4000 100 · workrightscentre.org
- Migrant Help — 0808 801 0503 · migranthelpuk.org
- ACAS — 0300 123 1100 (if you have Refugee Leave or a full visa)
- Modern Slavery Helpline — 08000 121 700 (if you are being threatened)
- Lawyers — our directory →