§ Remote work

Right to work

also called work authorisation

The legal permission to take paid employment in a country, which is separate from permission to simply be there.

Right, in plain English

The legal permission to hold a paid job in a country, and it is a separate thing from permission to just be in the country. A visa or permit that lets you live somewhere does not always let you earn there. Right to reside covers staying; right to work covers working, and you can have one without the other.

Someone moves abroad on a partner's visa that lets them live in the country, then lines up a local job. The employer runs a right-to-work check and finds the visa does not include permission to work, so the offer stalls until they sort out the correct status.

Why it matters

A visa or residence permit that lets you live somewhere does not automatically let you work, and employers must check your right to work before hiring you. People assume that being allowed to stay means being allowed to earn, and discover the two are governed separately.

Commonly confused with

Right to reside

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