Although I am a British citizen and lived and worked, etc. in the UK they can't find any record of my NIN. So when I move back I will have to apply for a NIN. I am unsure if this will pose any problems seeking employment and also what my status would be.

Will potential employers be put off by my lack of UK employment history? As I didn't leave the UK until I was 27 I think it would seem odd to never have worked, claimed benefits, etc. I think they may think I am being dishonest.

I am also unsure as a "first time" working adult in the UK will I be treated differently. I am not an immigrant but how do I explain my situation. Are there issues I need to be aware of that affect people entering the workforce for the first time.

According to your other posts you left the UK in 1987. I would expect that after nearly 30 years away your work record in the UK would be irrelevant to any current potential employer - unless the work you did then you now continue to do (maybe you have been a teacher all your life)

You have lived and worked in the US for 20+ years. I would think that your current experience would be more relevant - and your CV should reflect this.

As long as you can prove your British citizenship - passport - then you not having a NIN because of faulty records should be able to be cleared up once you are back in the country.

Well yes I agree my current work experience is more relevant, but that is not the question I am asking. I want to know if employers would be put off by my lack of employment history and no real way to explain it.

..... but you DO have an employment history and you can explain it.

You are able to tell them who you worked for, what you did, where you lived and the years you worked in the UK. You might even have some evidence of this - old pay slips, letters etc.

You can also tell them that your NIN number has been misplaced by the National Insurance Office. This is not uncommon for people who have moved around - and you seem to have done so.

My point being that they are going to be much more interested in what you are currently doing and whether it is relevant to their job openings.

"A lack of work history" usually is taken to mean periods of non-work. It doesn't sound like that applies to you - and your explanation in the previous post seemed pretty real to me. I think you are worrying unnecessarily.

Your NI is just a number to an employer showing you have the right to work in the UK, it doesn't show the employer any records of anything if that is what you are thinking.

It doesn't show you have the right to work of itself and you can work without having one. You would need to prove you are eligible to work in the UK by showing your employer your passport which I think they legally have to check before they can employ you. You will need an NI number though so your NI contributions go to your account correctly and it is easier to claim Jobseekers or state pension etc

Something else I have to add to my list. A few weeks ago I rang the NIN office (number obtained form somewhere on this site) http://tiny.cc/rmc6z
and explained my predicament. I was abruptly told to write a letter. I suppose it's just like dealing with the social security office

Complicates matters more as I was planning on applying for jobs here (and hopefully obtaining one) before I left

I've seen job applications here and they dont necessarily require proof of eligibility to work (ncluding NI #) in order to apply. The aplication forms I have seen just have a section asking if you need permission to work in the UK. I wouldn't let your lack of a NI # stop you from applying.

Makes sense. I guess I should just go about getting it sorted out now, before I start applying sometime in the summer. Upon graduation from Uni my degree has to be assessed because it is a protected title in the UK so I will be twiddling my thumbs until the HPC gets its assessment done. I was told it could take "up to 16 weeks"

Any idea how long it takes to get the number or get it all sorted out? I could do it via mail, but if the process is shorter in person, I'd rather do it when I visit next year.

Correct. A NINO may have been issued in respect of a temporary period in the UK for which a work permit was issued solely for that period. That you still have the NINO doesn't necessarily mean you can work next time in the UK for example.

However. There are many employers, or rather, employees with personnel type responsibilities who believe a NINO means one can work while believing the lack of one means one can't. They are wrong, but it's a reality that the job applicant has to deal with.

The guidance from the Home Office makes this very clear. A British citizen passport, for example, is sufficient to work and does not require a National Insurance number.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/si...llegalworking/

and in particular:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/si...df?view=Binary

It also makes clear that a National Insurance number on its own is NOT sufficient.

Show this document to any employer who needs to see it. If they refuse to take it into account they are probably acting illegally.

Yep.

But one needs to know that and act with confidence. Faced with someone in a personnel department, the average job applicant has every reason to believe the person that deals with this knows what they are talking about.

Part of my old job was interviewing those applying for NINOs and the various processes associated with the application. The number of people believing personnel staff telling them it's illegal to employ them without a NINO (and other falsehoods) was incredible. And they'd believe that over the word of people in my position.

It got so bad that we produced a letter containing the truth for people to present when the occasion arose.

I recently moved back to the UK after living in the States for over 30 yrs. All my working experience is from the US and I share some of these worries as I apply for jobs now.

I did phone the NIN office as soon as I arrived and they scheduled me for an office visit at a nearby office within a week. I just had to bring my passports and they did an interview on me to confirm my identity and then about a week or so later I had my NIN in the mail. It is not a card anymore, rather a letter that you need to hang onto as proof as you will not receive anything else. Very easy process I though and was very thankful.

Now to find a job... Good luck on your search too, or maybe you have already found work...

All my working experience is from the US as well. I suppose I could schedule an interview to coincide with my visit later this year. I'd much rather do that than snail mail. Thanks for the info