Location Verification is not linked to License or Passport Origin

[Goran V]

Hi Davis,

Yes one of our team members will reach out to you via ticket and assist you further with verifying your location, thank you.

[Fatima B]

i live in uk but have irish passport.

please let me know how can i verify my passport

[Avery O]

Hi Fatima, 

The team will get in touch with you through an email to assist you further.

[Kathryn L]

I am an American living abroad perminently (I have residence permits and married to a UK/EU national) and my question relates to verifying location. I have been asked to upload a UK driving lisence and or passport; however, I don't hold either of those! I have US ones. I am sure this is an issue for other people who live and work in countries different to their passport nationality. 

I hope that a support speicialist can address this issue. What are we ex-pats to do? Because clearly one's location has nothing whatsoever to do with the nationality on one's identity documents.

Awaiting advice.

[Victoria M]

Heya, Kathyrn.

American traveling temporarily (later maybe permanently) and waffled around about the location deal.

The ID tells them that you're legit, even though it's a US id, but won't establish your location.  The system locates you on the map though, so your location should be viewable when you're putting in your contact info. It did for me. Your location really is the UK because of your address, like I'm really in Nicaragua. I was confused about US tax deals but figured out it made no difference since I'm not taking any exemptions.

The US ID bit might matter if you were trying to verify for UK-only jobs. I'm sure one of the moderators can let you know if there are exemptions for that part. Or if they're all super busy, and you don't find an answer here quickly enough, put in a service email. If you scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page, you'll find the help center link.

Due to my location, I can't apply to US-only jobs which is probably true for you too.  So far, it's not been a deterrent. Hope that helps a little. Good luck with it!

[Avery O]

Hi Kathryn, 

I've shared your issue with the Customer Support Team. Someone from the team will get back to you to assist you further.

[Petra R]

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@Kathryn L wrote:

I am an American living abroad perminently.  I have been asked to upload a UK driving lisence and or passport; however, I don't hold either of those! I have US ones.

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 Then you should have changed your US driving licence to a UK one got a UK licence years ago... I asume you are not driving at all, ever... you'd be doing so illegally, your insurance would be void etc if you did. You could have driven on your US licence for one year, way more than a decade ago... after that you essentially have no driving licence and are not allowed to drive.

[Nichola L]

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I really cannot understand why Upwork is making such a meal of identifying people who are located in UK and working from there, but who are not UK citizens. Many people have the right to reside and work in the UK particularly as freelancers.

I have an Irish passport, I live in France. My native language is UK English. I regard myself as British. The Irish passport, and I thank my strange genealogical tree for this possibility, was acquired because of political glitches in Africa beyond my control. That said, I had no problem (except for my own bad temper) with verification. So what is the problem (other than the Brexit disaster) with the UK and non-UK passports?

[Slightly OT Although UK freelancers have to declare their income, unlike France and some other EU countries, there is quite a generous ceiling before they have to pay tax (this is assuming they are not also claiming benefits. The ceiling is then a lot lower if one exceeds the allowed earned amount per week). However, freelancers do have to pay VAT on goods (not books) and services. The threshold for an obligatory VAT number is £85.000 per annum.] 

ETA: If Upwork is a little confused about Brexit (who isn't?), it should remember that it hasn't actually happened yet. So anyone from Poland, for example, living in England (at this moment) has the right to do so. For US citizens, I think it depends on civil status, or visa acceptance - so there should still not be a problem with passports if a US citizen is legally working in the UK. 

(Driving licences, as Petra says, is another issue altogether.)

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[Petra R]

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@Nichola L wrote:

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So anyone from Poland, for example, living in England (at this moment) has the right to do so. For US citizens, I think it depends on civil status, or visa acceptance - so there should still not be a problem with passports if a US citizen is legally working in the UK. 

(Driving licences, as Petra says, is another issue altogether.)

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 It has nothing to do with legally being allowed to live in the UK, it is about proving that one is physically there to be allowed to bid on "UK only" jobs.

I am legally allowed to work in the UK, but I do not currently live there despite having a UK Driving licence.

People who don't have a UK licence or passport don't get banned, they are just excluded from the UK-Only jobs which I find as offensive and ridiculous as the whole US only stuff.

For years Upwork was championing the "Digital Nomad" concept, just to now slam the door in the faces of those who live that lifestyle.

There are endless freelancers on Upwork and of course  the forum who live in countries other than their country of origin and bit by bit and slap in the face after slap in the face the very people Upwork once tried so hard to attract are being kicked to the curb.

[Nichola L]

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@Petra R wrote:

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@Nichola L wrote:

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So anyone from Poland, for example, living in England (at this moment) has the right to do so. For US citizens, I think it depends on civil status, or visa acceptance - so there should still not be a problem with passports if a US citizen is legally working in the UK. 

(Driving licences, as Petra says, is another issue altogether.)

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 It has nothing to do with legally being allowed to live in the UK, it is about proving that one is physically there to be allowed to bid on "UK only" jobs.

I am legally allowed to work in the UK, but I do not currently live there despite having a UK Driving licence.

People who don't have a UK licence or passport don't get banned, they are just excluded from the UK-Only jobs which I find as offensive and ridiculous as the whole US only stuff.

For years Upwork was championing the "Digital Nomad" concept, just to now slam the door in the faces of those who live that lifestyle.

There are endless freelancers on Upwork and of course  the forum who live in countries other than their country of origin and bit by bit and slap in the face after slap in the face the very people Upwork once tried so hard to attract are being kicked to the curb.

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Then Upwork has got it even more wrong than I realized and the "verification" process is seriously skewed.