Comment Re:Foolish (Score 4, Informative) 45
>we don't have any other means of recognising who is allowed to work and who is not.
Yes we do. It's called a share code. Get a visa and you no longer get a big sticker in your passport. You get status on a government computer. When someone asks you to prove that you are legit to work, you log in, get a share code and give to the person asking. They can log in, enter the share code and it will confirm or deny that you are legit to work based on you visa.
I'm British. My wife is American. That is how I know.