Digital immigration status update

The Home Office published new guidance on 30th October 2023 relating to their ambition to phase out physical immigration status documents. In 2024, those subject to immigration control will need to register for an online account with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) in order to get an eVisa. An eVisa is an online record of a person’s immigration status and conditions of their permission to enter or stay in the UK.

The Current State of Physical Documents

Many individuals are currently issued with Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) or Biometric Residence Cards (BRCs) when granted certain visas. Those who hold a BRP/BRC require to show this at the border upon their entry to the UK, together with their passport, in order to prove their immigration status. The BRP/BRC contains biometric information for the card holder as well as what type of leave they hold, the validity of their leave, and conditions of their leave including right to work.

Digital Transition Timeline

All BRPs/BRCs are now issued with a validity date to 31st December 2024, regardless of the end date of the permission to enter or stay in the UK. This has been with the view to transitioning to a digital system to prove a person’s immigration status in the UK and make the physical immigration status documents obsolete.

The Home Office has already made the move to a digital only status for those granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme, with successful applicants able to view and prove their digital immigration status using an online account rather than physical documents.

Benefits of the Digital Move

The Home Office’s Digital, Data & Technology 2024 Strategy cites the move to a digital only status will make it easier for individuals to check their own immigration status, for quicker right to work checks, and be more cost-effective. The eVisa guidance published yesterday names benefits of moving to a digital immigration status, including not being able to lose a digital document unlike the physical cards, not requiring to wait or collect a physical document once an application is approved, and it will be easier (and faster) to prove an individual’s immigration status at the border.

The Home Office confirms in the new guidance that all BRPs, BRCs, passport endorsements, and vignette stickers in passports will be replaced with eVisas.

How to Register for eVisa

To receive an eVisa, an applicant will require to register for a UKVI account in order to view and share relevant information about their status. This includes showing right to work. 

The guidance stipulates registering for a UKVI account will be free and an individual will be able to update their personal details with the Home Office using this account, such as updating passport details.

Unanswered Questions & Next Steps

There are still many questions left unanswered as to how the Home Office will be rolling out the digital immigration status by 31st December 2024. For now, the guidance says you do not have to take any action if you currently have valid permission to stay in the UK and you prove your immigration status with a physical document. If you are planning to make a new visa application you should use the current application process to do so. More information on how to obtain a UKVI account and prove digital immigration status should be released throughout 2024.

Need Assistance?

If you require any assistance with your immigration matters then please do not hesitate to contact one of the solicitors in our immigration team.