eVisa System in UK: Check Your Immigration Status Online

The Home Office UK has recently announced an update on the visa system. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) have developed and are implementing a digital immigration system. Instead of physical documents, your immigration status will be stored online. This is called an eVisa system in UK.

The Government is urging all those across the UK who use a physical immigration document to take immediate action to transition to an eVisa system in UK, as part of plans to digitise the border and immigration system. All visa holders who live in the UK and use a physical immigration document, such as a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), to prove their rights are urged to take action now at Get access to your evisa: Gov.UK. 

What is an eVisa System in UK?

An eVisa is an online record that shows your immigration status and the rules for staying in the UK. To access your eVisa, you need to create a UKVI account.

Switching from a physical document to an eVisa doesn’t change your immigration status or your permission to stay in the UK.

In the future, you’ll be able to travel to the UK using only your eVisa, and you won’t need to carry a physical document, except for your passport, which must be linked to your UKVI account. Until the end of 2024, you still need to carry any physical documents you have when travelling.

What are the Benefits of an eVisa System in UK?

On 31st December 2024, BRP cards will no longer be used and will be replaced by digital eVisas. After that date, you will need to prove your identity online instead of using a physical card. Let’s explore some other benefits of an eVisa in UK.

• Digital eVisas are secure and can’t be lost, stolen, or tampered with, unlike physical documents. After your application is decided, you won’t have to wait for or collect a physical document. 
• You might still need to give biometric information in person if required, and UKVI will let you know if this is needed.

• It will be faster and easier to show your status at the UK border and share it with employers and landlords.

Why Do You Need a UKVI Account to Change Your Status to the eVisa System in UK?

UKVI is switching from physical documents to an online record for your immigration status. To use your eVisa and share details about your immigration rights, like your ability to work or rent in the UK, you need to create a UKVI account. You don’t need to pay anything to create this account.

Which Immigration Status Documents Are Being Replaced by an eVisa System in UK? 

UKVI is replacing these physical documents with an eVisa System in UK:

• Biometric Residence Permits (BRP)
• Biometric Residence Cards (BRC)
• Passport endorsements, like an indefinite leave to enter stamp
• Vignette stickers in passports, such as entry clearance or visa stickers

Does This New Digital System Affect Your Immigration Status?

Many people might worry about their current immigration status and how the new digital system will affect it. The guidance confirms that changing from a physical document to an eVisa will not change your immigration status or the rules for staying in the UK.

What Should You Need to Create a UKVI Account?

To access your eVisa and prove your immigration status, you need to create a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account. This account will be connected to a physical document like your passport or ID card. To create a UKVI account, you’ll need:

• Your date of birth
• Your BRP number
• Your passport (if you don’t have a BRP)
• An email address and phone number
• A smartphone

Creating a UKVI account is free and does not change your immigration status or the conditions of your stay in the UK.

How Do You Get an eVisa and a UKVI Account?

There are four ways of getting an eVisa and a UKVI account. Such as-

If You Have a BRP

If your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) expires on 31 December 2024, you can now create a UKVI account to access your eVisa in UK. Make sure you do this before your BRP expires. Until it expires, keep carrying your BRP when you travel abroad.

Hold onto your expired BRP as it might be useful for future UK visa applications or your records. If your BRP has been lost or stolen, you can use your passport and visa application reference number to create a UKVI account. Only request a new BRP if it’s lost or stolen and you don’t have another ID to set up your UKVI account. Once your UKVI account is created and you have permission to stay in the UK, you can sign in to the “view and prove” service to access your eVisa in UK.

If You Don’t Have a BRP

If you have indefinite leave to enter or remain (also called settlement or settled status) and you currently use a physical document, like a stamp in your passport or a vignette sticker, you should apply for a free “no time limit” (NTL) application. This will replace your document with a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). After getting a BRP, you can create a UKVI account to access your UK eVisa.

You might be able to apply late for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme if you:

• Are an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen, or a family member of one
• Lived in the UK before 31 December 2020
• Had indefinite leave to enter or remain through another route before 31 December 2020

If your application is approved, you’ll automatically get a UKVI account and access to an eVisa system in UK.

If You Have a Biometric Residence Card (BRC)

If you have a Biometric Residence Card (BRC) and have been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you already have an eVisa and don’t need to do anything to get one. Your grant letter or email will explain how to access and use your eVisa. Keep carrying your BRC when you travel abroad.

If you have a BRC but haven’t received status under the EU Settlement Scheme, gotten another type of immigration permission, or become a British citizen, your BRC is no longer valid, even if it still shows as in date. This is because the UK has left the EU, and EU free movement rules no longer apply.

To keep living in the UK, you need to get a valid online immigration status as soon as possible. You may be able to apply late to the EU Settlement Scheme as a family member of an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen. Don’t travel abroad until you have proof of your immigration status online.

If You Are a British/Irish Citizen with a Passport, or You Have the Right of Abode

If you are a British or Irish citizen with a British or Irish passport, you don’t need an eVisa or a UKVI account. You can continue to use your passport to prove your status in the UK.

If you are a British citizen but also a citizen of another country (not Ireland), or if you have the right to live in the UK but don’t have a British passport, you may need to take action later. We will update this page with what you need to do. If you have the right to live in the UK and still have a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), check what to do with your BRP after you become a British citizen.

Final Words

The Home Office UK has taken a new decision on implementing a digital immigration system. On 31st December 2024, BRP cards will no longer be used and will be replaced by digital eVisas. In the future, you’ll be able to travel to the UK using only your eVisa, without carrying a physical document, except for your passport, which must be linked to your UKVI account. So, if you are already in the UK you are requested to create a UKVI account to transform your status to the eVisa system in UK. 

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