Everyone who proves their immigration status in the UK using a physical document is required to switch to an electronic visa by the end of this year.
In May, we wrote about the Home Office’s plans to phase out Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and to replace these, and other physical documents evidencing immigration status, with electronic visas (eVisas). You can read more about that, and our recommendations for urgent steps to be taken by employers and migrants, here.
As explained in that article, the Home Office has stated that all BRPs will need to be switched to eVisas by 31 December 2024 – this is why all recently issued BRPs have an expiry date of 31 December 2024. From 1 January 2025, BRPs, and other physical documents such as visa stamps, will no longer be valid proof of your immigration status and/or Right to Work in the UK. However, for the avoidance of doubt, the Home Office recommends that you retain your BRP for record-keeping purposes, even after expiry on 31 December 2024. You should also ensure that you bring your BRP with you on all overseas travel until 1 January 2025, to avoid delays at the border.
The Home Office have now launched a page which you can use to open a UKVI account and access your eVisa. You can do this here.
We can prepare tailored communication for employers to disseminate to their staff impacted by these changes. If you would like us to prepare this communication for you, please let us know.
Please note that, if you have a visa application outstanding or if you are planning on submitting a visa application shortly, we recommend that you hold off on accessing your eVisa for the time being, to avoid any confusion over the document being used to make your visa application. You may be automatically granted an eVisa if your visa application is successful, although the Home Office have said that BRPs may continue to be granted a BRP until the Autumn. If you are granted a BRP, then you will need to switch to an eVisa as described above.
If you are an employer, you will need to repeat your Right to Work checks for all migrant workers who obtain an eVisa. We now offer a Right to Work audit service, to help you confirm that you have carried out your Right to Work checks properly and minimise your exposure to illegal working penalties of up to £60,000 per worker.
If you have any questions about our services, please get in touch at [email protected]
