The Home Office UKVI change from BRP cards to evisa is causing confusion to UK visa holders. At Thaxted Legal we help our clients to navigate the changes.
It is important to have the UKVI online account and evisa and check that all details recorded on your UKVI account and evisa are fully correct.
Most physical documentation proving the right to remain in the UK, such as biometric residence permits BRPs, will no longer be valid as proof of residency from 31 December 2024. This is evident when you look at your BRP card which is likely to have 31/12/2024 expiry date.
Problems with digital evisa system
According to various sources and based on our own experience, some migrant workers who have the right to live and work in the UK cannot access their eVisas and provide proof their legal immigration status in the UK. This has dire consequences as such individuals are unable to prove their right to work or to rent in the UK.
Many who have applied for eVisas while waiting for their visas to be renewed have hit a wall when they make the application online. Although one screen states that a person has their eVisa, an error message appears when trying to open it. It said: "We cannot show you proof of your status. This might be because your status is not ready to view in this service yet." This is not in line with the UK immigration law, which states that foreign nationals on "leave to remain" have to renew their status every few years, and providing they submit their renewal application before the expiry of most recent immigration permission they wait for a decision, they are put on "3C leave" which allows them to reside, work and rent in the UK.
UK to postpone the switch to evisa digital system
Guardian article published on 3rd December 2024 informs its readers that the UK government is to postpone a full shift to eVisas next month. According to the Guardian, this is due to concerns that UK residents could be stranded abroad because of glitches in the system. According to various sources hundreds of UK residents have struggled to access the system from abroad and so cannot return to their homes, Home Office insiders said.
A UK government source said that ministers will postpone the full rollout on 1 January and have examined the possibility of changing the rules so that physical documentation could be allowed in certain circumstances.
Seema Malhotra, the minister for migration and citizenship, is looking to postpone the full rollout after officials pointed out a series of problems. Officials are also concerned that the rollout would take place on 1 January – a bank holiday across the world when any problems within the system would be difficult to address.
Recommendations to migrants
Foreign nationals who have not yet have the UKVI account and evisa should complete the relevant steps as soon as it is possible.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
