The Home Office has started to contact BRP holders in the UK, advising they will need to take action soon to ensure a smooth transition to the UK’s new eVisa system.
eVisas act as digital proof of an individual’s UK immigration status and their rights to work, rent properties and access banking services in the UK.
Since 1 January 2020, new BRPs have been issued with an expiry date of 31 December 2024, regardless of the individual’s period of leave. eVisas are set to replace physical Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) from 1 January 2025, when affected individuals and employers will only be able to rely on online records to prove or verify immigration status.
In preparation, UKVI is now contacting BRP holders by email and post to invite them to set up a UKVI account in order to update permission to the form and access their eVisa, before their BRP expires on 31 December 2024.
The email from UKVI states:
We are contacting you because your biometric residence permit (BRP) which can be used to demonstrate your immigration status, will expire on 31 December 2024. The expiry of your BRP card does not affect your immigration status. However, how you prove your status will change from 2025.
The UK border and immigration system is becoming digital. This means that physical documents like BRPs and vignette visa stickers are being replaced by eVisas.
If you have become a British citizen since you were last issued with a BRP, you will have the right of abode in the UK. To prove your right to be in the UK, you can use a British citizen passport or a certificate of entitlement of right of abode.
If you have a British passport, you do not need to do anything. If you have a certificate of entitlement you may need to take action in the future and further details will be provided in due course.
If you want to apply for one of these, or if you still have your BRP, you can find more information on what you need to do here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-citizenship-indefinite-leave-to-remain/after-you-get-your-certificate.
If you are not a British or Irish citizen, you need to take action now, before your BRP expires on 31 December 2024.
What do I need to do now?
To create a UKVI account and access your eVisa you will need:
· Your date of birth
· Your BRP Number
· Your passport (if you do not have a BRP)
· Access to an email address and phone number
· Access to a smartphone
You can create an account using the following link: https://www.gov.uk/get-access-evisa. You should not share this link with anyone else as it may not work for them.
If you have been sent this email by someone other than the Home Office, you should not use the above link. You may not be able to create your account or see your eVisa yet.
If you need help creating your UKVI account, you can get help at:
https://www.gov.uk/assisted-digital-help-online-applications.
If you already have an eVisa along with your BRP, you do not need to create a new UKVI account. To check if you already have a UKVI account, you can go to https://www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status.
If we need any further information from you during this process, we will contact you.
You can also go to https://www.gov.uk/evisa and follow the latest guidance.
While BRP holders will not need to take action until they receive this notification, if their legal adviser’s contact details were provided as part of their Home Office application, they may need to check if they have been sent their notification to avoid missing the deadline.
Last updated: 21 March 2024
Author
Founder and Managing Director Anne Morris is a fully qualified solicitor and trusted adviser to large corporates through to SMEs, providing strategic immigration and global mobility advice to support employers with UK operations to meet their workforce needs through corporate immigration.
She is a recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers as a legal expert and delivers Board-level advice on business migration and compliance risk management as well as overseeing the firm’s development of new client propositions and delivery of cost and time efficient processing of applications.
Anne is an active public speaker, immigration commentator, and immigration policy contributor and regularly hosts training sessions for employers and HR professionals
