UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) are developing a fully digital immigration system. From 1 January 2025, they will be replacing physical documents with an online record of a person’s immigration status, known as an eVisa. Your eVisa will outline your immigration status and the conditions of your permission to stay in the UK.
You must create a UKVI account to access your eVisa. Your eVisa will enable you to travel to and from the UK. You will not need to carry a physical document, except for your current passport, which must be registered to your UKVI account. It is very important that you keep your passport details up to date in your UKVI account and inform the Home Office of any changes.
You will be able to share your immigration status and conditions with third parties such as employers or landlords by generating a share code.
For more information about how to apply for an eVisa, please see Latitude Law’s step-by-step guide.
If you have one of the following, you must apply for an eVisa by 31 December 2024:
If you have indefinite leave to enter or indefinite leave to remain and you currently prove your rights through a different type of physical document, such as a wet-ink stamp in your passport or a vignette sticker, you should make a ‘no time limit’ (NTL) application to replace your document with a BRP. No government fee is payable. Once you have a BRP, you will be able to create a UKVI account to access your eVisa.
You do not need to create a UKVI account if you already have one. You might already have one if you’ve applied for:
You need the following:
Latitude Law can apply for your eVisa on your behalf. We will create your UKVI account, speak with you over the phone to walk you through confirming your identity using the Home Office app, and then link your UKVI account to your current permission, creating your eVisa.
Please contact our expert immigration solicitors for more information.
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eVisas will be replacing BRPs from 1 January 2025. Without an eVisa, you will be unable to prove your right to work and rent in the UK and unable to travel in and out of the country.
Please refer to Latitude Law’s step-by-step guide.
You must update your UKVI account when you obtain a new passport, change your name (for example, through marriage), or your contact details change, including your address, phone number, or email address.
If you do not link your new passport to your eVisa, you will not be able to cross the UK border.
You can prove your immigration status and conditions attached to your permission by generating a share code and instructing the relevant person to check it via the Home Office online system.
You should keep your expired BRP as it may help with future applications to stay in the UK. You may also want it for your personal records.
Your eVisa will be valid for as long as you have been granted permission to stay in the UK; this will depend on the type of visa you hold. The eVisa represents a change from physical documents to online documents - it is not a visa in itself.
At present, no. This may change in the future but if you have no other form of ID you would need to make a BRP or travel document application and use this as ID for your Life in the UK test.
You will receive a temporary reference number upon generating a share code to provide your eVisa to others, and you will have an application reference number for your visa application, but your eVisa will not have a permanent visa reference number.
In this case, your permission to be in the UK expires before the deadline for switching to an eVisa. You do not need to do anything in relation to your current permission, but you must make a further application to extend your permission before the date your BRP expires if you wish to remain in the UK.
You should make a ‘no time limit’ (NTL) application to replace your document with a BRP. Once you have a BRP, you will be able to create a UKVI account to access your eVisa. In the future, there may be plans to issue eVisas to people who submit NTL applications, but we are unable to confirm this for certain.
You already have an eVisa and you do not need to take any action to obtain one.
The Home Office are able to assist you in these circumstances through their ‘Assisted Digital’ support. You can receive both face-to-face support or phone support from an advisor. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/assisted-digital-help-online-applications
To ensure success, let us expertly guide you through the eVisa application process. Latitude Law’s specialist lawyers can apply for your visa on your behalf, create your UKVI account and link it to your current immigration permission to generate your eVisa.
Get in touch with our legal team today on 0300 131 6767 or fill out our enquiry form and we will get straight back to you. Face your future knowing you have the dedicated support of one of our expert lawyers.
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