UK Allocates £4M to eVisa Transition

The United Kingdom’s Home Office is spending £4 million on its transition to eVisas, allocating the funding across four agencies: Migrant Help, Citizens Advice Scotland, the Welsh Refugee Council, and Advice NI. The aim is to enable the agencies to offer free advice on the transition to an eVisa, ultimately delivering “significant cost savings and enhanced security for the UK’s border and immigration system,” according to the country’s migration and citizenship minister, Seema Malhotra.

The overall effort is meant to phase out physical immigration documents and implement eVisas for nearly all visa holders living in the UK by 2025. The rollout began in April 2024, with eligible visa holders receiving invitations to set up online accounts with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) to access their eVisas.

An eVisa serves as an online record of an individual’s UK immigration status, detailing the conditions of their permission to enter or remain in the country. The digital document is securely linked to the holder’s biometric information and passport, enhancing security and reducing the risk of fraud, loss, and abuse associated with physical documents.

As part of the transition, physical documents such as Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs), visa vignette stickers, and biometric residence cards (BRCs) will be replaced by eVisas. Most BRPs are set to expire by the end of 2024, requiring current holders to switch to an eVisa. New students arriving for the September 2024 or January 2025 semesters will also need to transition to an eVisa upon arrival, along with individuals holding other physical documents who may have specific actions to take based on their current status.

The benefits of eVisas are thought to be numerous. They provide enhanced security while offering more convenient access to immigration status information. Additionally, they allow for easier updates of personal details such as passport or contact information.

Until the end of 2024, individuals are advised to continue carrying their physical documents when traveling internationally. After this period, eVisa holders will only need to present their passport, which will be linked to their online immigration status.

Source: UKAuthority

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September 24, 2024 – by Ali Nassar-Smith

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