This week, the Home Office announced an extension of its grace period for holders of United Kingdom biometric residence permits (BRPs) or EUSS biometric residence cards (BRCs) from 31 March 2025 to 1 June 2025. This gives visa holders extra time to switch over from the BRP system to the new eVisa system, which allows users to access and share their immigration status online. The eVisa system automatically applies to any visa applications submitted after 31 October 2024, but an estimated 600,000 visa holders who received their BRPs before this date have yet to switch over to the new system.
If you have not yet converted to an eVisa, we advise you to navigate to www.gov.uk/evisa and register as soon as possible. Making a UKVI account and accessing your eVisa is a quick process that incurs no additional charge to the user. Changing from a BRP to an eVisa will not affect your immigration status. It will help you avoid any issues that may arise upon entry to the UK after 2 June 2025, when BRPs will no longer be accepted as valid proof of status in the UK. Most ports of entry to the UK will utilize entirely digital systems to validate immigration backgrounds, so it is important that your information is up to date online.
Additional precautions are advisable in the wake of these new changes. In particular, we advise that you obtain your online 90-day share code and keep screenshots or printouts of your eVisa information prior to travel, in case it is requested by your airline carrier. Your passport should also be uploaded online to your UKVI account as your ‘identity document’ before travelling. Also, if you are an employer, pass this information on to your employees in order to avoid any complications down the road. It is reasonable to assume that after 2 June, right to work check guidances will shift to ensure online share codes are being used. If you are travelling and unable to verify your status, you can call the 24/7 Home Office hotline at 0800 876 6921 or 0203 337 0927 for assistance.
