UK launches major eVisa transition drive; urges all, including Indians, to make switch

London: The UK on Wednesday launched a major drive urging all immigrants across the country, including Indians, who are using a physical immigration document to take immediate action to transition to an eVisa.

As part of plans to fully digitise the UK border and immigration system, all those using a physical biometric residence permit (BRP), a passport containing a visa vignette sticker or ink stamp confirming their “indefinite leave to enter/remain” in the country, or biometric residence card (BRC) as evidence of their immigration rights will be switched over to an entirely online system by next year.

A majority of the BRPs are set to expire towards the end of this year and are being automatically transitioned online in phases to be accessed by creating and logging into a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) online account.

“Everyone with physical immigration documents is urged to take action now to switch to an eVisa, and I want to reassure those who need it that free advice and support is available," said Seema Malhotra, the Indian-origin Minister for Migration and Citizenship at the UK Home Office.

To help with the transition process, during which physical documentation will still be accepted, the Home Office is laying out around GBP 4 million of grant funding from this month to a UK-wide network of voluntary and community sector organisations to provide independent support for “vulnerable customers” unsure about accessing eVisas.

A nationwide advertising campaign will also raise awareness of the move to eVisas and encourage those affected to take action before many immigration documents expire in December 2024.

“It is free and straightforward to switch to an eVisa, which offers greater customer convenience, significant cost savings and enhanced security for the UK’s border and immigration system. An eVisa cannot be lost, stolen or tampered with, and allows visa holders to instantly and securely prove their immigration rights. Switching won’t change, impact or remove a customer’s current rights or immigration status,” the Home Office said.

The transition to eVisas is a key element of the British government’s move to digitise its border and immigration system, replacing physical immigration documents with digital proof of immigration status for most new visa customers in the coming weeks and most visa holders already living in the UK by 2025.

The government’s grant funding will be divided between Migrant Help, Citizens Advice Scotland, the Welsh Refugee Council, and Advice NI, spread across all regions of the United Kingdom to offer immediate and free support for any vulnerable individuals struggling with their transition to an eVisa, with details also available online on GOV.UK.

Using a phased approach to implementing digital services, the Home Office intends that by 2025 most people will have a “secure and seamless digital journey” when they interact with the UK’s immigration system.

With an eVisa, it is also hoped that fewer people will need to leave their passports with the Home Office while awaiting a decision on their immigration status. eVisas also mean that migrants do not need to make trips to collect documents like BRPs or wait for these documents to be sent to them, saving them on renewal fees.

The process launched in April this year, with BRP holders emailed directly with instructions on how to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa. These email invitations were initially sent in phases before the service was made available to all BRP holders last month.

British passport holders and Irish citizens, including those who previously held an immigration status but have since acquired British citizenship, are not impacted.