Millions of people in the UK with physical immigration documents are being invited to switch to an eVisa as a major Home Office digital immigration shake-up begins.
The Government is aiming for a fully digital immigration and border system by 2025, the Home Office said on Wednesday.
From Wednesday April 17, visa holders in the UK will receive an email from the Home Office, inviting them to create a UK visas and immigration (UKVI) account to access their eVisa.
Physical documents, called biometric residence permits (BRPs), will be gradually phased out and nearly all visa holders living in the UK will have access to an eVisa by 2025, the Home Office has vowed.
The Government hopes the introduction of eVisas will reduce the risk of fraud, loss and abuse of physical documents and strengthen border security.
But the changes will also ease the travel process for millions of visa holders, who are currently required to show physical documentation when arriving back in the UK from travel and holidays abroad.
If a BRP card is lost or stolen abroad, a visa holder currently has to pay £154 for a one-time replacement, which would allow them to re-enter the UK.
Tom Pursglove, the minister for legal migration and the border, said replacing physical BRPs with a digital system “will ensure firm control over who comes here to live, work or study”.
Mr Pursglove added: “We’ve already taken really significant steps to digitally transform the border and immigration system, and this wider rollout of eVisas is a key part of that process.
“Replacing physical immigration documents with eVisas will ensure firm control over who comes here to live, work or study, strengthening border security and preventing abuse of the immigration system, while delivering cost-savings for UK taxpayers.”
Those who inspect immigration status will be able to conduct one check using an online service and visa customers will be able to access their digital status anywhere and in real time.
An eVisa is linked with the holder’s biometric information to protect against identity fraud. Invitations will initially be issued in phases.
The process will open to anyone in the UK who holds physical immigration documents in summer 2024.
Customers will be able to create a free UKVI account to access their eVisa.
Creating an account will not change, impact or remove their current immigration status or their rights in the UK.
