UK introduces grace period for eVisa transition until March 2025

London: The UK on Wednesday introduced a grace period until March 2025, during which time expired physical documentation will be accepted for international travel as visa holders make the transition to an entirely online eVisa system.

As part of an ongoing Home Office drive, all visa holders – including many Indians – 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, were given until the end of December to make the switch to an eVisa.

While the Home Office claims over 3.1 million people have already switched over to an eVisa, there are believed to be several others who have been unable to meet the year-end deadline – having encountered technical issues, among other reasons.

“For those who are yet to switch to an eVisa, a wide range of guidance and support is available,” said Seema Malhotra, UK Minister for Migration and Citizenship.

“I have been listening to feedback from visa holders, stakeholders and MPs, and we are continually streamlining and adapting to ensure this is a smooth transition. As part of that, I am pleased to confirm greater flexibility on carriers accepting expired documents to smooth the transition for those travelling internationally without compromising on border security,” she said.

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.

Now, as a “fallback” to help ensure a smooth transition to eVisas, airlines and other carriers will be able to accept BRPs and BRCs expiring on December 31, 2024, or later as evidence of permission to travel to the UK, provisionally until March 31 next year. The Home Office said this date will be kept “under review” and passengers will remain subject to the usual immigration checks and requirements.

“Anyone seeking to enter the UK whose underlying immigration status has expired will be liable for refusal of entry,” the Home Office said.

It issued another appeal this week for paper visa holders to access the eVisa network through the GOV.UK online system and make the switch.

Anyone with indefinite leave to remain who uses an ink stamp or vignette in a passport to prove their rights can continue to use their documents for another three months and are encouraged to make a “No Time Limit application” to access an eVisa.

“It is free and straightforward to switch to an eVisa, which offers greater convenience. 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 someone’s current rights or immigration status,” the Home Office said.

It flagged a series of support measures in place for anyone encountering any issues during the transition period, including a 24/7 chatbot and helplines.

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 interacting 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 under the previous Conservative government, with BRP holders emailed directly with instructions on how to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa.

It has since been implemented by the Labour government, which has been warned by some digital rights experts of potential discrimination against those unable to prove their British residency rights as a result of glitches in the rollout of the eVisa system.

The government has dismissed the concerns and stressed that the three-month transition window until March 2025 would help address any small number of visa holders impacted.

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