In an effort to introduce a fully digital immigration system, the UK Government has announced that Biometric Residence Permits (BRP) and Biometric Residence Cards (BRC) will be phased out, and that as of January 1, 2025, they will no longer be in circulation. To address some concerns for employees and our clients, we have created the following Fact Sheet:
- All UK BRP/BRC cards have an expiration date of December 31, 2024, regardless of visa validity beyond this date.
- From January 1, 2025, all physical cards will be replaced by electronic visa records (eVisa). Visa holders will be required to have a UKVI eVisa account to view their immigration status online, and physical cards will no longer be in circulation.
- To create an account, the holders of BRP cards will need to follow this link: https://www.gov.uk/get-access-evisa
- Nobody will have to pay to create a UKVI account or go through a BRP renewal service (unless you hold an NTL or ILR status without a BRP).
- Individuals who have "indefinite leave to enter" the United Kingdom, or "indefinite leave to remain," may prove their rights through a different type of physical document (e.g., a wet-ink stamp in their passports or a vignette sticker). These individuals must make a "no time limit" (NTL) application, which will replace their current visa with a BRP. Once in receipt of a BRP, these individuals can create a UKVI account to access their eVisa later in 2024.
- If the person used an online UKVI account previously to make an application for a UK visa inside the UK, then they already have a UKVI account. It would normally be linked to the applicant's passport (if applicant is an EEA national only), or to a BRP card. You can check and access your account here. You must update the account to ensure it is linked to the current travel document, such as a passport.
- Any UKVI account holder must keep up to date the personal information in their UKVI account, such as contact details and valid travel documents. To check what details must be updated and to make any updates, please follow the steps here.
- Holders of BRP without the account must set up their online UKVI account before the expiry date of their BRP card. They will need their date of birth, BRP, or passport (if they don't have a BRP), access to an email and phone number and access to a smartphone. This process applies to all individuals including minors and dependents.
- All BRP holders must keep their cards with them when travelling overseas until December 31, 2024, even if they have registered for eVisa with a UKVI account.
- If anyone has technical issues or problems when creating/updating or using the eVisa account, they can contact the UKVI team here.
- Separately, a charity organization the3million launched an online tool for reporting problems with setting up or using an eVisa. The information will be used to create an evidence base to help the3million and Seyfarth Shaw together with other policy groups of UK immigration practitioners demand change when the system is not working. Please report any problems with eVisas here.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.