eVisas

The UK Visas and Immigration Service (UKVI) is moving to a digital immigration system. That means physical visas in the form of vignettes (passport stickers), Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and wet ink stamps given at the Border are being replaced with an electronic record called an eVisa.

Some students will already have immigration status in the form of an eVisa only, or if you applied for your visa using the IDV app you may already have both an eVisa and a BRP.

If you have a BRP only, and your immigration permission extends beyond the end of December 2024, your BRP will expire on 31 December 2024. The information below explains what is going to happen during this year so that you can update your physical document to an eVisa.

faq

What is an eVisa?

An eVisa is an online record of your immigration status and the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK. You will need to create a UKVI account to be able to access your eVisa.  

Updating your physical document to an eVisa does not affect your immigration status or the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK. 

In the future you’ll be able to use an eVisa to travel to the UK – you will not need to carry a physical document, except for your current passport, which must be registered to your UKVI account. Until the end of 2024 you will need to continue to carry your physical document when you travel, if you have one. 

The benefits of eVisas include: 

  • they are secure and cannot be lost, stolen or tampered with, unlike a physical document 
  • you will not need to wait for, or collect, a physical document after your application is decided – you might still need to provide biometric information in person, and we will tell you if you need to do this 
  • it will be quicker and easier to prove your status at the UK border, and share your status with third parties like employers and landlords 

This video from UKVI explains more about what an eVisa is.

How do I get an eVisa and a UKVI account?

If you have a biometric residence permit (BRP) that expires on 31 December 2024, the UKVI will contact you to tell you how to create a UKVI account and access your eVisa before the expiry date of your BRP. 

If you have already been contacted to create an account, either by email or in a decision letter, please follow the instructions to create a UKVI account. 

If you have not yet been contacted about creating an account, you’ll be able to create your account and access your eVisa later in 2024. Sign up for updates on the UKVI website to keep up to date on when you’ll be able to access your eVisa.  

If you have permission to stay in the UK, once you’ve created your UKVI account you will be able to sign in to the view and prove service to access your eVisa. 

How do I know the email from the UKVI is genuine?

If you receive an email from the UKVI asking you to create an account for an eVisa you need to take action to do so, and follow the instructions in the letter. It should come from the following email address: donotreply.evisadirectmail@notifications.service.gov.uk and contain the following (or similar) instructions:

We are contacting you because your BRP will expire on 31 December 2024. To prove your immigration status after this date you will need to replace your BRP with an eVisa. The expiration of your BRP card does not affect your immigration status. However, starting in 2025, the way you prove your immigration status will change.

What do I need to do now?

Please take the following steps now

  1. Create a UKVI account to access your eVisa, which will replace your BRP.

  2. To create your UKVI account, you will need:

    • Your date of birth
    • Your BRP number
    • Your passport (if you do not have a BRP)
    • Access to an email address and phone number
    • Access to a smartphone

It will also contain a link to the gov.uk website where you can create an account

Should I worry if I haven’t received an email?

No. The UKVI is sending out the email in phases to select groups of people at the moment. It is intended that at some point during summer 2024 the system will allow anyone who needs to replace their physical document with an eVisa to create an account and access their immigration status online. As soon as this system is made available, we will update our information here and inform students. You can also Sign up for updates on the UKVI website to keep up to date on when you’ll be able to access your eVisa.  

Do I need to let Imperial know if I have obtained an eVisa?

The College is required to always have on your record evidence of your immigration permission to be in the UK. Once you’ve created your UKVI account you will be able to sign in to the view and prove service to access your eVisa and generate a Share Code so that the College can check your immigration status. You must select the option to prove your immigration status (do not use the right to work or right to rent options). The share code details need to be entered on the My Visa section of My Imperial. Please enter the share code in the visa number field. You will also need to upload a PDF document of the share code.

Where can I get more information?

Have a look at the detailed information on the UKVI webpages about eVisas. If you have any questions or concerns about the process, please contact International Student Support directly.