BRP Cards To Be Abolished E-Visa To Start

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) are developing a digital immigration system. This means they are replacing physical documents with an online record of your immigration status. This is known as an e-Visa.

The documents being replaced are:

1. BRP - Biometric residence permits
2. BRC - Biometric residence cards
3. Passport endorsements, such as indefinite leave to enter wet ink stamps
4. Vignette stickers in passports, such as entry clearance or visa vignettes

The e-Visa is an online record of your immigration status and the conditions of your permission to enter or remain in the UK.

Once this system is in place, you will be able to use an eVisa to travel to the UK. You will no longer need to carry a physical document other than your current passport, which must be registered in your UKVI account. Until then, you will need to continue to carry your physical document. This is currently estimated to be 2024. The Home Office has stated that it will announce the steps to be taken for the transition to this system in 2024, such as how to register for a UKVI account, etc.

You will be registered for a UKVI account to securely view and share information about your status with third parties, such as employers or landlords. Your physical document will then be updated to an e-Visa. This update will not affect your immigration status or the conditions of your permission to enter or remain in the UK.

When the system is in place, you will not need to wait for or receive a physical document once your application has been decided.

It will be quicker and easier to prove your status at the UK border, and because it is an online system, we will be transitioning to a much more secure system against the risk of documents being stolen, lost or tampered with.