On 27 February 2025, the Home Office announced that it was extending the 'grace period' for the use of expired Biometric Residence Permits for travel into the UK. This was due to end at the end of March but there are still over half a million people yet to secure their eVisa so the deadline has been extended.
Background
The Home Office is in the process of moving to a fully digitalised immigration system. Since 31 October 2024, successful applicants have been receiving an eVisa rather than a physical biometric residence permit ("BRP"). An eVisa is a secure record and proof of immigration status which is held digitally by the Home Office and which is available to the individual online. An individual can access their eVisa via their UKVI account and use the online "view and prove service" to share evidence of their status with employers. The Government believes that eVisas are more convenient and secure as they cannot be lost, stolen or tampered with.
Most BRP's and EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) biometric residence cards expired on 31 December 2024, meaning sponsored and migrant employees should prove their immigration status online by virtue of an eVisa. The Government, though, was concerned about the impact on travel if eVisas were mandatory for those entering the UK so announced a 'grace period' before Christmas to allow expired BRP cards to be used to evidence status until the end of March. We now have learnt this is to be extended to 1st June 2025.
What does this mean?
Even with the announcement of this extension, anyone who holds a physical immigration document, and has not already done so, should visit www.gov.uk/evisa to create a UKVI Account as soon as possible. Creating a UKVI account is free and easy to do and will not usually require an applicant to send any documents to the Home Office.
An individual's visa status is not affected by the transition to the eVisa, but they may encounter difficulties with proving their immigration status to employers or travelling into the UK if they have yet to link their status to an eVisa.
Anyone with indefinite leave to remain (ILR) who uses an ink stamp or vignette in a passport to prove their rights can continue to use their documents as they do today, including for travel, but they are still encouraged to make a free No Time Limit (NTL) application to access an eVisa at www.gov.uk/eVisa. This can be done at any time and will make it easier for those who have ILR to evidence their permission to relevant third-parties.
For the present time, those who have a BRP which expired less than 18 months ago can use their physical document to verify their identity via the UK Immigration 'Check ID' App to make new visa applications. They can also use them to generate 'share codes' for right to work checking processes.
What happens from 2nd June 2025?
We understand from this date, expired BRP card will not be accepted as evidence of status in the UK for entry to the UK. Any visa holder who does not have an eVisa at this point and are looking to re-enter the UK are likely to encounter problems and potentially could be refused entry to the UK.
We assume as well that there will be changes to right to work guidance to ensure visa holders use their eVisas to generate 'share codes' to provide their permission to work to employers.
Travel to the UK
When someone arrives at the UK border, the immigration status for most passengers will now be checked digitally via automated online systems. It is therefore important that an individual's personal details on their UKVI account remain up to date to avoid disruption at the border.
Additionally, individuals should ensure that their passport is registered to their UKVI account as the 'Identity Document' prior to travel. If they update the details of their passport (for example if they receive a new passport) their old document will remain linked to their account, and where it is still valid they can use either document to travel. If they have informed the Home Office of their new document but are still awaiting confirmation that their account has been updated they should, if possible, carry their old document as well.
We also recommend that individuals take a hard copy of printout of their E-Visa details and obtain a 90 day share code prior to travel, in the event this is requested by the airline carrier.
Helpline
In the event that applicants are having difficulty proving their immigration status to airline carriers, they should advise the carrier to contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub.
Alternatively, the Home Office have launched a 24/7 helpline to support passengers. An individual travelling imminently and who is unable to verify their status can call the Home Office on 0800 876 6921 or 0203 337 0927. The UKVI contact centre staff will be able to assist and guide the passenger to rectify any issues, but are unable to liaise with carriers directly.
For employers, if you think your workforce may be impacted by this or need an extra push to secure their eVisa, you should consider providing them with this news and signposting them to the relevant sources. The overriding message should still be to secure an eVisa at the earliest possible opportunity to avoid problems in the future.
