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.
All biometric residence permits (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.
You will need to create a UKVI account and access your eVisa before your BRP expires, so you can continue to prove your immigration status easily.
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 will 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.
If you have another physical Immigration document
If you have indefinite leave to enter or indefinite leave to remain (also known as settlement) and you currently prove your rights through a different type of physical document, such as a wet-ink stamp in your passport or a vignette sticker, then you should make a ‘No time limit’ (NTL) Application.
If your NTL application is successful, the Home Office will issue a BRP to prove your rights. You should carry your BRP, along with your passport, when travelling internationally. Once you have a BRP, you will be able to create a UKVI account to access your eVisa.
For more information visit Online immigration status (eVisa) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)