More than four million UK visa holders have successfully created an account in order to access their eVisa.
Such figures have been provided through a statement by the Home Office, which estimated that about 600,000 people are yet to switch from their physical documents to an eVisa, VisaGuide.World reports.
The UK government has emphasized that eVisas are a key part of delivering an immigration system that is more digital and streamlined, part of the government’s Plan for Change.
The government believes that the new eVisas will enhance the experience of people using the system, while also increasing the immigration system’s security and efficiency.
Extension of Grace Period Until June 1
In a bid to support a continued smooth transition to eVisas, the Home Office announced it will extend the grace period until June 1, 2025, from the existing date of March 31, 2025.
The extension means that those with a biometric residence permit (BRP) or EUSS biometric residence card (BRC) that expired on or after December 31 last year, will still be eligible to use it for international travel until June 1, 2025, provided they have valid immigration status.
Expired BRPs and EUSS BRCs will no longer be acceptable when traveling to the UK from June 2, 2025.
Majority of Immigration Status Holders Have Successfully Created an Account
In this regard, the Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra MP said that the recent “encouraging” eVisa statistics show that a significant majority of the immigration status holders who were required to take action have done so.
We continue to listen carefully to feedback, and our confirmation that expired immigration documents can be used for travel until June this year will help to further ensure the transition to eVisas continues to be as smooth as possible.
Through a statement, the UK’s Government has encouraged all those yet to create an account in order to access their eVisa to do so as soon as possible, to benefit from it and join the millions of people, including the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status holders, who already have a visa.
It is free, and straightforward for those who hold physical and paper documents to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa.
The government said that since December 2024, when the first eVisa statistics were published, further analysis to enhance the UK’s authorities’ understanding of those who have not acted yet has been carried out, therefore the data is provided in the same format for clarity.