The UK Government is urging all visa holders who reside in the country and use a physical immigration document to prove their rights to switch as soon as possible to an eVisa.
Such a call from the government has been made as the country is working to digitise the border and immigration system, VisaGuide.World reports.
As the Home Office has explained, the move impacts all those who, at the moment, use a biometric residence permit, a passport that contains a visa vignette sticker or ink stamps, or biometric residence cards used to prove immigration rights.
All visa holders who live in the UK and use a physical immigration document to prove their rights are urged to take action now at gov.uk/eVisa to access their eVisa. This impacts those who currently use a biometric residence permit (BRP), a passport containing a visa vignette sticker or ink stamp (for those with indefinite leave to enter/remain), or biometric residence card (BRC) to evidence their immigration rights.
The same noted that most biometric residence permits expire in December 2024 and encouraged everyone to take action before their documents expire. Biometric residence permits can be used to create a UKVI account to access the eVisa even after they expire. Still, everyone is advised to take care of this requirement without further delay.
Up to £4 Million Will Be Provided by Governmentt to Support Customers During Transition
In an attempt to ensure that all those who need help during the transition find valuable support, the UK government has decided to provide up to £4 million ($4.92 million).
As part of the transition from physical immigration documents to eVisas, the Home Office revealed that a UK-wide network of voluntary and community sector organisations will provide support to vulnerable customers.
Up to £4 million of support will be provided from this month to a UK-wide network of voluntary and community sector organisations to provide valuable and independent support for vulnerable customers as part of the transition from physical immigration documents to eVisas.
The switch to an eVisa is free of charge and straightforward. The key advantages of an eVisa are that the document has significant cost savings and offers enhanced security. Moreover, an eVisa cannot be lost or stolen since it is a digital document and also allows its holder to prove their immigration rights instantly.