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eVisas

The UK Government is transitioning to a digital system, requiring individuals with a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), Biometric Residence Card (BRC), or passport endorsements or vignette stickers, to create a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account and apply for an eVisa.

What is an eVisa

What action is needed?
People who have physical immigration documents need to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa.

An eVisa is defined by the Home Office as an online record of your immigration status and the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK.

eVisas are proof of your immigration status and specify conditions such as your right to work and right to rent in the UK.

The Home Office has created a video titled What is an eVisa? – YouTube Which will help you learn more about what an eVisa is and why it is needed. The video is only available in English.

If you have a BRP

Expired BRP (biometric residence permit) cards should be replaced with eVisas: access and use your online immigration status: GOV.UK

Each child needs an eVisa and this must be done in separate applications. If they are not able to do this themselves, a parent, guardian or responsible adult can set this up for them using this guidance: Set up a UKVI account to access your eVisa – GOV.UK

It is important to know that 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.

It is recommended you keep your BRP card after you have activated your eVisa account, even if the card has expired.

To apply for an eVisa

If you have an expired BRP card, you should apply for an eVisa, this can be done in 3 steps

Set up a UKVI account to access your eVisa – GOV.UK
confirm your identity
link your account to your eVisa

The Government have made a video explaining How to create a UKVI account and access your eVisa: video – GOV.UK

To apply for your eVisa you must have access to:

A smart phone, with the UK Immigration ID app downloaded.
Your BRP, or application number.
Your BRP or passport.

There are other videos from the government to help with your eVisa on

If you have any issues, difficulties, or errors with an eVisa, please see below support options.

Getting support with your eVisa

The UK Government has funded national and local organisations across the North West to assist individuals in applying for their eVisa. For a full list of providers across the UK, you can visit the List of organisations (www.gov.uk)

For organisations working specifically in the North West, please see below:

Migrant Help – Migrant Help has supported thousands of individuals through a national network of services and is able to offer face-to-face and remote support to those transitioning to the new digital immigration system.
Telephone: 07483 170 100
Email: [email protected]
Location: National
Wai Yin Society – We provide support to our service users to help them overcome barriers – such as language or computing skills – that may hinder access to mainstream services. We offer support to vulnerable and at-risk individuals who need extra help creating their UKVI accounts and accessing their eVisas.
Telephone: 0161 833 0377
Email: [email protected]
Location: Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside
Wirral Change Ltd – Wirral Change’s charitable objectives are centred on empowering locally disadvantaged groups, ensuring equal access to opportunities, and supporting the integration of newly arrived communities. The organisation strives to be a voice for vulnerable individuals, groups, and communities, providing much-needed support and working towards shaping future service delivery to meet their cultural and diverse needs. Wirral Change delivers a range of vital services, including supporting people to create and access their digital eVisa account and helping them understand how to use it. They also offer support for non-English speakers.
Telephone: 0151 649 8177
Email: [email protected]
Location: Merseyside

You can ask for help – GOV.UK with creating a UKVI account and getting access to an eVisa.

We Are Group can help people who:

Do not feel confident using a computer or mobile device
Do not have access to the internet
Do not have access to a device that accesses the internet

[email protected]
Text ‘VISA’ and a number to call you on to 07537 416 944

Telephone: 03333 445 675
Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm

Reporting an error with an eVisa

If you notice any error with your eVisa, such as your name, photograph or an status details are incorrect, you can use an online service to report it and request for the error be corrected: Report an error with your eVisa – GOV.UK. People without ID who have an account created by the Home Office can also use this service to update their email address and mobile number.

eVisa Resources

The government have created a collection of eVisa support videos – GOV.UK to help with all aspects of your eVisa including setting up an eVisa, using the view and prove and travelling with an eVisa.
Lancashire County Council has a dedicated eVisa page on their website, with translated guidance available in Arabic, Dari, Pashtu, and Ukrainian.
Free Movement offers a detailed step-by-step guide on applying for an eVisa (freemovement.org.uk).
Right to Remain has provided a summary of the transition to eVisas
Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) has published a briefing on eVisas and the expiry of Biometric Residence Permits (BRP) (gmiau.org).
RSMP has produced a number of awareness posters, with translation available. You can download them here:
Follow this link to the most recent Updates on the move to eVisas – GOV.UK

If you are supporting someone with an eVisa

It is important to note that supporting someone with setting up an eVisa account is not considered immigration advice and it is free to create an account. Anyone can support with setting up an eVisa account.

Right to Remain have produced guidance on how to support someone with the transition to eVisa (righttoremain.org)

If you're an employer

Employers should continue to instruct new and prospective employees who need to verify their immigration status to use the online right to work service to generate a share code. This share code can then be used to verify their right to work through the service at Checking a job applicant’s right to work – GOV.UK

There is also a video to explain how an employer can check someone’s right to work How to view and confirm an applicant’s right to work: video – GOV.UK

For current employees, employers are protected from civil penalties as long as the initial right to work check followed the guidance in place at the time. A follow-up check is only required if an employee’s permission to stay is set to expire, as indicated by the original check.

The Home Office recommends that employers inform their staff about these changes and the shift to a fully digital system. This could involve directing employees who rely on physical immigration documents to the relevant section of the Gov.UK website for up-to-date information: eVisas: access and use your online immigration status: GOV.UK

If you’re a landlord or housing provider

Individuals with an eVisa can only prove their right to rent with the Home Office online service: Prove your right to rent in England – GOV.UK Once they have done so, a 9 digit share code will be produced and this should be shared with the landlord/provider. This alongside other details, such a date of birth should enable a landlord to prove someone’s right to rent.

There is a video that explains how to view and confirm someone’s right to rent How to view and confirm someone’s right to rent: video – GOV.UK

Share codes have specific numbers at the start to prove their intended purpose, for landlords, the share code should start with a R to stand for renting. Landlords are unable to accept any other type of share code.