The UK government has posed a deadline of 31st December 2024 for non-EU immigrants to replace their physical biometric residence permits (BRPs) with a digital eVisa.
In order for individuals to access this, people will need to open a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) digital account.
Whilst the Home Office has recently sent emails detailing the upcoming deadline and inviting individuals to register online, this has created a problem for many BRP holders and migrants who used their solicitors’ email address as their Home Office contact, meaning many emails have been delivered to lawyers rather than the intended recipients.
Personal details were excluded from this email, leaving lawyers with multiple invitations and no indication of who these are intended for.
The Home Office is facing major backlash on this approach, with many lawyers and migrant rights campaigners arguing that thousands of individuals, in particular older or poorer people who may not speak English as their first language, will fall through the cracks due to poor levels of communication, leaving them with no digital proof of identity following the December 31st 2024 deadline.
An April ‘phased launch’ approach was introduced by the Home Office to begin to replace physical documentation and BRPs with a digital alternative, however many feel that a lack of a clear process and communication will bring struggle to many.
If you’re worried about your BRP and digital eVisa, speak to our experts at Five Star for guidance and support to ensure you can continue to prove your status.
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