Visa and immigration guide for students
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Last updated: 4 November 2024
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) are developing an online digital immigration system. Throughout 2024, the government is replacing physical immigration documents with digital proof of immigration status for students already living in the UK and for new students. This means they are replacing physical documents with an online record of your immigration status – this is known as an eVisa.
An eVisa is an online record of your immigration status and the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK. You will need to create a UKVI account to be able to access your eVisa.
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’ll 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.
The benefits of an eVisa includes:
The video below provides further information on what an eVisa is and why you’ll need one.
As part of the switch to replace physical documents with an online record of your immigration status, you need to create a UKVI account. You can share your immigration status information with third parties, such as employers or landlords, by generating a share code in the view and prove service, which will give them time-limited access to your immigration status information. You can get a new share code whenever you need one – you do not have to remember a single unique code to be able to prove your status.
The video below shows how to prove your immigration status with an eVisa.
Once you have created your UKVI account you will be able to view the details of your eVisa online, for example your type of permission, when it expires and your conditions of stay in the UK.
You can update your personal information in your UKVI account, such as your contact details.
Your eVisa will be linked to your passport in your UKVI account. You must keep your passport or ID card details up to date in your UKVI account, so that your immigration status can be easily identified at the UK border. You’ll still need to carry your current passport with you.
If you’ve told UKVI that you have a new passport and you’re still waiting for confirmation that your UKVI account has been updated, you should also carry your old document with you, if possible, to avoid unnecessary delays at the border.
You can share your immigration status information with third parties, such as employers or landlords, by generating a share code in the view and prove service, which will give them time-limited access to your immigration status information. You can get a new share code whenever you need one – you do not have to remember a single unique code to be able to prove your status.
If you already have an eVisa as well as a BRP, you will not need to create a UKVI account, as you will already have one. You can find out if you already have a UKVI account by checking the email or letter that you were given when you were granted immigration status in the UK, or go to www.gov.uk/evisa for further information.
The expiry of your BRP card does not affect your immigration status. However, how you prove your status will change from 2025. If you have a biometric residence permit (BRP) that expires on 31 December 2024, will need to create a UKVI account to access your eVisa
If you have already been contacted to create an account, either by email or in a decision letter, you can follow the instructions UKVI sent you to create a UKVI account.
If you have permission to stay in the UK, once you’ve created your UKVI account you will be able to sign in to the view and prove service to access your eVisa.
The video below provides further information on how to create a UKVI account and get access to your eVisa.
Before you start, you will need:
You must provide a phone number and email address that you can use again, as you’ll need them each time you use your eVisa to prove your immigration status online.
1. Create a UKVI account
To access your eVisa, you first need to create a UKVI account. It is free to create an account and can be done quickly and easily online.
To create your account online, go to the gov.uk webpage and select the green ‘Start now’ button.
Next, complete the relevant sections with the following details:
2. Confirm your identity and submit the form
Once you have created your UKVI account and logged in, the online form will direct you to download the UK Immigration: ID check app on your phone, which you can then use to scan your BRP or passport and to take a picture of your face. You can delete the app from your phone once your identity is confirmed.
Once the scanning is complete, you will be directed back to the online form to complete additional sections, before then being able to submit the form. After the form is submitted, it may take a couple of days to get access to your eVisa.
3. Keep your details up to date
Once your details are confirmed, you should get an email confirming that you can access your eVisa. You can then log into your UKVI account to view the details of your eVisa online.
Your eVisa should show the following details:
You should continue to keep your personal information and contact details up-to-date in your UKVI account.
If you created your UKVI account using your BRP card, you must add your current passport details to your account after you have access to your eVisa. If you update or renew your passport, you will need to update your passport details on your UKVI account.
When you travel outside of the UK, you will still need to carry your current passport with you. You should also continue to carry your BRP with you (if you have one) until it expires on 31 December 2024.
Before travelling internationally, please make sure your personal details (including your passport details) are up-to-date in your UKVI account. If you have a new passport, or any of your personal details have changed, you need to update these in your UKVI account before you travel. Please ensure you leave enough time to update your UKVI account before you travel.
If you’ve updated your passport details in your UKVI account, but you are still waiting for confirmation your UKVI account has been updated, you should also carry your old document with you, if possible, to avoid unnecessary delays at the border.
The video below provides further information on travelling with an eVisa.
What is changing?
UKVI are developing an online digital immigration system. This means they are replacing physical documents with an online record of your immigration status – this is known as an eVisa.
What is an eVisa?
An eVisa is a digital record of a person’s immigration status. It removes the need for physical documents, such as the biometric residence permit (BRP), passports containing a visa vignette sticker (a physical visa sticker in a passport) or an immigration ink stamp.
When is the change taking place?
From April 2024, UKVI will email BRP holders directly with instructions on how to create UKVI account to access their eVisa. Most new visa applicants will automatically get an eVisa from autumn 2024 onwards.
What are the benefits of an eVisa?
An eVisa cannot be lost, stolen or damaged. Holders can prove their rights instantly, accurately and securely to anyone who requests it while sharing only necessary information. eVisas will prevent unnecessary delays when travelling internationally, where holders travel using the passport linked to their UKVI account.
Will an eVisa be required to access public services?
Some government bodies, including the Department for Work and Pensions and the National Health Service in England and Wales, can already securely access the immigration status of existing eVisa holders when they seek to claim benefits or access healthcare to ensure eligibility. This means that when these holders seek to access UK government services and benefits, they will not be asked to present proof of status when their entitlement to access those services is assessed.
How will eVisas impact international travel?
Students should continue to carry their in-date physical immigration documents with them when they travel internationally, if they have been issued with such a document, until they receive an eVisa. You should ensure your UKVI account is always linked to your current passport.
I currently have a BRP, what do I need to do?
As BRPs are being phased out at the end of 2024, many students will have a physical BRP card with a ‘valid until’ date of 31 December 2024, whereas their actual immigration permission extends beyond that date. Students who have a BRP and are living in the UK will need to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa, unless their immigration permission expires before 31 December 2024. From April 2024 BRP holders are being emailed directly with instructions on how to create UKVI account to access their eVisa. BRP holders who have not yet received an email should not worry, as the process will soon be opened to all without an invitation.
Is there a cost involved to create a UKVI account?
No, creating a UKVI account is free.
Will I need to return my BRP to the Home Office, or submit my passport to create a UKVI account?
No, BRP holders will not be required to return their BRPs to the Home Office, or to submit their passport. This applies even to students only recently issued with a BRP. In the meantime, students can use their BRP as normal.
I’m a new student, starting in Autumn 2024, what do I need to do?
From autumn 2024, most students will no longer be issued with a physical document such as a BRP and will need to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa. Information on what to do to create a UKVI account will be contained in their visa decision notice and will also be available on www.gov.uk/evisa in due course. Students will be able to use the view and prove service through their UKVI account to prove their rights, and carriers will be able to automatically securely access an individual’s immigration status when they present their passport associated with their UKVI account.
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