UK Extends Grace Period for eVisa Switch Until March 2025. Apply now!

Highlights: UK government extended the Grace period to switch to eVisas until March 2025

• The UK government extended the grace period for physical e-visa documentation until March 2025.
• The UK government grace period will allow expired physical visa documentation to be transited to the online eVisa system.
• The UK government requests documentation holders, including ILR, to remain stamped to switch to eVisas by December.
• The UK government has advised holders of BRP, BRC, and ILR stamp holders to transition to eVisa by 04 December 2024.

 

*Want to apply for UK visas? Sign up with Y-Axis for end-to-end support. 

 

Switching to the UK eVisa

The UK government announced a grace period until March 2025 to change the physical visa documentation to eVisa. The UK government is asking the holders of biometric residence permits (BRP), biometric residence cards (BRC), and indefinite leave-to-remain have stamped passports to switch to eVisas by December.

More than 3.7 million people have already switched to eVisa. Airlines and carriers will now accept BRPs and BRCs expiring on and after December 31, 2024, as valid travel documentation until March 2025. However, they will check the additional requirements to confirm that the passenger is not a threat to the country.

Benefits of applying for an eVisa

• No need to carry physical documentation
• No need to leave passport with the authority while waiting for the visa
• No need to renew or collect a physical permit
• Immigration rights will remain unchanged during this transition

Steps to change BRP to eVisa 

Below are the steps to change BRP to eVisa:

Step 1: Inform UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) about the BRP's current status (lost, stolen, or expiring)

Step 2: Create a UKVI account

Step 3: Verify your identity

Step 4: Access the eVisa

Step 5: Update your details

 

The visa program began under the previous government and continued under the current government. By 2025, the Home Office intends for most of the visa process to be fully digital. British and Irish citizens will be unaffected by the changes. Applicants who acquire British citizenship and are previous visa holders are excluded from this change.

 

*Are you looking for step-by-step assistance to migrate to the UK? Talk to Y-Axis, the leading overseas immigration consultancy in Australia.

 

For recent immigration updates, check out Y-Axis Immigration News!