Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) expiry: What this means for Business Travellers

The Home Office is phasing out Biometric Residence Permits (BRP), Biometric Residence Cards (BRC), and legacy paper documents. These will be replaced with eVisas from 1st January 2025, an online record detailing your immigration status and the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK.

Business Travellers with an immigration status will need to create a UK Visa & Immigration account to access their eVisa. Within this account, you’ll find a ‘Share Code’ which you will use to prove your status when applying for a visa.

If you’re responsible for booking international business travel, it’s vital that you and the travellers in your programme are aware of the upcoming changes and the new process for proving immigration status.

Why are eVisas being introduced?

The UK government presents several key benefits for people who hold an immigration status in the UK.

• Unlike physical documents, an eVisa cannot be lost, stolen, or damaged
• Customers can instantly prove their rights and immigration status to relevant parties while sharing only necessary information
• Using an eVisa can help to prevent unnecessary delays on international travel when the passport/identity document being used is linked to the customer’s UKVI account

How to prepare for the Biometric Residence Permit expiry

As the border and immigration system becomes digital by default, business travellers who need to prove immigration status and do not create a UKVI account to access their eVisa are likely to find it increasingly challenging to easily prove their status and may face unnecessary delays when attempting to do so.

Creating a UKVI account is free and easy to do, and your immigration status will not be affected in any way.

We strongly urge non-UK residents to check their UKVI accounts are up-to-date and working to avoid undue delays with visa applications.

 

This material is current as at October 2024 and general in nature. It is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and in practice and does not constitute legal advice. While we use reasonable skill and care in the preparation of this material, we accept no liability for use of and reliance upon it by any person.