eVisas (online immigration status)

Part A - How to access your eVisa if you have a Biometric Residents Permit (BRP)

If you have a Student visa, you would have been issued a BRP if:

• you are a national of a country that is not in the European Economic Area (EEA) and you applied for your Student visa outside of the UK (before 1 November 2024) and provided your biometrics at a Visa Application Centre (VAC).
• you are a ‘visa national’ and you applied for your Student visa inside the UK (before 1 November) and used the UK Immigration: ID Check app to provide your biometrics.

The end date of your BRP, in almost all cases, will be 31 December 2024, even though your permission to stay in the UK will expire later than this.

If you were issued a BRP but have lost it or it was stolen, you are no longer required to replace it. You do however need to report the loss/theft to the Home Office. You can still create a UKVI account and access your eVisa without your BRP by using the BRP reference number, if you have it or your passport and the reference number of your previous visa application form.

If your BRP expires on or after 31 December 2024, you must act now to create a UKVI Account and access your eVisa. We strongly advise you to do this well in advance of overseas travel you have planned during the university’s winter vacation or at the very latest before 31 December 2024.

How do I Access My eVisa?

This is straightforward provided you gather all the required information; use a laptop (and your mobile to complete the identity check using the UK Immigration: ID Check app), you follow the guidance carefully and take your time.

To access your eVisa you must first create a UKVI account:

1. Before you start, watch the Home Office video.
2. Gather your passport, BRP and the most recent visa application form you completed (you will need either the GWF or UAN reference number).
3. Visit the Home Office ‘Get Access’ page, click ‘Start now’ and answer the questions.
4. You should then be able to access the page, ‘Create a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account’: click ‘Create an account’ and complete the form. We recommend you use your passport, rather than your BRP, when creating your account.
5. Once you have created your UKVI account, you will need to sign in.
6. You will be prompted to confirm your identity using the UK Immigration: ID Check app on your mobile phone (you can use someone else’s mobile if yours does not work).
7. In the app, take a photo of your passport’s data page, your BRP and a photo of your face.
8. Returning to your laptop, you need to ‘link’ your UKVI account to your eVisa: complete all the questions and then click ‘Submit’.
9. UKVI will send you an email when your eVisa is ready to view. This can take several days.
10. If you experience any technical issues please contact UKVI.

You should retain your BRP and if it is still valid take it with you when you travel. Once your BRP expires you do not need it to travel but you should keep it in case you require the details for a future immigration application or proof of residence in the UK. You should not return your BRP to the Home Office.

Part B - How to update, share and travel using your eVisa

My eVisa contains an error, how do I get it amended?

It is extremely important that you check your eVisa as soon as you access it. If you find an error that relates to:

• the start date.
• the end date (should be 4 months after course end date (if course is at least 12 months).
• your work conditions (should be 20 hours during term time; full time in ‘vacations’.
• the university’s sponsor licence number (YW7G5JG42)
• if applicable, your dependant’s visa.

please email us visas@brighton.ac.uk. You will need to attach a copy of your latest visa application form and provide a share code (other) so we can ask the Home Office to amend the error. Alternatively, you can report the error to the Home Office directly using their online form.

Do I need to update my eVisa if my details change?

It is extremely important you keep your UKVI account up to date for several reasons:

• You must update your passport details on your UKVI account when you receive a new passport for any reason, such as your previous passport expired, was lost, stolen or you naturalise as a citizen of another country and obtain a passport issued by them.
• If the passport on your UKVI account does not match the passport you are using to travel, it may be difficult for you to travel overseas and enter the UK. You could have problems boarding flights and face lengthy delays at departure and arrival.
• Your account needs to be up to date to successfully ‘view and prove’ your immigration status to employers, landlords and the university by generating an accurate share code.
• Your contact details must be up to date in case the Home Office needs to email or write to you. For example, if it requires further evidence regarding an immigration application you make or needs to advise you that it has curtailed your visa if you complete your course early, intermit or withdraw from the course.

You must also update any changes to your:

• email address
• mobile phone number
• name
• national ID card number
• your current UK address and your address in your home country

The following Home Office information explains more about keeping your eVisa up to date.

How can I show others that I have permission to stay in the UK in the form of an eVisa?

This is a straightforward process the Home Office calls 'View and Prove'. You will need to do this to be able to work for an employer (if you are permitted to work), rent a property and study. You share details of your eVisa such as its validity and conditions.

To share your immigration status:

• Visit the Home Office’s View and Prove page.
• Login using your UKVI Account details.
• Go to the eVisa page and select ‘Get a share code’.
• Select the appropriate reason you need to provide a share code, such as the ‘right to work’, the ‘right to rent’ or ‘other’ (this includes the right to study or travel if required).
• Finally, click ‘Create a Share Code’.

If you have any difficulties generating a share code please watch the Home Office’s video.

How do I travel overseas and return to the UK with an eVisa?

You are permitted to travel to and from the UK with your current passport and eVisa. However, to avoid difficulty boarding flights, delays and problems entering the UK, you must ensure that, at least a week before you travel:

• You use ‘View and Prove’ to check your immigration status is displaying correctly.
• If there is an error on your eVisa, please see the ‘My eVisa has an error’ section above.
• Your personal details are up to date in your UKVI account.
• The personal details in your UKVI account match those you have used to book travel.
• Your passport details are up to date in your UKVI account.
• If you are a (non-UK) dual national and have two valid passports, you must enter the details of the passport in your UKVI account that you have used to book flights and intend to use to travel.
• The current passport that you intend to use to travel is ‘linked’ to your eVisa.
• You take your BRP with you (only if it is still valid).
• Some airlines may insist on you providing them with a share code to board the flight. As a result, you should be ready to use the ‘View and Prove’ service (see above) at short notice or you should generate a share code before the date of travel.

For more information on travel with an eVisa please see the Home Office webpage as well as watch the video.

The Home Office has announced that it will offer a ‘Passenger Support Helpline’ from 31 December 2024 for those having issues with their eVisa and travelling imminently. The helpline number is 0800 876 6921 (free of charge in the UK) or 0203 337 0927 (charges apply). The helpline will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Home Office staff operating this service will not be able to resolve technical issues or contact airlines.

Further information

Government guidance on Online Immigration status (eVisas) (please sign up to updates by clicking 'Get emails about this page')

UKCISA eVisas guidance

Contact

Once you have read this guidance, if you require advice on eVisas or a related matter, please do not hesitate to contact us using our web query form Visa enquiry form.

Please note that while this guidance is primarily aimed at students with a Student (or Tier 4) visa and their dependants, we offer advice to students who hold other types of immigration status. If you have a query on eVisas or a related matter, please contact us using the form above.