About 1 million people in UK yet to obtain eVisa days before deadline

About 1 million people who need to obtain eVisas to prove their right to live and work in the UK or return after travelling abroad have not yet done so even though the deadline to register is just over a week away.

The eVisa programme set up by the previous government is a digital system to prove the right to reside in the UK for British residents who are not citizens or holders of British passports. No other country is known to be entirely ceasing to issue both physical entry visas and residence permits.

At a recent session of parliament’s cross-party home affairs committee, the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said that while about 4 million people were holders of physical residence permits – biometric residence permits – and needed to switch to eVisas by 31 December, so far only about 3.1 million had done so.

The government has been plagued by a series of problems with the eVisas rollout, including concerns about benefits being wrongly terminated and whether eVisas will work when people travel overseas and then try to return to the UK. Although the new visas come into force at the end of this month, the government has extended the grace period until March for those using physical documentation to return to the UK when they go abroad.

A resolution centre has been set up to deal with eVisa problems and the Home Office has an eVisa error unit to deal with problems that people face.

In a statement issued on 4 December, Seema Malhotra, the minister for migration and citizenship, confirmed that “a proportion of customers” had still not signed up for eVisas.

She added: “We recognise a small number of customers have experienced issues with their eVisas which we are working hard to address. This includes a customer’s status not being visible or showing incorrectly.”

The government will allow people who have not applied for their eVisas by the 31 December deadline to make late applications.

Nick Beales, the head of campaigning for the Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex and London, said serious problems continued with the eVisa rollout.

“Whilst the Conservatives’ hostile environment remains in place, people who cannot prove their immigration status will continue to routinely be wrongly classed as lacking status and denied their basic rights. Yvette Cooper’s admission that around 1 million people have yet to secure eVisas just days before biometric residence permits cease being valid should therefore cause grave concern.

“So many people suddenly being unable to prove their status will without question see many wrongly suspended from work, denied disability benefits and prevented from accessing many other essential services. For some, the consequences will be severe, with families suffering losses of vital income and potentially destitution.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are making the transition to eVisas because of the significant benefits they offer: they cannot be lost, stolen or tampered with, and they allow visa holders to instantly and securely prove their immigration rights.

“Over 3.1 million people have already got access to their eVisa, with many more creating an account every day. For those BRP [biometric residence permit] holders who are yet to make the transition, they will still be able to use their expired BRP to create a UK visas and immigration account quickly and easily after 31 December, both to access their eVisa and use the tools available online to prove their right to work and to rent. A wide range of guidance and support is also being provided to BRP holders to help them through that process, and that will continue to be available to them after 31st December.”