"On 31 December 2024, the immigration documents of millions of people living in the UK expired after being replaced by the Home Office with a real-time, online-only immigration status. While the department has been issuing eVisas for several years - including to European Union (EU) citizens who applied to the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) after Brexit, those applying for Skilled Worker visas, and people from Hong Kong applying for the British National (Overseas) visa - paper documents have now been completely phased out."
"Despite persistent data quality and integrity issues plaguing the system since its inception, current Home Office policy means the eVisa system is the only way people can prove their lawful residence in the UK and evidence their associated rights and entitlements."
"Two unnamed individuals affected by the system - a recognised refugee and survivor of trafficking, and a vulnerable adult - were previously granted permission to proceed with a judicial review against the Home Office in October 2025, with the Cardiff Administrative Court noting it is in the public interest for the legality of the Home Office's policy to be determined."
The Home Office completely phased out paper immigration documents on 31 December 2024, replacing them with an online-only eVisa system. Individuals must now use UK Visas and Immigration digital accounts to generate share codes proving their immigration status to employers, landlords, and letting agencies. Despite ongoing data quality and integrity problems since the system's inception, the eVisa remains the sole method for proving lawful residence and associated rights. Two vulnerable individuals—a recognised refugee and trafficking survivor—obtained permission for judicial review in October 2025. The Cardiff Administrative Court determined the case serves the public interest. Legal proceedings began on 3 March 2026, with lawyers arguing the digital-only approach constitutes unlawful fettering of discretion.
Read at ComputerWeekly.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]