In another step toward a paperless border, the U.K. Home Office confirmed on 30 October that successful applicants for most work, study, and family visas — including dependants and those seeking indefinite leave to enter — will now receive an electronic immigration status instead of a physical sticker in their passport. The change applies to applications decided on or after 30 October 2025 and follows a July pilot that covered primary work- and study-visa holders.
Under the expanded rollout, affected travellers must create a UKVI online account to view and share their status with airlines, employers or landlords. While eligibility criteria and fees remain unchanged, the e-visa will be digitally linked to the passport used during the application. Australians represent one of the largest cohorts of Tier-4 (student) and Skilled Worker dependants, meaning the update will simplify pre-departure checks and reduce the risk of document loss while transiting through multiple airports.
For mobility teams, the switch removes the need to courier passports to visa centres for vignette insertion, shaving several days off lead times for last-minute assignments. However, companies will need to retrain HR and travel staff on how to generate “share codes” that prove right-to-work or right-to-rent status — processes that previously relied on Biometric Residence Permits or vignette inspection.
Immigration advisers caution that travellers must carry the same passport registered to their e-visa; if the passport is renewed, the e-visa must be re-aligned before travel. The Home Office has allocated £400,000 to community organisations to help vulnerable migrants navigate the new system, signalling that full digitisation of immigration products remains on track for completion in 2025.
Australian businesses with U.K. operations should update onboarding checklists, ensuring sponsored staff and their families create UKVI accounts well ahead of January-intake university arrivals and April corporate secondments. Airlines serving Australia–U.K. routes are expected to integrate e-visa validation into existing Advance Passenger Information systems by Q2 2026.
Under the expanded rollout, affected travellers must create a UKVI online account to view and share their status with airlines, employers or landlords. While eligibility criteria and fees remain unchanged, the e-visa will be digitally linked to the passport used during the application. Australians represent one of the largest cohorts of Tier-4 (student) and Skilled Worker dependants, meaning the update will simplify pre-departure checks and reduce the risk of document loss while transiting through multiple airports.
For mobility teams, the switch removes the need to courier passports to visa centres for vignette insertion, shaving several days off lead times for last-minute assignments. However, companies will need to retrain HR and travel staff on how to generate “share codes” that prove right-to-work or right-to-rent status — processes that previously relied on Biometric Residence Permits or vignette inspection.
Immigration advisers caution that travellers must carry the same passport registered to their e-visa; if the passport is renewed, the e-visa must be re-aligned before travel. The Home Office has allocated £400,000 to community organisations to help vulnerable migrants navigate the new system, signalling that full digitisation of immigration products remains on track for completion in 2025.
Australian businesses with U.K. operations should update onboarding checklists, ensuring sponsored staff and their families create UKVI accounts well ahead of January-intake university arrivals and April corporate secondments. Airlines serving Australia–U.K. routes are expected to integrate e-visa validation into existing Advance Passenger Information systems by Q2 2026.
