Immigration specialists have raised the alarm over the Home Office’s latest push to move all biometric residence permit (BRP) holders on to digital eVisas before the end-2024 deadline. According to consultancy Five Star International, many of the invitation emails sent this week were delivered to solicitors’ inboxes rather than to the migrants concerned because the legal representative’s email address is often listed as the default contact in legacy visa files.
The messages contain no personal identifiers, leaving law firms with hundreds of generic links and no way of matching them to individual clients. Unless rectified, affected migrants may fail to activate their UKVI accounts and, from 1 January 2025, be unable to prove their right to work or re-enter the country after travel.
![Lawyers warn eVisa email mix-up could leave thousands without proof of status]()
Practitioners are calling on the Home Office to resend personalised invitations and publish clear guidance for employers on acceptable evidence during the transition. They also urge companies sponsoring foreign staff to audit contact details on file and run internal awareness campaigns so employees recognise a genuine Home Office email.
Failure to complete the switch could expose businesses to civil penalties for illegal working and leave travellers stranded if airline staff cannot verify their status. HR and mobility teams should therefore schedule eVisa ‘clinics’ and contingency plans in the final weeks before the cut-over.
The messages contain no personal identifiers, leaving law firms with hundreds of generic links and no way of matching them to individual clients. Unless rectified, affected migrants may fail to activate their UKVI accounts and, from 1 January 2025, be unable to prove their right to work or re-enter the country after travel.
Practitioners are calling on the Home Office to resend personalised invitations and publish clear guidance for employers on acceptable evidence during the transition. They also urge companies sponsoring foreign staff to audit contact details on file and run internal awareness campaigns so employees recognise a genuine Home Office email.
Failure to complete the switch could expose businesses to civil penalties for illegal working and leave travellers stranded if airline staff cannot verify their status. HR and mobility teams should therefore schedule eVisa ‘clinics’ and contingency plans in the final weeks before the cut-over.
