A new joint report by the charity Migrant Voice and the University of Warwick, released on 5 December, paints a stark picture of how the UK’s switch to a digital-only immigration status is affecting everyday life for foreign nationals living, working and studying in Britain.
The Home Office began replacing physical biometric residence permits (BRPs) with online ‘eVisas’ in 2018. More than four million people have now been told that proof of their right to live, work and rent in the UK exists only in a government database accessed through a smartphone app or web portal. The researchers interviewed 234 migrants, employers and landlords. Respondents described missed flights when airline staff could not retrieve their status, job offers withdrawn after a system outage, and repeated errors where the database showed the wrong visa end-date. One engineer told investigators he carries a print-out of his visa grant letter because “I don’t trust the app will work at the gate”.
![Study warns UK’s new eVisa-only system is excluding migrants]()
The study highlights particular risks for older migrants, people with limited English or digital skills, and those with disabilities who may struggle to complete two-factor log-in or upload live selfies. Employers and letting agents, who must conduct online Right-to-Work or Right-to-Rent checks, reported confusion about which screen constitutes proof of status and frustration at frequent time-outs when verifying large groups of new starters.
Researchers warn that without a physical back-up, affected migrants are one power-cut or server failure away from being unable to prove legal residence, placing them at risk of job loss, homelessness or wrongful arrest. They urge the Home Office to introduce an optional secure QR-code card, extend helpline hours and launch an audited accessibility plan before the 31 December 2024 deadline when all BRPs expire.
For global mobility managers the message is clear: audit your UK transferee population now, ensure they have active UKVI online accounts, and build extra time into onboarding processes for digital status checks. Multinationals that rely on short-notice travel should brief travellers to carry secondary evidence such as decision letters in case of system outages.
The Home Office began replacing physical biometric residence permits (BRPs) with online ‘eVisas’ in 2018. More than four million people have now been told that proof of their right to live, work and rent in the UK exists only in a government database accessed through a smartphone app or web portal. The researchers interviewed 234 migrants, employers and landlords. Respondents described missed flights when airline staff could not retrieve their status, job offers withdrawn after a system outage, and repeated errors where the database showed the wrong visa end-date. One engineer told investigators he carries a print-out of his visa grant letter because “I don’t trust the app will work at the gate”.
The study highlights particular risks for older migrants, people with limited English or digital skills, and those with disabilities who may struggle to complete two-factor log-in or upload live selfies. Employers and letting agents, who must conduct online Right-to-Work or Right-to-Rent checks, reported confusion about which screen constitutes proof of status and frustration at frequent time-outs when verifying large groups of new starters.
Researchers warn that without a physical back-up, affected migrants are one power-cut or server failure away from being unable to prove legal residence, placing them at risk of job loss, homelessness or wrongful arrest. They urge the Home Office to introduce an optional secure QR-code card, extend helpline hours and launch an audited accessibility plan before the 31 December 2024 deadline when all BRPs expire.
For global mobility managers the message is clear: audit your UK transferee population now, ensure they have active UKVI online accounts, and build extra time into onboarding processes for digital status checks. Multinationals that rely on short-notice travel should brief travellers to carry secondary evidence such as decision letters in case of system outages.
