A joint report by campaign group Migrant Voice and the University of Warwick has found that the UK’s shift to a 100 per cent digital proof-of-status model is creating serious barriers for migrants, landlords and employers. Since April 2025 almost all visa-holders are required to use an eVisa accessed via a UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) online account. Physical biometric residence permits are being phased out ahead of a hard cut-off in March 2026.
Researchers surveyed 550 migrants and conducted 60 in-depth interviews. More than half reported problems accessing their UKVI accounts, while 46 per cent said they had been refused employment, housing or NHS treatment because third-party systems failed to recognise their digital status. Examples include new employees turned away at induction when HR portals could not verify their share-codes, and families stranded abroad after airline check-in systems rejected eVisas.
![Study warns UK’s digital-only immigration system is excluding migrants and employers alike]()
The report highlights a digital divide: users with limited English, older migrants and those without reliable smartphones are disproportionately affected. Employers also voiced frustration at the extra admin burden, warning the system’s complexity undermines the UK’s competitiveness for global talent.
The authors urge the Home Office to extend the transition period, issue optional secure QR-code cards, and invest in 24-hour helplines. They also call for clearer guidance to banks, landlords and NHS trusts to avoid unlawful discrimination.
For global mobility teams, the findings reinforce the need to audit right-to-work processes, provide digital-literacy support to inbound staff and maintain contingency proof-of-status documentation when sending employees overseas.
Researchers surveyed 550 migrants and conducted 60 in-depth interviews. More than half reported problems accessing their UKVI accounts, while 46 per cent said they had been refused employment, housing or NHS treatment because third-party systems failed to recognise their digital status. Examples include new employees turned away at induction when HR portals could not verify their share-codes, and families stranded abroad after airline check-in systems rejected eVisas.
The report highlights a digital divide: users with limited English, older migrants and those without reliable smartphones are disproportionately affected. Employers also voiced frustration at the extra admin burden, warning the system’s complexity undermines the UK’s competitiveness for global talent.
The authors urge the Home Office to extend the transition period, issue optional secure QR-code cards, and invest in 24-hour helplines. They also call for clearer guidance to banks, landlords and NHS trusts to avoid unlawful discrimination.
For global mobility teams, the findings reinforce the need to audit right-to-work processes, provide digital-literacy support to inbound staff and maintain contingency proof-of-status documentation when sending employees overseas.
