What is an eVisa?
An eVisa is a digital record of your immigration status. It replaces the physical documents that were previously used to prove your right to live and work in the UK, including Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and passport vignette stickers. From 20 May 2026, all visa decisions result in an eVisa. No physical sticker goes in your passport, and no BRP card is issued. Your eVisa lives in an online account, and it is the official proof of your immigration status in the UK.
Who gets an eVisa?
Everyone. If your visa application was decided on or after 20 May 2026, you will receive an eVisa regardless of which route you applied under (Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, dependant, or any other route). If you applied before that date and received a BRP or vignette, those documents remain valid until they expire, but they will not be reissued. The only exception is applicants whose passport is not a Home Office accepted document, who may still receive a vignette sticker.
How to set up your UKVI account
To access your eVisa, you need a UKVI account. If you do not already have one, you can create it at gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status. You will need your passport and the reference number from your visa application (your GWF or UAN number). You can find this on the Borderless platform under Visa Applications, or in the confirmation email UKVI sent you when your application was submitted. Setting up the account takes a few minutes and you can do it from your phone or computer.
What you will see in your account
Once set up, your UKVI account shows your current immigration status: the type of visa you hold, the dates it is valid, and any conditions (such as restrictions on working hours or access to public funds). This is your official status record. Whenever your employer, landlord, or anyone else needs to check your immigration status, this is where the evidence comes from.
Sharing your status with your employer
Your employer needs to carry out a right to work check before you start working. To help them do this, you generate a share code through your UKVI account. You give the share code and your date of birth to your employer, who enters them into the government's online checking service to confirm your right to work. Share codes expire after 90 days, but you can generate a new one whenever you need to. There is no limit on how many you can create.
Your passport may still be stamped on entry
Even though your visa is digital, a Border Force officer may still stamp your passport when you arrive in the UK. This is normal and expected. Your sponsor may need a copy of the entry stamp, so keep a record of it. The stamp is a separate record of your arrival date and does not replace your eVisa.
Biometric appointments
Some applicants still need to attend a biometric appointment in person to provide fingerprints or a photograph, even though no physical document is issued at the end. If this applies to you, Borderless will let you know as part of your application. Attending biometrics does not mean you will receive a card or sticker.
What if I already have a BRP?
If you hold a BRP from before the eVisa transition it will have expired on or before the 31st of December 2024. After that, your eVisa takes over automatically. You should log in to your UKVI account to confirm that you can access your new eVisa.
We would also recommend that you update your login details to your UKVI account from using your BRP to using your Passport if you have not done so already.
Something not working? Here is what to do
We know the transition to eVisas can feel uncertain, especially when your immigration status is at stake. If you cannot access your UKVI account, if your eVisa does not show the correct status, or if a share code check returns something unexpected, contact UKVI directly at gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk. If you are a Borderless candidate, let your caseworker know as well. We can advise your sponsor on next steps and, if needed, your employer can use the Employer Checking Service (ECS) to verify your right to work while the issue is being sorted out.
Government guidance: https://www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status