UK Mandates eVisas for International Students and Foreign Workers from July 2025

By Jace July 29, 2025
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The United Kingdom has announced a major shift in its visa system, making eVisas mandatory for international students and skilled foreign workers starting 15 July 2025. This move marks a significant step in the UK’s transition to a fully digital immigration process.

Under the updated system, applicants for work or study visas will no longer receive a physical vignette, the visa sticker traditionally placed in passports upon approval. Instead, successful applicants will be granted a digital immigration status, accessible through a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account.

This transition aims to simplify the visa process. From July 2025 onwards, those applying for a UK visa in the study or work category will be able to provide biometric data and collect their passports on the same day, eliminating the need for multiple visits to Visa Application Centres.

To access their eVisa, applicants must first create a UKVI account before travelling to the United Kingdom. The eVisa system will store and display the individual’s immigration status, replacing the need for a biometric residence permit (BRP) or a vignette.

The UKVI clarified that this change only applies to main applicants under the work and study categories. Dependants and other visa categories will continue to receive physical vignettes, at least for now.

This is part of the UK government’s broader strategy to digitise its immigration system, increase security, and improve efficiency. The move is also expected to reduce administrative overhead and the risks of lost or damaged physical documents.

For those who have been granted a visa extension or issued a Form for Affixing a Visa (FAV) but lack a valid identity document, the UKVI account will also serve as the access point for their eVisa.

All migrants holding BRPs are now required to set up a UKVI account to transition to the eVisa system. The United Kingdom’s phased rollout of eVisas is expected to be fully operational in the coming years.

Source: FINANCIAL EXPRESS

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