‘Cliff edge’ deadline for UK digital visas still leaves 4m at risk of losing rights

Home Office urged to extend year-end date for expiry of biometric residence permits after postponing eVisas rollout

The controversial rollout of digital visas for non-EU migrants has been delayed, but without any change to the “cliff edge” year-end deadline. This leaves more than 4 million UK residents facing a race against time to avoid effectively becoming undocumented migrants. Having said people would be able to apply to access the new “eVisas” from June, the Home Office is now advising that applications will open “later in 2024”.

Immigration lawyers have written to the Home Office expressing “great concern” at the delay as there has been no change to the 31 December deadline for the transition to eVisas.