By 2025, Britain is set to ditch physical immigration status documents such as Biometric Residence Permits and Biometric Residence Cards in a bid to make its borders digital, which is in-line with developed countries like Australia.
Presently, students, workers, immigrants and their dependents from non-EU countries residing in the UK are eventually issued Biometric Residence Permits, cards which are proof of their immigration status in the country.
Much like e-Passports, these plastic cards contain a chip that can be used by a Border Force officer to cryptographically verify the authenticity of the document itself and a person's identity via biometrics stored in that chip.
Some developed nations such as Australia, much like the UK, also collect biometrics from immigrants but in contrast, do not issue physical cards or in-passport vignettes.
Instead, applicants are granted an e-visa that can be verified online and serves a digital proof of their immigration status.
All UK BRPs issued up until today are set to expire December 31, 2024-even if your immigration status is valid beyond that date, or has no time limit on it.
The reason for this being, while the UK was a part of the European Union, regulations required the government to implement next-generation encryption technology into its immigration documents, and as such the UK planned on rolling out enhanced cards after the end of this year, while phasing existing ones out.
You do not need to do anything and your immigration status will not be affected.
An eVisa is an electronic record of a person's immigration status and provides customers with the ability to view and prove their immigration status digitally, explains Home Office.
It removes the need for physical documents such as, the Biometric Residence Permit, ink stamps and visa vignette stickers in a customer's passport or the Biometric Residence Card.
Because we are already in February, those with BRP cards expiring over the next few months may be wondering what they need to do.
BleepingComputer reached out to the Home Office to better understand the upcoming changes and what will the new process to prove and renew immigration status look like.
Our understanding is that the physical biometric cards and printed visa stickers will entirely be replaced by e-visas, similar to the ones issued by Australia, where immigrants currently use the Visa Entitlement Verification Online system to prove their status digitally.
Starting 2025, existing UK BRP holders are expected to register for a UKVI online account to view or prove immigration status.
Millions of people with an 'EU settled status' or those who have used the 'UK Immigration: ID Check' app already hold a UKVI account and use e-visas to prove their right to enter and live in the UK. The upcoming changes are expected to extend these conveniences to nationals of all countries.
An eVisa, much like a physical BRP, will be securely linked to its holder's unique biometric information to safeguard against identity fraud.
Starting this summer, the Home Office plans on providing airlines, train and ferry operators with integrated secure access to passenger immigration information to enhance border security and reduce unnecessary passenger delays.
With the move towards e-Visas, public government bodies like the Department for Work and Pensions and the NHS in England and Wales will be able to automatically and securely access an individual's status when they apply to access benefits and public services.
Home Office customers including existing BRP and physical document holders should monitor www.
While the UK government is on track to deliver a digital border and immigration system, including plans to trial contactless entry using just facial recognition, there are no plans at the moment to replace physical passports with digital equivalents, such as those piloted by Finland, BleepingComputer understands.
This Cyber News was published on www.bleepingcomputer.com. Publication date: Sat, 10 Feb 2024 11:25:10 +0000