Businesses urged to keep on top of eVisa delays

With the delay to the roll-out of the government’s e-visas scheme, an immigration law specialist has warned that businesses need to keep themselves up-to-date with a very fluid situation.
The introduction of e-visas represents a move away from physical documents for clients to prove their immigration status. The new electronic system will therefore change how most clients on family based routes will prove their right to live, rent, work and study in the UK, as well as their right to re-enter after trips abroad.
However, the introduction has so far been beset by technical issues, meaning that the intended full roll-out of the new system from 31 December has now been delayed. The Government has now extended the grace period for using physical documents until March 2025.
Nottingham-headquartered OTB Legal’s associate solicitor on the Business Immigration team, Lydia Watkinson, said: “This move aims to alleviate pressure on those affected by the delays until the Home Office has managed to ensure the eVisa platform is stable. Despite these issues, over 3.1 million people have already transitioned to the new system.
“The continued use of physical documents – even if they have expired – is part of a government plan to avoid the ‘real fear’ of another Windrush-style scandal among minority communities, Seema Malhotra, the migration and citizenship minister, told the national press earlier this month.”
When up-and-running, the Government says the eVisa system promises long-term benefits like real-time status updates and reduced risks of document fraud. However, the current roll-out issues highlight the need for more robust infrastructure to avoid any more confusion associated with the disruption.
Watkinson added: “It is recommended that clients keep themselves up-to-date with updates from the Home Office on an ongoing basis until the new system is fully introduced.”