eVisas

eVisas replace Biometric Residence Permits

Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) were phased out in 2024. All visa expiry dates from 1 January 2025 onwards were shown as 31 December 2024 on the BRP. The actual expiry date of your visa was unaffected. You can find your visa expiry date on the notification you received when your visa was granted. 
  
If your BRP expired on 31 December 2024 or before, but your course ends later and you still have permission to be in the UK, you should now create a UKVI account to access your eVisa.

Create an account

While creating a UKVI account, you'll need access to a smartphone to prove your identity and receive a security code every time you log on in future.

Be ready to provide:

• a phone number
• an email address.

You’ll also need one of the following:

• a valid passport and your visa application number
• a valid passport and your BRP number
• your BRP (within 18 months of expiry).

If you don’t use your passport at this stage, you'll need to update your account with your passport details at a later date before entering or re-entering the UK.

Each of your dependants must have a separate UKVI account.

Update your details

It is important that you keep your UKVI account information up to date so that you can continue to prove your status, travel and receive notifications about your visa.

You should update your UKVI account if you change your:

• name
• address
• phone number
• email address
• identity document, such as your passport or national identity card.

You should also notify UWE Bristol whenever any of these details change.

Update your UKVI account details

Prove your status

Several third parties will need to see evidence of your immigration status. These include UWE Bristol, your employer, bank, landlord, property agent and carrier (for example airline, etc). You can demonstrate your status using the View and Prove service.

Log in to your UKVI account and click on Get a Share Code.

You'll be presented with three options as to why you need a share code:

1. To prove my right to work.
2. To prove my right to rent in England.
3. To prove my immigration status for anything else.

Select option three for right to study at UWE Bristol.

It's important that you choose the correct reason because the third party will not be able to view details which are not relevant to their purpose. Once you have your share code, send it with your date of birth to whoever requested it. They will be able to check your immigration status.

For UWE Bristol right to study checks, email the share code to PBSHelpline@uwe.ac.uk.

Your share code will remain valid for 90 days and can be shared with multiple parties (but only with the purpose for which it was generated). This means you can prepare a share code in advance, which is particularly advisable if you are entering the UK in the near future.

Travel

When you start a journey to the UK, check-in staff will use your travel document to review your immigration status with UKVI. The same information will be checked by Border Force on arrival.

For this reason, it is important that you link your travel document to your UKVI account before the day you travel. Update your details and select Add a new identity document. Don’t wait until you are checking in before linking your document.

As a precaution against difficulties checking in, you are advised to take the following additional steps before travelling:

• Carry with you any physical evidence you have of your immigration status, including previous passports, letters and BRPs (even if they have expired).
• Prepare a share code by following the instructions in ‘Proving your status’ above.
• Log in to your UKVI account and create a document (such as a PDF) showing your immigration status. Save it to a device and, if possible, print it.

In the event that you cannot prove your status at check-in but you are sure you have valid immigration permission, you can ask check-in staff to contact the Border Force Carrier Support Hub (CSH) for information which supports your eligibility to travel.

If you have no way of proving your status for the purpose of returning to the UK, see Temporary visa.

Issues