From 15 July 2025, non-Europeans granted UK entry clearance in work and certain other routes will no longer receive a visa sticker in their passport.
Instead, the approval email will tell the applicant to set up a UKVI account to access their eVisa. This streamlines the process, but employers and applicants should be on alert to identify and resolve potential eVisa issues.
According to legal firm Lewis Silkin, non-European nationals are impacted if they are applying under the following immigration routes:
- Skilled Worker (including Health and Care)
- Global Business Mobility
- Global Talent
- International Sportsperson
- Temporary Worker (including Creative Workers and Government Authorised Exchange)
- Youth Mobility Scheme
- Student (including short-term up to 11 months)
Dependent partners and children will continue to receive a visa vignette (sticker) in their passports, valid for up to 90 days. If their stay is longer than 90 days, they will also be granted an eVisa, in line with the current procedure. Eligible Europeans can continue to apply for an eVisa straight away using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app.
Lewis Silkin said that the update will mean a number of changes for applicants, including:
- You do not need to hand over your passport to the visa application centre, because UKVI will not place a visa sticker inside it.
- You do not need to revisit the visa application centre to collect your passport or have it couriered to you.
- You do not need a blank page in your passport.
- You can choose to travel within your home country or abroad while your application is pending. We suggest staying close to the visa application centre as you may be requested to attend an interview at short notice. If you need to visit the UK while your application is pending, seek legal advice first.
- You will be issued with an eVisa, which confirms the full duration of your immigration status.
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