e-Visa update: no more 90-day vignettes in passports
The Home Office has announced that from 15 July, the main applicant for certain visas will only get an eVisa and no 90-day vignette in their passport.
This means that following visas will only be issued as eVisas:
- Skilled Workers (including Health and Care)
- Students (including short-term up to 11 months)
- Global Talent
- Temporary Workers
- Youth Mobility Scheme.
Dependants and children will still get both a vignette (sticker) and an eVisa.
Sponsors must continue to check and record the worker’s date of arrival, including for those without vignettes, until further notice. Sponsor guidance on keeping records for sponsorship can be found on the GOV.UK website. NHS Employers hosted a webinar on sponsorship responsibilities where questions were answered by the Home Office and the NHS Business Service Authority.
Other updates regarding eVisas include:
- Travel concessions ended on the 2 June 2025, meaning expired biometric residence permits (BRPs) and biometric residence cards (BRCs) can no longer be used for travel.
- People can keep their expired BRPs and BRCs for their personal records and assisting with future immigration applications.
- Those with a valid immigration status can also use their BRP as proof of identity, up to 18 months beyond the expiry date of the BRP. Please see the identity checks standard for further details.
What workers need to do when their eVisa is granted
The Home Office has shared information regarding what workers need to do when their eVisas are granted:
- Follow all the instructions in their decision letter to create a UKVI account.
- Access their eVisa and check the details are correct.
- Link their travel document (e.g. passport) to their eVisa before travelling. Guidance can be found on the GOV.UK website.
- Get a share code (with their date of birth) to give you, their employer. More information can be found on the GOV.UK website.
- Proof of right to work can only be accessed using a share code. Please see the right to work checks standard for further details.
Simplifying process
The Home Office has simplified the process for getting an eVisa for people with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) who still use an ink stamp or vignette in their passport to prove their rights.
Any individual who does this should make a free No Time Limit (NTL) application. This allows them to:
- create a UKVI account
- access an eVisa
- prove their rights more easily in future.
They can still use their current ink stamp or vignette to prove their rights, including for travel. At the same time, they can benefit from the added security and convenience of an eVisa.
To apply they will need the document showing ILR and their passport or travel document showing their most recent UK entry. They will be asked if they have been outside the UK for two years or more, but don’t need to provide evidence of residence.
Once approved, they will receive an eVisa and instructions on how to access it in their decision letter or email.
Processes have also been made simpler for those who were granted permission to stay in the UK before 1 November 2024, but who don’t have valid ID, as they can now create their own UKVI account. They no longer need the Home Office to do it for them.
If you require any further information regarding eVisas please contact internationalrecruitment@nhsconfed.org
