OFs, OFWs, foreign migrants urged to apply for eVisa until March 31, 2025

by Pinoy Portal Europe

A Filipino British immigration consultant in London has warned overseas Filipinos, overseas Filipino workers and foreign migrants who are not yet British citizens,  to replace their travel and immigration documents with eVisa.until end of March this year.

Biometric Residence Permits or Cards will no longer be valid by 31 March 2025.

The United Kingdom is digitalizing its travel.documents and immigration procedures for efficient service as well as safety and security of both its citizens and foreign migrants and workers.

The March 2025 deadline is an extension to the eVisa transition phase initially targeted to end until last December 2024.

In an advisory, immigration consultant and Filipino community leader, Gene Alcantara, said that everyone in the United Kingdom who has Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), Leave to Remain or vignette stamps in old passports needs to replace their physical immigration documents with an electronic or digital visa known as eVisa.  

The proof of immigration status will now be through a digital eVisa, an electronic record of a person’s visa status.

He reminded concerned parties that failure to convert physical travel and immigration documents to eVisa after March 31, 2025, means that a foreign migrant or worker may face delays when going out of UK or returning to UK from overseas.

Travelling requires immigration status check of the foreigner via digital database, or carriers can call the Home Office’s 24/7 support hub to verify.

Alcantara added that one can apply for digital or eVisa by going to this link https://www.gov.uk/get-access-evisa  and follow instructions.

EVisa applicants are expected to first create a UKVI account which they can manage and update anytime.  Once created,  the applicant can link it to his or her eVisa.

Note that if your ILR visa is in an old passport, the process is different.  

Vignette or wet stamp -- old style ILR visa on expired passport.

One has to apply first for confirmation of your ILR by obtaining a No Time Limit (NTL) approval letter/email.  

Applicant has to be in the UK to apply for NTL which process takes up to six months.  Anyone with the old format ILR who is currently overseas should plan to return at least a week before the deadline to give them enough time to apply for the NTL.

After obtaining your NTL approval, you can then link it to your digital eVISA.

Digital eVisa sample.

Alcantara encouraged old travel document holders to visit their office for assistance, if they need it, bring the passport and BRP/BRC or the old passport with the vignette containing old ILR visa. Details are given below --

Alcantara Consultancy Services

52A Westside, London NW4 4XB

Email: acsvisas4u@gmail.com

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