by 🎯 What’s new and how it helps
- No more physical visa stickers: If you’re applying for a study or work visa longer than six months, you’ll now receive a digital e‑visa, tied directly to your passport via a UKVI account .
- Covers most categories, including:
- Students (long- and short-term up to 11 months),
- A variety of skilled-worker routes like Global Talent, Skilled Worker, health/care roles,
- Global Business Mobility and Temporary Work schemes, plus the Youth Mobility Scheme .
- No impact on your status: The visa conditions remain the same. Keep your existing valid physical visa until it expires; no need to switch mid-term .
- Benefits:
- You don’t have to submit your passport at visa centers anymore.
- You can instantly share your immigration status with employers, landlords, or airlines via the UKVI online portal .
- The process is faster, more secure, and passport-retentive .
⚠️ What remains unchanged
- Dependants and short‑term visitor visas still require physical stickers .
- No action required for current visa holders—your existing visas stay valid .
🗂 Context within UK’s broader immigration overhaul
- The e‑visa rollout is part of the UK’s shift to a fully digital immigration system, initiated in 2024, replacing Biometric Residence Permits, stickers, and stamps with online records .
- Meanwhile, the government is consolidating stricter visa vetting, profiling applicants (especially from Pakistan, Nigeria, Sri Lanka) to prevent overstaying and asylum abuses .
- These profiles are being used to tighten entry rules through bank statement reviews and engagement tracking, though experts warn the impact may be modest . UK Introduces E-Visas.
âś… What this means for Pakistani applicants
| Benefit Area | Impact |
|---|---|
| Convenience | Passport stays with you; apply and track digitally |
| Efficiency | Faster permit status checks via UKVI account |
| Security | Less risk of lost/stuck passports; digital proof accepted everywhere |
| Eligibility | ✔️ Students & workers; ❌ Tourists & dependants still require stickers |
đź“Ą Next steps
- When applying, choose the proper category (e.g., Skilled Worker, Student).
- Once visa approved, link passport to UKVI account—you’ll see the e‑visa there.
- Use your UKVI visa status online for travel, employment checks, or tenancy.
- Keep an eye out as the UK plans to expand e‑visas to all other visa types later .
