Written by Katie Howe, Project and Policy Officer at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (November 2024)

In Greater Manchester, hundreds of thousands of people will need to use an eVisa to prove their immigration status after 31^st December 2024.

An eVisa is a digital form of immigration status, and people who are eligible need to access their eVisa by creating a UKVI account.  Accessing an eVisa does not affect an individual’s immigration status, just the way that they prove it to others.

What is the purpose of an eVisa?

Most non-UK or non-Irish nationals will need an eVisa to access benefits, and prove their right to rent, study and work.

eVisas are used to create share codes - numbers which can be shown to others to prove a person’s immigration status - using the view and prove service. Share codes are different depending on their purpose.

To prove their right to work, an eVisa holder can log into their UKVI account, and use the view and prove service to generate a share code for an employer. The employer can then use the check someone's immigration status service to verify that the person has the right to work in the UK.

Share codes are already widely used, but many more people will need to use them from 2025.

As an employer, what do I need to know?

1. eVisas are replacing most physical immigration documents at the end of 2024. People affected should create a UKVI account and access their eVisa as soon as possible.

• Share this information with employees who may be affected by the change and encourage them to take action to access their eVisa.
• Approach these conversations with support in mind and with empathy and sensitivity. Discussing immigration status with an employer can often be stressful and challenging, due to fears of discrimination, job insecurity and potential misunderstandings about complex immigration laws.

2. An expiry date of 31st December 2024 on a physical immigration document is likely to relate to the expiry of the document itself, not the individual’s immigration status.

• Reports of people being wrongly refused employment, tenancies and benefits, because of this expiry date on their immigration document are deeply concerning.
• If an existing or potential employee presents an immigration document with an expiry date of 31^st December 2024, ask them to produce a share code using their UKVI account.

3. There is another way for employers check the immigration status of an existing or potential employee.

• If someone has not yet accessed their eVisa, and cannot produce a share code, you can still check their status using the Employer Checking Service.

4. No one should pay for support to access their eVisa if they are struggling to do so.

• Free support is available in Greater Manchester to help with accessing or using an eVisa. Follow this link for the list of Home Office funded support organisations across the UK.
• People will still be able to create a UKVI account and access their visa for the first time in 2025.
• Someone’s immigration status will not be affected if they don’t access their eVisa by the end of the year. But they may struggle to prove their immigration status to others until they do.

For the latest information about eVisas, including who needs one, and how to create a UKVI account, visit the eVisa page on the government website. To view all the resources and support available in Greater Manchester, follow this link.

Click here for the Transition to eVisas - Guidance for employers in Greater Manchester to support people who need to access an eVisa.