Summary:
- eVisas are replacing physical immigration documents, allowing individuals to view their UK immigration status digitally through a UKVI account.
- UKVI accounts provide access to your digital status, including information about your permission to stay and any conditions attached to your immigration status.
- Share codes allow you to prove your immigration rights to employers, landlords and other authorised organisations without sharing access to your UKVI account.
- Keeping your digital status accurate is important — RZ Immigration Practice can provide immigration advice where you have concerns about your eVisa, immigration conditions, UKVI account or difficulties demonstrating your immigration status.
The Home Office has transitioned the UK’s immigration framework away from physical documentation toward a fully digital system. Traditional physical evidence of status, such as Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs), Biometric Residence Cards (BRCs), and paper vignette stickers in passports, is being phased out. Instead, individuals are expected to view, manage, and prove their status online through a digital portal.
Understanding how to access your digital immigration status—known as an eVisa—and how to generate secure codes to prove your rights to third parties is essential. This guide outlines the steps required to navigate your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account and manage your digital profile effectively.
The Evolution of Digital Status in the UK
The transition to eVisas represents a significant modernization of the UK border and immigration control system. By replacing physical documents with digital status, the Home Office aims to reduce document fraud, streamline border crossings, and simplify how individuals interact with public and private services. An eVisa is an online record of your immigration status that details your permission to enter or stay in the UK, including any conditions attached to your stay, such as work or study restrictions.
While the digital transition provides several advantages, it also places a greater responsibility on visa holders. Individuals must ensure their online records remain accurate, up to date, and correctly linked to their active physical travel documents. Because immigration rules and systems are subject to change, staying informed about procedural updates is crucial to maintaining a compliant status.
Setting Up and Accessing a UKVI Account
To access your eVisa, you must first register for a UKVI account. This account acts as your secure portal to the Home Office’s digital services. If you applied for your current visa using the “UK Immigration: ID Check” smartphone app, you may already have a UKVI account. If not, you will need to create one online
Information Required to Register
- Your date of birth.
- A valid email address and a UK mobile phone number.
- The details of your physical identity document, such as your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card or a valid international passport.
- Your unique application reference number or UAN from your visa decision letter.
How to Generate and Use Share Codes
Under the digital framework, physical proof of status is no longer accepted by employers, landlords, or other third parties. Instead, you must prove your rights using the ‘View and Prove’ service to generate a secure, temporary alphanumeric share code.
A share code allows third parties to verify your identity and immigration status safely without granting them access to your complete UKVI account credentials. The verification portal ensures that your sensitive personal information remains protected.
Steps to Generate a Share Code
To generate a share code, you must follow a straightforward workflow:
- Log in to your UKVI account via the official government portal.
- Navigate to the ‘View and Prove’ section.
- Select the reason you wish to share your information. You must select whether you are proving your right to work, your right to rent, or your general immigration status.
- The system will generate a nine-character alphanumeric share code.
- Provide this share code, along with your date of birth, to the verifying party.
It is important to note that share codes are highly secure and time-sensitive. A standard share code is typically valid for 30 days from the date of generation. If the verifying party does not use the code within this period, it will expire, and you will need to log back into your UKVI account to generate a new one. Furthermore, different codes are generated for different purposes; a code generated for an employer cannot be used by a landlord to verify your right to rent.
Important Actions and Managing Your Digital Profile
To ensure that your digital status remains functional, you must manage your UKVI account proactively. One of the most critical responsibilities is keeping your linked travel document details current.
If you renew your passport or obtain a new travel document, you must update your UKVI account immediately using the online ‘Update your UKVI account’ service. Because your eVisa is digitally linked to your passport, failing to update this information can lead to significant issues. For example, commercial carriers and airlines may be unable to verify your right to enter the UK prior to boarding, which could result in travel delays or boarding denials at international airports.
Additionally, you should regularly log in to check your digital status for any clerical errors. If you detect inaccuracies regarding your visa conditions, expiration dates, or personal details, you should report them immediately to ensure they are corrected before you need to prove your status to a third party.
Why Choose RZ Immigration Practice?
Checking your UK immigration status and understanding what your eVisa or share code means can be straightforward, but problems can arise when your digital status does not accurately reflect your immigration permission or when you are unsure about your rights and conditions.
At RZ Immigration Practice, we can assist individuals who need professional immigration advice in connection with their digital immigration status. This may include helping you understand your eVisa, reviewing your immigration conditions, identifying potential discrepancies in your digital status, and explaining what your status means for your right to work, study or remain in the UK.
Where an issue with your eVisa, UKVI account or immigration status affects your ability to demonstrate your rights, we can advise you on the appropriate steps to address the issue with UKVI. Where necessary, we can also discuss whether a further immigration application or other immigration advice may be required based on your circumstances.
RZ Immigration Practice is an IAA-regulated immigration advice practice providing advice on personal and business immigration matters. Our role is to provide immigration advice based on your individual circumstances rather than simply carry out a share code check.
