Your student visa and online immigration status (eVisa)

If you do not yet have an eVisa, you will now be able to create an account and access your eVisa. Depending on your nationality or where you applied for your visa, you may already have an eVisa. 

I have just arrived, what should I do about my Biometric Residence Permit and eVisa? 

If you will be getting a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), please collect it from the location stated in your Student visa decision email, you will see that it has an expiry date of 31 December 2024. After you have collected your BRP, create a UKVI account so that you can access your eVisa. Share the end date from your eVisa with your College (or Department if you are a Recognised Student). 

How do I get an eVisa if my BRP expires on 31 December 2024?

You should create a UKVI account so you can access your eVisa before your BRP expiry date. The service to do this is available now. 

Some students already received an email from UKVI with instructions to create an account. From 6 August 2024, UKVI has now opened up the service to everyone so you no longer need to wait for an email.  You can find out about eVisas and creating your account on UKVI's eVisa page. You can create your eVisa account starting on this page, Get access to your eVisa.

How can I get help with creating an account and linking my eVisa?

Use the  eVisa Webchat for help if you are having difficulties with the process to create your account and link it to your eVisa. If the automatically generated responses do not solve the issue, indicate that your problem has not been answered to get through to an adviser who may be able to help further. 

Viewing and sharing your eVisa

Once you have a UKVI account you will be able to access your eVisa to view the details of your student visa permission, its expiry and conditions such as work permission. You will also be able to share information about your immigration status and conditions using the view and prove service by getting a share code. A share code gives time limited access to relevant data on your UKVI account. A new code is generated each time.

You can use the view and prove service to get a share code to provide your status and conditions for your college (undergraduate and graduate students) or department (Recognised Students) to save onto your student record. Before you have an eVisa your record is likely to show 31 December 2024 as your visa expiry date, in line with your BRP, so your college (or Department for recognised students) needs to update this.

You can also get a share code for an employer to use to check your right to work, or for a landlord or agent if you will be renting privately.

You can watch a video on how to prove your immigration status with an eVisa.

What to do if there is an error on your eVisa or you can't view it or prove your status 

Use the UKVI form to report something wrong on your eVisa, such as your photo, name, visa type, dates or visa conditions: Report an error with your eVisa - GOV.UK. You can also use this form if you are having problems seeing your e-visa or being able to use it to prove your status after you have completed the steps to set it up. You should receive a response within ten days either confirming that the eVisa has been corrected or asking for further information. If you are not sure whether a detail on your eVisa is an error or not, you could check with the Student Immigration Team by email - see right hand column. 

Remember to make sure your college always has an up-to-date record of your visa and passport

If you extend your visa, change to an eVisa or change your passport you MUST provide your college (or department for Recognised Students) with an updated copy. This is important because:

• it is a condition of Oxford’s sponsor license that your college (or department for Recognised Students) keeps fully up-to-date records of your visa and passport
• if we are not able to fulfil this sponsorship duty we may have to withdraw sponsorship which could lead to the loss of your student visa
• Oxford is required to check your right to study before permitting you to enrol and start your course or return to study after suspension
• if you currently hold a BRP with an end date of 31 December 2024, this will have been recorded by your college and needs to be updated to accurately reflect your full student visa permission when you get your eVisa
• the University needs your accurate visa details to be able to make the study completion report allowing you to apply for the post-study work Graduate Route visa
• the University’s internal right to work check system for employment in colleges relies on having your up-to-date visa details
• if your passport or BRP is lost or stolen, your college will be able to help by providing an up-to-date copy or confirming details. You should also keep your own up-to-date copies.

Travel once you have an eVisa, and arrangements to 31 March 2025

Make sure your eVisa is linked to your passport in your UKVI account. Read UKVI's information to check your eVisa is correct before you travel. If you get a new passport, you will be able to update your UKVI account so that your eVisa can be checked through your new passport at the UK border. Update your account as soon as you can with details of a new passport, and at least several days before you travel if possible, as the updates do not always take effect immediately. If you don't get confirmation your account has updated, take your old passport with you as well. Until 31 March 2025 you should still carry your BRP if you have one. From 1 January 2025, carriers and UK Border control will be able to check your status either through a passport that is linked to your eVisa, or using a share code or, until 31 March 2025 using an expired BRP as long as your underlying student visa permission is still current.

Therefore, when you travel you should ensure your current passport is linked to your eVisa. You can also get a share code ready using the view and prove service as an alternative way to show permission, and also carry your old BRP.

If you have been unable to finalise the set-up of your eVisa you should still be able to return to the UK up until 31 March 2025 using your passport and a BRP with a 31 December 2024 expiry date. 

You can watch a video about travelling with your eVisa. 

Keeping your UKVI account up to date

You can update your personal information in your UKVI account, including:

• mobile phone number
• email address
• name
• identity document, such as your passport or national identity card
• home address
• postal address

Your eVisa will be linked to your passport so you must update your UKVI account if you get a new passport. If you travel before you get confirmation that your UKVI account has been updated, take your old passport with you as well as your new passport.

You can also update your UKVI account if your nationality changes or you get a new nationality. 

Do not update your name or passport details while you have a visa application pending. 

Who already has an eVisa

Some students have a UKVI account and eVisa already.

• EU/EEA Swiss students who were able to use the UK Immigration: ID Check app to verify identity for a student visa application instead of attending a biometrics appointment
• Students who applied in the UK for a student visa for a new course or extension of study and were able to use the UK Immigration: ID Check app, note if you are a visa national you might have been given a new BRP as well as having an eVisa
• Some students with EU Settlement Scheme pre-settled or settled status
• Some students studying on a BN(O) visa
• Some students who applied under one of the Ukraine schemes

Proving your status if you do not already have an eVisa

If you do not already have an eVisa, your college will need to see your BRP and possibly your passport entry sticker to record your student visa details for compliance purposes. If your BRP end date is 31 December 2024 they will have entered this on your student record. When you upgrade to an eVisa you will need to share the details with your college (or your Department if you are a Recognised student)

To prove your work permission to an employer you will normally need to get a share code to give them using details from your BRP.

If you are renting private accommodation, you will need to provide a share code to the landlord or agent.

Updating your details with UKVI if you do not already have an eVisa

UKVI has a webpage explaining how to report a change of circumstances if you have a visa or BRP. If there is a change to any of these details you will need to get a new BRP:

• Name
• Nationality
• facial appearance
• date of birth
• gender

If you change your address you can report this online or using the Migrant change of circumstances form.

For any other changes, including your contact details or dependants details or to inform UKVI of about a new passport, use the Migrant change of circumstances form which you need to print off on paper and post. If you are using the form to tell UKVI about your new passport, at Question 10 tick ‘personal details’ and at Question 11 explain that you have a new passport and give the old passport and new passport numbers and in Question 12 the date of issue of the new passport.