 "No more visa stickers: UK mandates eVisas for students, skilled workers")
If you’re planning to study or work in the UK, there’s a new visa process in place from July 15, 2025. The UK government has begun issuing eVisas for student and skilled worker categories, replacing the physical vignette that was earlier stamped in passports.
No more visa stickers in passports
Those applying for a UK work or study visa on or after July 15 will no longer receive a vignette, the sticker typically placed inside the passport. Instead, applicants will be issued a digital immigration status and will need to create a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account to access their eVisa before travelling.
The process will still require biometrics, but that part is now simpler too.
“From July 15, online applications will allow you to submit biometrics and collect your passport on the same day, so you don’t have to come back to the Visa Application Centre again,” the UK government explained in a press release.
Applicants will be informed of the decision by email, as per the usual UKVI processing timelines.
Vignettes still for dependants and other categories
Those applying as dependants or under visa routes other than work or study will still receive a vignette in their passport. This includes family members accompanying the main applicant and categories such as visitor visas or settlement routes.
“You’ll still get a vignette if you apply as a dependant for any visa or as a main applicant for visas other than work or study,” the government clarified.
A digital shift in immigration records
The UK is now transitioning from physical immigration documents to a digital system, and the eVisa is a key part of that.
“These changes to the UK visa system will make it much simpler for students and workers to prove their identity and visa status. It also means applicants can hold onto their passports, saving them time,” said Jane Marriott, UK High Commissioner to India.
The move is expected to eliminate the need for physical Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs), with all immigration records linked to an individual's UKVI account.
Who gets an eVisa now
EVisas are now being issued to main applicants under the following routes:
Student visas, including short-term study up to 11 months
Global Business Mobility routes: Senior or specialist worker, graduate trainee, UK expansion worker, service supplier, and secondment worker
Global talent visa
International sportsperson visa
Skilled worker visas, including health and care roles
Temporary work visas under charity, creative, religious, government-authorised exchange, and international agreement categories
Youth mobility scheme
Creating a UKVI account
To access the eVisa, applicants must create a UKVI account. This is necessary for anyone granted a visa through a digital notice—either via a decision letter or a Form for Affixing a Visa (FAV)—and those without a valid identity document, such as an expired BRP or passport.
The UK’s move to eVisas is part of a phased shift towards a fully digital immigration system. The government has confirmed that all BRP holders will eventually need to transition to this new digital system by setting up their UKVI accounts.