Immigration Corner | How to check UK eVisa prior to travel

Dear Mr. Bassie,

I would like to know if there is anything that I may need to do pertaining to my eVisa prior to travelling to the United Kingdom.

D.G.

Dear D.G.,

It is important that persons check that their United Kingdom (UK) Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account and eVisa details are correct prior to travel to or from the UK.

Persons will have a UKVI account and an eVisa if they have successfully applied for a visa or another type of permission to be in the UK. This includes if they have status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

Please be aware that the carrier may not allow travel if the details are wrong. Persons may also be delayed at the UK border. They must make sure that:

• their UKVI account has the current passport and personal details - persons can update their UKVI account

• their eVisa is correct, for example it shows the right immigration status - persons can view their eVisa to check

• their details exactly match the passenger information given to the carrier (for example the airline)

Please note that if persons cannot view their eVisa, they should check that they have set up their UKVI account correctly. Please note that an eVisa is different from an electronic travel authorization (ETA). An ETA allows people who do not need a visa to travel to the UK for up to six months.

WHEN TRAVELLING

Persons must travel with a valid passport or travel document that they have added to their UKVI account. The eVisa will be checked when persons leave and enter the UK, either by a border control officer or when they use the eGates and/or when they check in with their carrier to return to the UK. Further, the country being visited might have other entry or exit requirements – persons are advised to check before they travel.

If asked to show additional proof of immigration status

Persons might be asked to show additional proof of their immigration status by a carrier or border official. They can provide a share code or use a physical immigration document if they have one. Those persons can sign in to view their eVisa and get a share code. A share code for travel is valid for 90 days so persons can get it before they travel and it can be used more than once.

If persons have a physical document which proves their valid immigration status, they may want to carry it with them as additional proof. Please note that physical documents include a sticker or stamp which shows they have indefinite leave to remain or enter (settlement) in an old passport; right of abode certificate of entitlement in their passport; or a Home Office travel document.

Good luck.

John S. Bassie

John S. Bassie is a barrister/attorney-at-law who practises law in Jamaica. He is a justice of the peace, a Supreme Court-appointed mediator, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a chartered arbitrator, the past global president of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (U.). Email: lawbassie@yahoo.com