If you have been granted leave to remain or even indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK in recent years, you would have been issued a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card with an expiration date of 31 December 2024.
It is important to know that this date restriction does not indicate the expiration of your leave to remain in the UK. The date restriction also does not change your entitlements to work, access services or benefits or travel. Only your BRP card will expire on 31 December 2024.
So, why does my BRP expire on 31 December 2024?
From 1 January 2025 onwards, the Home Office had planned to introduce BRPs which incorporated next-generation encryption technology, to meet EU requirements. However, following Brexit (the UK’s departure from the EU), the EU requirements on BRPs were lifted. Nonetheless, as part of their efforts to digitise immigration status information, the Home Office still continued to issue BRPs with an expiration date of 31 December 2024.
It is hoped that all individuals will have online access to their immigration status information by the end of 2024 through the GOV.UK service available online – ‘View and Prove Service’. Therefore, most migrants will continue to receive BRP, which expire sooner than their leave expires.
The Home Office has confirmed that in early 2024 they will provide details about how to prove your immigration status online beyond 31 December 2024.
How do I prove the correct expiry date of my leave?
Firstly, you should remember that unless your actual permission to remain in the UK expires on 31 December 2024, it is only the BRP card that will expire, not your permission or immigration status.
You will prove your rights in the UK digitally by using the View and Prove service on GOV.UK to generate a share code instead of using physical documents. The checking services are only available on GOV.UK. How they check your status will depend on what check they are conducting. All checking services can be accessed in or out of the UK:
- employers: ‘View a job applicant’s right to work details’
- landlords and letting agents in England: ‘View a tenant’s right to rent in England’
- for any other check: ‘Check someone’s immigration status’
Once the checker has selected the relevant service, they then enter your share code and date of birth in order to view your status information and conduct their relevant check.
You may not need to share your online immigration status with certain government departments and authorities such Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and NHS England and Wales, as your immigration status will be accesible to them directly from the Home Office.
Alternatively, you should have received a letter from the Home Office confirming when your leave expires and advising that your BRP may expire earlier. If you do not already have access to your immigration status information online then you may rely on this letter as confirmation of the actual expiry date of your leave.
What do I need to know going forward?
Before BRP cards with an expiry date of 31 December 2024 start to expire, all holders of such cards will be given full access to their immigration status information online via the ‘View and Prove Service’.
It should be possible to use this new digital service in exactly the same way that you use your BRP card, albeit that details of the expiry date of your leave will be available online rather than on a physical card.
Those who used the UK Immigration: ID Check App to submit their visa application to stay in the UK, who may not have be issued with a BRP card will need to prove their immigration status online as explained above.
Contact the Whytecroft Ford Team
For expert advice and assistance regarding UK immigration, contact our Immigration consultants on 02087575751 or fill in our contact form.
Frequently asked questions
In order to apply for a replacement Biometric Residence Permit you will need to use the online application process. You can access the online form: here.
It can take 8 weeks for your replacement BRP card application to be processed through the standard service.
You can use this link to report your BRP as lost or stolen. It can be reported as such from inside or outside the UK. You should be contacted within one working day of reporting it.
