International students and foreign workers entering the UK are experiencing a change in the visa application procedure. From July 15, the UK has introduced eVisas for student and skilled worker categories.
In the new process, one will not receive a vignette when they apply for a work or study visa on or after July 15, 2025.
The advantage of the new process is that starting 15 July 2025, online applications for eVisas will allow applicants to submit biometrics and collect their passport on the same day, eliminating the need to return to the Visa Application Centre.
UK eVisas
UK migrants arriving for work or study will not receive a vignette in their passport but must create a UKVI account and access their eVisa before travel. However, you will 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.
Still, the applicant can expect to receive a decision on their application via email in accordance with UKVI processing timelines.
UKVI account
To access your UK eVisa before traveling to the United Kingdom, you must first create a UKVI account. You can create a UKVI account to access your eVisa if you were issued with a Form for affixing a visa (FAV) or granted an extension to your visa but do not have a valid identity document, such as a passport or expired biometric residence permit (BRP).
“For students and skilled professionals, the digital visa process offers a simpler and more transparent experience, eliminating physical BRP cards and enabling online access to visa status,” says Aritra Ghosal, Founder and Director at OneStep Global.
UKVI has begun to phase out the usage of physical vignettes, a sticker in a passport that indicates permission to enter and stay in the UK.
All UK immigrants possessing biometric residency permits (BRPs) need to open a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account to get their eVisa. UKVI is transitioning to a digital immigration system, known as an eVisa, replacing physical documents with a digital record of identity and immigration status in a phased approach.