Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost of phasing out physical proof of immigration status documents.

The transition from physical immigration status documents to eVisas has been underway since the launch of the EU Settlement Scheme in 2018, with millions of people already receiving and using eVisas successfully.

eVisas offer a more secure and convenient way to prove immigration status for those living, working, or studying in the UK.

The implementation of eVisas has reduced the need for the Home Office to produce and maintain physical documents such as Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and has led to a consequent reduction in costs.

The delivery of eVisas and carrier integration also results in a net reduction in the costs of acquiring and issuing vignettes and handling physical documents at Visa Application Centres (VACs). It also reduces costs to immigration status holders by removing the fees for replacing BRPs and the travel costs associated with travel to VACs.