Right now, you don’t need to do anything.

If you have been granted indefinite leave to remain (ILR) since 1 January 2020, you will have received a BRP that has an expiration date of 31 December 2024. This is because the Home Office had planned to introduce BRPs which incorporated next-generation encryption technology from 1 January 2025, to meet EU requirements. Given that the BRPs that were being issued by the Home Office did not incorporate the next generation of encryption technology, the EU requested that BRPs should have a validity date that did not exceed 31 December 2024. This meant that some individuals had leave which was valid for longer than the document that they were issued with.

Following Brexit and the UK’s departure from the EU, in January 2021 the EU restrictions on formatting were lifted and we moved to a new UK format BRP. Now the Home Office has confirmed that BRPs are going digital and once your current BRP runs out, you will no longer need a physical BRP as you will be able to prove your immigration status online.

This means that at this moment in time you don’t need to do anything. You will be contacted by the Home Office in early 2024 and they will assist you in how to prove your immigration status online beyond 31 December 2024. It is important to remember that it is your card that expires – not necessarily your actual permission to remain in the UK.

There is no need to be concerned that your permission to remain in the UK is going to expire on 31 December 2024; your leave to remain will still apply after 31 December 2024, if that is applicable in your case. Even if your BRP expires, your entitlement to access services or benefits and work or travel are not affected.

The Home Office has been pushing forward to progress its plans to digitalise immigration status information, so that immigration status information becomes far more accessible via the government’s online service. This is why current BRPs are being short dated to allow for this transition period and that is why you may continue to receive a BRP which expires sooner than the leave you have been granted with.

All holders of cards with the 31 December 2024 expiry date will be given full access to their immigration status information online via the “view and prove” service which will work in exactly the same way as the BRP but digitally instead.

Please remember:

Keep safe a copy of your letter from the Home Office confirming when your leave expires and advising that your BRP may expire earlier – this will be confirmation of the actual expiry date of your leave.

In due course, you will be contacted and given online access to your immigration status information via the view and prove service.

This is also required should you need to demonstrate your right to work to an employer or your right to rent to a landlord. Real-time status information will be accessible which reflects the duration of your leave, rather than the expiry date stated on your BRP card.

Contact Us Today

Arlingsworth Solicitors specialise in advising clients on all aspects of their immigration status and our dedicated team of immigration experts are on hand 24/7 to provide specialist advice and guidance. Please contact our Brighton office on: +44 (0) 1273 696962 or our London office on:
+44 (0) 203 358 0058. Alternatively, request a callback, or email info@arlingsworth.com. You can also follow us on social media for any other important news and updates.