In a move welcomed by employers and migrants alike, the Home Office has quietly extended the period during which expired Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and Biometric Residence Cards (BRCs) can still be used to access most online immigration services. Holders of lapsed BRPs now have until 31 December 2026 (was June 2026) while BRC holders covered by the EU Settlement Scheme get an extra four years, to 31 December 2030. The change recognises that the government’s transition to a fully digital e-Visa ecosystem is running behind schedule.
![Deadline to replace physical BRP/BRC cards with e-Visas pushed back]()
For organisations looking for practical help navigating these evolving rules, VisaHQ’s UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) provides a fast way to set up e-Visa accounts, resolve BRP/BRC data errors and run compliant right-to-work checks, easing pressure on busy HR teams.
Although most new permissions are already issued electronically, millions of legacy card-holders have struggled with account set-up glitches and data-matching errors. By extending the acceptance window, officials hope to avoid a summer bottleneck in right-to-work checks and visa renewals. Important caveats remain: the concession does NOT apply to statutory right-to-work or right-to-rent checks, where employers and landlords must still use the Online Status Checker. Nor does it cover individuals whose cards are lost or whose immigration status was granted after physical cards ceased production. Mobility teams should therefore continue to migrate staff onto the e-Visa portal and keep passport details current. Practically, the extension buys organisations breathing space to update compliance processes, train HR staff and communicate the new timelines to international assignees. But the Home Office is adamant that physical documents will disappear entirely by the end of 2026, so ignoring the digital shift is no longer an option.
For organisations looking for practical help navigating these evolving rules, VisaHQ’s UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) provides a fast way to set up e-Visa accounts, resolve BRP/BRC data errors and run compliant right-to-work checks, easing pressure on busy HR teams.
Although most new permissions are already issued electronically, millions of legacy card-holders have struggled with account set-up glitches and data-matching errors. By extending the acceptance window, officials hope to avoid a summer bottleneck in right-to-work checks and visa renewals. Important caveats remain: the concession does NOT apply to statutory right-to-work or right-to-rent checks, where employers and landlords must still use the Online Status Checker. Nor does it cover individuals whose cards are lost or whose immigration status was granted after physical cards ceased production. Mobility teams should therefore continue to migrate staff onto the e-Visa portal and keep passport details current. Practically, the extension buys organisations breathing space to update compliance processes, train HR staff and communicate the new timelines to international assignees. But the Home Office is adamant that physical documents will disappear entirely by the end of 2026, so ignoring the digital shift is no longer an option.
