Migrants holding Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) that expired on 31 December 2024 have been given a further reprieve: the Home Office will now accept the outdated cards for most online immigration services until 31 December 2026, according to an update first reported by Fragomen and the Economic Times. The extension covers activities such as accessing the UKVI account, updating personal details and proving status to some government agencies, but it does **not** apply to statutory right-to-work or right-to-rent checks. Employers must therefore continue using the online share-code system for pre-employment verification. For EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) holders with Biometric Residence Cards, validity has been pushed out even further—to 31 December 2030—easing pressure on that cohort while digital status rolls out.
![Home Office extends acceptance of expired BRPs as switch to eVisas gathers pace]()
If you’re unsure whether a BRP, eVisa or other document meets the latest Home Office requirements, VisaHQ can help. Their dedicated UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) offers real-time guidance, document checks and application support for individuals and employers navigating right-to-work rules, renewals and wider immigration compliance—saving time and reducing the risk of costly errors.
Why the late change? UKVI’s eVisa platform is still absorbing millions of records and has suffered well-publicised matching errors. Officials privately admit the original June 2026 cutoff risked locking thousands of migrants out of essential services if their digital status had not synced in time. For businesses the message is mixed: staff can keep using their old cards to open bank accounts or access benefits, reducing short-term friction. But HR teams **must** double-check that onboarding processes distinguish between right-to-work checks—where expired BRPs are **not** acceptable—and other administrative tasks. Failure to do so could trigger civil penalties of up to £60,000 per illegal worker under the tougher fine regime introduced last year. Strategically, the extension hints that full digitisation of the UK border will slip beyond 2026. Mobility managers should build contingency plans that assume parallel paper-plus-digital proofs of status will persist for at least another 18 months, and budget for internal training to navigate dual systems.
If you’re unsure whether a BRP, eVisa or other document meets the latest Home Office requirements, VisaHQ can help. Their dedicated UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) offers real-time guidance, document checks and application support for individuals and employers navigating right-to-work rules, renewals and wider immigration compliance—saving time and reducing the risk of costly errors.
Why the late change? UKVI’s eVisa platform is still absorbing millions of records and has suffered well-publicised matching errors. Officials privately admit the original June 2026 cutoff risked locking thousands of migrants out of essential services if their digital status had not synced in time. For businesses the message is mixed: staff can keep using their old cards to open bank accounts or access benefits, reducing short-term friction. But HR teams **must** double-check that onboarding processes distinguish between right-to-work checks—where expired BRPs are **not** acceptable—and other administrative tasks. Failure to do so could trigger civil penalties of up to £60,000 per illegal worker under the tougher fine regime introduced last year. Strategically, the extension hints that full digitisation of the UK border will slip beyond 2026. Mobility managers should build contingency plans that assume parallel paper-plus-digital proofs of status will persist for at least another 18 months, and budget for internal training to navigate dual systems.
