The House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee used its 6 July 2026 evidence session with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to drill into the government’s latest Immigration and Asylum Bill and the day-to-day realities of running a fully-digital UK border. Opening questions focused on why the Bill—tabled only a week ago—omits detail on carrier liability and fails to set statutory service standards for the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) regime. Peers pointed to reports of airline ‘over-compliance’, with some carriers refusing boarding where ETA data had not refreshed on their departure-control systems, even though the passenger’s approval was visible in the Home Office portal.
![Parliamentary Committee presses Home Secretary on Immigration and Asylum Bill, ETA enforcement and Common Travel Area]()
For travellers and corporate mobility teams looking to navigate the new ETA requirements and the shift to eVisas, VisaHQ can streamline the process. The company’s UK platform consolidates the latest Home Office rules, offers step-by-step application guidance, and provides live status tracking and customer support—helping to minimise the risk of carrier refusals and last-minute travel disruptions.
Mahmood insisted the Home Office “is on track” to cut average ETA decision times to 30 minutes by September and said a permanent carrier-support help-desk would go live before the October school-holiday peak. She confirmed that physical visa vignettes were discontinued on 1 July and that any applicant who cannot access or update an eVisa will be offered a free appointment at a Visa Application Centre to have travel documents uploaded manually. Committee members pressed the minister on the Common Travel Area (CTA) after Irish immigration authorities said they were still waiting for real-time ETA data. Mahmood admitted that “technical work” is ongoing but promised a bilateral data-sharing gateway with Ireland “this summer”, adding that failure to resolve it would undermine the CTA. Turning to labour mobility, Cross-bench peer Lord Kerr asked why the promised ‘Fairer Pathway to Settlement’—which would shorten settlement timelines for high-skill visa holders—had not been published. The Home Secretary replied that draft rules will be laid “no later than the autumn” and said employers will be consulted on balancing easier settlement with toughened compliance audits. For global-mobility managers the hearing is a reminder that the UK’s digital border is still a moving target. Businesses should review ETA compliance processes with airlines, ensure sponsored migrants have uploaded new passports to their UKVI accounts, and monitor forthcoming secondary legislation that could re-define sponsor-licence duties once the Bill becomes law.
For travellers and corporate mobility teams looking to navigate the new ETA requirements and the shift to eVisas, VisaHQ can streamline the process. The company’s UK platform consolidates the latest Home Office rules, offers step-by-step application guidance, and provides live status tracking and customer support—helping to minimise the risk of carrier refusals and last-minute travel disruptions.
Mahmood insisted the Home Office “is on track” to cut average ETA decision times to 30 minutes by September and said a permanent carrier-support help-desk would go live before the October school-holiday peak. She confirmed that physical visa vignettes were discontinued on 1 July and that any applicant who cannot access or update an eVisa will be offered a free appointment at a Visa Application Centre to have travel documents uploaded manually. Committee members pressed the minister on the Common Travel Area (CTA) after Irish immigration authorities said they were still waiting for real-time ETA data. Mahmood admitted that “technical work” is ongoing but promised a bilateral data-sharing gateway with Ireland “this summer”, adding that failure to resolve it would undermine the CTA. Turning to labour mobility, Cross-bench peer Lord Kerr asked why the promised ‘Fairer Pathway to Settlement’—which would shorten settlement timelines for high-skill visa holders—had not been published. The Home Secretary replied that draft rules will be laid “no later than the autumn” and said employers will be consulted on balancing easier settlement with toughened compliance audits. For global-mobility managers the hearing is a reminder that the UK’s digital border is still a moving target. Businesses should review ETA compliance processes with airlines, ensure sponsored migrants have uploaded new passports to their UKVI accounts, and monitor forthcoming secondary legislation that could re-define sponsor-licence duties once the Bill becomes law.
