Immigration advisory firm Five Star International has circulated a Home Office bulletin dated 27 July reminding more than five million EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status holders to keep their UKVI accounts up to date. From early 2026, carriers will run automatic eVisa checks at check-in; outdated passport details could lead to boarding refusals or lengthy secondary inspections on arrival. The notice also confirms that the Home Office is simplifying the path from pre-settled to settled status: applicants now need evidence of 30 months’ residence within the last five-year qualifying period, down from the previous requirement to account for absences totalling no more than six months in any 12. UKVI has begun auto-converting eligible holders using HMRC and DWP data and will email beneficiaries directly. For employers and universities that rely on EEA and Swiss nationals, the message is clear: ensure staff and students upload new passport numbers as soon as documents are renewed and schedule internal communications well in advance of 2026 summer travel. Failure to do so could disrupt project deadlines if employees are stranded abroad or delayed at UK ports. Mobility teams should also adjust right-to-work processes. Because digital status will become the primary evidence by 2026, photocopies of expiring passport vignettes will no longer suffice. An audit of HR systems to verify that eVisa share-code capture is embedded will help avoid civil-penalty exposure under the Immigration Act.
Source: Five Star International
