Learn about Biometric Residency Permits, including any recent changes
What is a BRP?
The Biometric Residency Permit is the ID card that will be issued to each family member once they have arrived in the UK. It is the size of a bank card, which can be used as proof of identity, and to confirm the right to work or study in the UK and the right to access any public services or benefits refugees are entitled to. It is sent to a named person in your Sponsorship Group who will pass this onto the family after they arrive in the UK. They should keep this card safe. If they ask you to hold a photocopy of this card, the family should be made aware of how you will keep this, and how and when it will be destroyed. The BRP is not sufficient documentation for travel outside of the UK.
As the BRP contains personal, identifying information, BRP holders will naturally be very cautious about where this is sent or leaving this anywhere. Help the family to explore when a certified copy (your Job Centre may be able to help with making a certified copy) is acceptable.
Decide as a Group how you will support family members to manage their own BRPs.
Incorrect Names or Dates of Birth
The BRP will be sent to a named member of your Group 7-10 working days after the arrival of the family in the UK. You must pass this on within 24 hours of receipt. Help the family to go through each one carefully; if there are incorrect names or dates of births on these cards you should alert your Home Office Contact Officer as soon as possible.
Length of BRPs
Prior to February 2021, all BRPs expired 5 years after the person arrived.
In March 2021, the Home Office clarified that BRPs were issued for a shorter period of time although this does not affect the length of the time the family is able to stay in the UK.
Everyone issued a BRP can use it to demonstrate their right to work to an employer and their right to rent to a landlord through our online checking services; simply go to gov.uk/prove-right-to-work or gov.uk/prove-right-to-rent.
As of April 2021, all refugees arriving through Community Sponsorship are given 5 years leave to remain in the UK, after which they are able to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. The validity of BRPs does not affect your status. However, all new BRPs are now issued with an expiry date of 31 December 2024. This is line with the Home Office’s plan to introduce eVisas to replace all physical status documents including BRPs. You do not need to tell UKVI if your BRP expires on 31 December 2024 but you have leave to stay longer.
For family members with short-form BRPs, the end date relates to the expiration date of the card only. If they are asked to complete forms stating how long they can be in the UK they should use the end of their leave to remain. This will be their arrival date +5 years and not the expiration date on the BRP.
If a family is applying for Travel Documents, they will be asked to insert the expiration date of their BRP – this must be the same date as on the card.
Lost BRPs
If a family loses, or has their BRP stolen, they should report this to the Home Office as soon as possible.
eVisas
Biometric Residency Permit holders no longer need an invitation to create their UKVI account and access their eVisas. They can create an account and apply to link their eVisa. If they already have a UKVI account they can apply to link their eVisa to this account. UKVI has produced a video explaining the process: How to create a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account and get access to your eVisa – YouTube.
BRPs will continue to be valid, however, the eVisa is now also a valid status document. Creating a UKVI account or linking an eVisa to an existing account will allow eVisa holders to view their eVisa and demonstrate their status and rights with the eVisa and share codes.
From October 31st 2024 new BRPs will no longer be issued. Currently a BRP or identity document (passport) is required to create a UKVI account. That requirement will be removed by October 31st 2024 so that individuals who do not have the required document can still sign up for a UKVI account and access their eVisa.
There are four national grant-funded bodies offering free support for vulnerable individuals in their transition to an eVisa. There are Migrant Help, Citizens Advice Scotland, the Welsh Refugee Council, and Advice NI. Over the next coming weeks, many community-based organisations, spread across the UK, will join the network of organisations actively offering support. More information on who these organisations are and how to contact them can be found here.
For more information on eVisas see here: Get access to your eVisa: Overview – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
eVisas and New Arrivals
From 1st November 2024, the Home Office will replace BRPs with eVisas. The Home Office will create a UKVI account for each person arriving under Home Office resettlement routes from this date. To create the UKVI account, the Home Office requires an email address for each adult family member, as soon as possible, to avoid delays. One email per family group is sufficient, but individual addresses are preferred. Community Sponsorship groups will need to provide the email addresses at the earliest opportunity. It will take approximately 14 days for the account to be created. Confirmation that the UKVI account has been created and details of how to sign in will be sent to the email addresses provided. After receiving their UKVI accounts, the paper travel document (Form Affixing Visas, or FAVs) that each family member arrived on, must be returned to the Home Office.
Changes to details
If the family members you are supporting change their name or address after their arrival in the UK, they should inform the Home Office as soon as possible in order for their BRP to be updated. UKVI has advised that this is especially important in preparation for receiving an eVisa. Passports should be kept valid and new passport information should be updated with UKVI as the passport recorded with UKVI will be associated to your eVisa. A fee will be applied for changes to a BRP, and in some instances, biometrics will need to be updated by visiting a Home Office centre to re-register. If you are supporting a family member to change their name by deed poll for instance, you should help them to fully explore the costs associated with this change. Find out more information about updating BRP details here: gov.uk/change-circumstances-visa-brp.
Using your BRP or eVisa to demonstrate your status
Everyone issued a BRP can use it to demonstrate their right to work to an employer and their right to rent to a landlord through online checking services; simply go to gov.uk/prove-right-to-work or gov.uk/prove-right-to-rent.
UKVI has advised the new eVisa holders will access a share code that employers, landlords and others can check online to confirm a holder’s status. UKVI is reviewing scenarios where the eVisa will be available for individuals who have only previously held a physical document such as a BRP to ensure that the eVisa can be used to demonstrate a holder’s status for things like work, study and renting a home. This work is ongoing and Reset is requesting regular updates to keep groups aware of any issues.