In an effort to simplify the visa process, the United Kingdom has introduced an eVisa system for Pakistani students and workers, as announced by the British High Commission in Islamabad on Tuesday.

Effective July 15, the new mechanism allows most Pakistani applicants traveling to the UK for study or work to forgo the need for a physical visa sticker in their passports. Instead, the UK Government will provide a digital proof of immigration status through an eVisa.

An eVisa serves as an online record of a person’s immigration permission in the UK, accessible via an online UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance border and immigration systems, making the visa process more secure, digital, and efficient. The statement noted that eVisas have already been successfully utilized by millions on select immigration routes.

British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott, emphasized that the updated visa system will simplify the verification of identity and visa status for students and workers, allowing applicants to retain their passports and saving them time.

However, the embassy clarified that transitioning from physical documents to eVisas will not impact anyone’s immigration status or the conditions of their permission to enter or stay in the UK.

The eVisa rollout will apply to main applicants in various categories, including:

-Students (including short-term study for up to 11 months)

-Global Business Mobility routes (such as Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier, Secondment Worker)

• Global Talent

• International Sportsperson

• Skilled Worker (including Health and Care)

• Temporary Work routes (including Charity Worker, Creative Worker, Government Authorized Exchange, International Agreement, and Religious work routes)

• Youth Mobility Scheme

The statement also noted that applicants applying as dependants or for visas outside the study or work categories, such as general visitor visas, will still require a physical visa sticker.

Those holding existing, valid physical visa stickers do not need to take any action. The UK plans to eventually extend this eVisa system to all visa routes, creating a more secure and streamlined process for all applicants.