How to use your UKVI account
As part of its long-term vision to implement a fully digital end-to-end immigration system in the UK, the Home Office is increasingly rolling out online processes and platforms for applicants to manage their immigration status.
Certain routes under the points-based immigration system, such as the Graduate route and the British National (Overseas) route, allow applicants to bypass the need to attend a UK Visa Application Centre (VAC) and instead complete their application entirely online.
If you have recently submitted an online visa or settlement application, you may have been asked to create a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account as part of the application process. It is important that you know how to access and use your UKVI account, so you can prove your immigration status to others, travel in and out of the UK, and keep your personal details up to date.
Do I have a UKVI account?
You will have a UKVI account if:
- You have applied to the EU Settlement Scheme, or
- You have applied for a visa and used the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document on your phone.
You will not have a UKVI account if you attended a VAC or a Service Support Centre to prove your identity when applying for a visa.
What can I use my UKVI account for?
Your UKVI account details can be used to access the Home Office’s ‘View and Prove’ service, an online tool which allows users to view their eVisa, check what rights they have in the UK and to prove their status to others such as employers or landlords.
If you have a UKVI account, border officials will also be able to digitally check your information on arrival. It is therefore important that the document you travel on is registered to your UKVI account to avoid unnecessary delays at the border.
How to access your UKVI account
Your account sign in details will be the email address and phone number you used when you applied for your visa.
If you need help to access or use your account, you can contact the UKVI Resolution Centre. This service provides telephone and email support to all account holders, including help on how to access or recover your account, update your personal details or share your status.
How to update your information
It is important to ensure the information stored on your account is up to date. This will enable you to view and prove your rights to others (such as employers or landlords), be contacted by UKVI if you are waiting for a decision, and travel with your current identity document.
If your travel document or personal details change, you must update this in your account.
You will need to update your details if there are changes to:
- Your ID document, passport or travel document
- Your UK address, email address or phone number
- Your name or nationality.
You can update your details though the ‘update your UKVI account details’ service or by using the ‘update details’ function in the View and Prove service.
Support with managing your immigration status
If you need help with using your account, or if you have any questions regarding how to view and prove your immigration status, Smith Stone Walters can help.
To speak to an immigration consultant, please contact us today.
