UK launches e-visa for Pakistani students and workers

Dubai: In a major step toward streamlining visa processes, the United Kingdom has introduced e-Visas for most Pakistani students and workers applying for UK visas, the British High Commission in Islamabad announced on Tuesday.

“The UK is launching eVisas in Pakistan for most students and workers applying for more than 6 months. It will make it simpler and safer, and you can hold on to your passport,” said Jane Marriott, UK High Commissioner to Pakistan on her social media post.

Applicants will no longer be required to submit their passports as visa stickers will not be pasted on passports anymore.

No more visa stickers

Starting July 15, physical visa stickers are no longer required in passports for the majority of main applicants travelling to the UK for study or work purposes, confirmed Jane Marriott, UK High Commissioner to Pakistan.

“The UK Government is replacing physical immigration documents for most student and worker visas with a digital proof of immigration status, an e-Visa,” she added.

What is an e-Visa

An e-Visa serves as an online record of a person’s immigration permission in the UK, including any applicable conditions. Users can access and manage their status through a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) online account.

According to the High Commission, the switch to digital documentation will simplify identity and visa verification and allow applicants to keep their passports while their application is processed.

“These changes to the UK visa system will make it much simpler for students and workers to prove their identity and visa status. It also means applicants can hold onto their passports, saving them time,” said Marriott.

The digital transition does not impact the immigration status or rights of any individual, and existing visa sticker holders do not need to take action.

The roll-out includes eVisas for main applicants under the following categories:

Students, including 11-month short-term study

Global Business Mobility (e.g. senior or specialist worker, graduate trainee, UK expansion worker)

Global talent

International Sportsperson

Skilled worker (including health and care roles)

Temporary work routes (e.g. Charity worker, creative worker, Government Authorised Exchange, religious worker)

Youth mobility scheme

Users can link their travel documents, such as a passport, to their UKVI account and use the “view and prove” service to securely share their visa status with third parties like employers or landlords in England.

Applicants applying as dependants, or under non-work/non-study routes such as general visitor visas, will still receive a physical sticker.

The UK Government plans to expand eVisas across all visa categories in the future, creating a fully digital, more secure immigration system.