UK Immigration Status for Zimbabweans After Brexit: BRP Cards, eVisas, and Settled Status Explained

Brexit reshaped the immigration landscape for everyone living in the UK, and while it primarily targeted EU nationals, its knock-on effects — particularly the shift from physical documents to digital immigration status — affect Zimbabweans too. Understanding what changed, and what you need to do now, is essential for anyone navigating UK immigration in 2025 and beyond. ## The End of the BRP Card Era For years, the Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card was the standard proof of immigration status in the UK for non-British nationals, including Zimbabweans on skilled worker visas, student visas, family visas, and other routes. That physical system has now been phased out. All BRP cards were set to expire on 31 December 2024, regardless of when the holder's actual immigration leave ends. This was not a mistake or oversight — it was a deliberate policy transition. The expiry of a BRP card does not affect your underlying immigration status. If your visa runs until 2027, for example, it still runs until 2027. What changed is how you prove that status. From 2025, proof of immigration status in the UK is digital, through a system called the eVisa. ## What Is an eVisa? An eVisa is an electronic record of your immigration status held by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). It replaces all physical documents, including BRP cards and vignette stickers in passports. To access your eVisa, you need a UKVI online account. Your UKVI account allows you to: - Prove your right to work to employers - Prove your right to rent to landlords - Share your status with the Home Office for travel purposes - Update your linked passport or travel document If your BRP expired on 31 December 2024, you have until 30 June 2026 to create your UKVI account and access your eVisa. After that window, proving your status becomes significantly more complicated. ## How to Set Up Your UKVI Account To create a UKVI account, you will need to use the UK Visas and Immigration app to scan either your BRP card or a current passport. Using your passport is preferable, as it means you will only need to show your passport when entering the UK rather than carrying a separate document. You will also need a reference number — either your BRP number or a share code — to link your account to your existing immigration record. If your BRP was lost or stolen, you can still use the number if you know it, but you should report the loss to the Home Office before applying. Each family member, including children and dependants, needs their own UKVI account. If you need assistance setting one up — for example, due to disability, language barriers, or digital access issues — the Home Office has arranged support through certain organisations. A trusted friend or family member can also help you through the process. Once your UKVI account is active and linked to your travel passport, airlines and border carriers can digitally verify your permission to enter the UK. This means smoother travel, provided your passport details are kept up to date in your account. ## Settled Status and Pre-Settled Status: What Zimbabweans Need to Know The EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) was created specifically for EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals — and certain of their non-EU family members — who were living in the UK before 31 December 2020. Most Zimbabweans do not qualify for this route unless they are a family member of an eligible EU/EEA/Swiss citizen. If you are the spouse, civil partner, child, or dependent parent of an EU national who holds EUSS status, you may have been eligible to apply as a joining family member. The general deadline of 30 June 2021 did not apply to joining family members in the same way — they could apply within three months of arriving in the UK on an EUSS Family Permit, or within the validity of their existing leave. For those who missed the EUSS deadline and have reasonable grounds, late applications are still accepted. Since August 2023, the Home Office requires applicants to explain not just why they missed the original deadline, but also why they delayed further before applying. The longer the gap, the stronger the justification must be. Acceptable grounds have included serious illness, lack of awareness, or being a child at the time with no adult to apply on their behalf. If you believe you may be eligible under the EUSS and have not yet applied, seeking advice from a regulated immigration adviser or solicitor is strongly recommended before submitting a late application. ## Practical Steps for UK Zimbabweans in 2025 - **Check your immigration leave expiry date** — this is in the approval letter from the Home Office, not on your BRP card. - **Create your UKVI account** at gov.uk/evisa as soon as possible if you have not already done so. - **Link your current passport** to your UKVI account to simplify travel. - **Never assume your BRP card expiring means your visa has ended** — these are two separate things. - **If you have changed passport** since your last visa was issued, update your UKVI account immediately to avoid problems at the border or with employers. - **If you are a family member of an EU national**, check whether you or your relatives applied to the EUSS and what status was granted. The shift to eVisas is a permanent change. Physical immigration documents are no longer being issued in the UK for long-term residents, and the entire system for proving status — to employers, landlords, and border authorities — is now digital.