Recent changes to immigration rules and visas

An Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is a digital permission to travel to the UK for those who do not currently need a visa to travel or have UK immigration status.

Phase 1 - The ETA was introduced in November 2023 for Qatari nationals and extended to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. 

UKVI has announced when other non-visa nationals will need the ETA before they are allowed to travel to the UK. 

Phase 2 - From 8 January 2025, nationals of all non-European countries on the list of visa-national countries will need to show they have an ETA before boarding their flight to the UK. Applications for the ETA for this group of countries will open on Wednesday, 27 November 2024. 

Phase 3 - From Wednesday 2 April 2025, all nationals from European countries (EU/ EEA and European micro-states) will need an ETA when entering the UK.  

Applications can be submitted from Wednesday 5 March 2025. 

Cost 

The ETA costs £10 per applicant and is valid for two years. The ETA is linked to the visitor's passport. A new ETA will be needed if the passport expires in less than two years. 

How to apply?

Applications can be made online or using the UK ETA app. A decision is given within three days.

What happens if an ETA is refused? 

An application for an ETA can be refused. If this is the case, the applicant must apply for a visitor visa.

Maintenance fees (for Student Visa applications) will increase from January 2025

The amount of money students need to demonstrate they have per month is increasing. This will apply to students who submit their student visa application on or after Thursday 2 January 2025. 

How much maintenance money is required?

• The money required when studying in London will be £1,483 per month
• The money required when studying outside London will be £1,136 per month

The total amount needed is based on the duration of the course. Students studying for over nine months will only need to demonstrate up to nine months of funds. 

This does not apply to visitors and short-term students (six and 11-month visas).

>> Read more about financial requirements on the UKCISA website  

eVisas to replace biometric residence permits

The way UK visas are issued is changing. Visas issued for over six months (e.g. the short-term study visa and the student visa) will no longer be printed on a vignette or biometric residence permit (BRP).  

Instead, the permission will be available to view in an online account – the eVisa. 

The biometric residence permit is being phased out 

Students who have applied for a student visa or short-term study visa this year will notice their BRP being valid until Tuesday 31 December 2024. This does not mean their visa has expired. 

What do students need to do? 

Students whose visa expires on or after Wednesday 1 January 2025, must create a UKVI account. Once the account is created, the visa details will be displayed. 

The display will list: 

How do education providers access the visa information? 

From their UKVI account, students can generate a special code to share with their education provider. The provider will use the code to verify the student's permission to study (plus work or rent) in the UK and to see the visa dates. 

>> Create a UKVI account