Minister indicates that, by allowing systems across the health service and Whitehall agencies to better integrate and swap information, the home affairs department would be able to automatically confirm status

The Home Office is working to support data sharing that would enable public bodies to automatically verify a person’s immigration status – reducing the need for service users to provide evidence, according to a minister.

In the latest of a series of recent parliamentary questions, the department was asked – on this occasion by Labour MP Kate Osamor – about potential challenges caused by the ongoing switch to the use of electronic proof of status across the immigration system, and whether this digitisation requires “contingency measures… for people who are unable to access their eVisa due to technical issues [or] administrative errors”.

In response, migration and citizenship minister Seema Malhotra said that the government is “committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders… [and] our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services to ensure that, if one fails, another will take over”.

As well as efforts to “consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible”, the Home Office is striving to implement measures that would enable public bodies to automatically ascertain an individual’s status based on reference to government or health-service data.

“We are also taking further steps to reduce the number of circumstances where people need to provide evidence of their immigration status, by developing services to make the relevant immigration status information available automatically through system to system checks with other government departments and the NHS,” Malhotra said. “This means, at the point at which a person seeks to access public services such as NHS healthcare and DWP benefits, the service provider will check status directly with the Home Office, removing the need for people to prove their status themselves.”

These automated processes for public service provision would build on existing border systems that are already up and running, enabling transport providers to easily verify a traveller’s right to enter the country.

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“We have also put in place the systems and services to allow carriers, such as airlines, to automatically check immigration status via system-to-system checks and those systems are working well for millions of people,” the minister said “ If for any reason the carrier does not receive confirmation of the passenger’s immigration status, they will be able to check this using the ‘view and prove’ service, or the carrier can contact the 24/7 Carrier Support Hub for advice.”

Malhotra stressed that similar support is available – and offered via Home Office unit UK Visas and Immigration – for individuals who encounter problems with accessing their documents. Any such reported system failures are being treated as a priority, she said.

“If people do have any issues, they can contact the UKVI Resolution Centre, which provides support via email and webchat to those creating their UKVI account, and telephone support to those using the online immigration status services,” she added. “The UKVI Resolution Centre assists users who are experiencing technical issues with their online immigration status, and where necessary, enables peoples’ status to be verified through alternative means. If someone cannot see their eVisa details after creating their UKVI account, or believes there is an error in their status information, they can report this to the Home Office via [a] form… which is available 24/7. Any reported issues with eVisa are being prioritised. Once a person has submitted the report an error with your eVisa form, they will receive an email notification when the error or issue has been resolved.”