Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contingency arrangements are available to people who are unable to demonstrate their immigration status because of a technical failure affecting her Department’s digital services.

Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient and are subject to rigorous testing and monitoring. Outages are rare, and where issues do arise, we work to resolve them as quickly as possible.

Support is available for people who are unable to access or use their online immigration status because of a technical issue. The UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre can assist people in these circumstances and, where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means. If someone needs to demonstrate their immigration status for travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7.

Employers and landlords in England can also use the Employer Checking Service and Landlord Checking Service respectively. Other Government Departments that are unable to confirm an individual’s immigration status can seek clarification through the Home Office Status Verification Enquiry and Checking Service.