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Guidance

Travel documents – no time limit: caseworker guidance

Immigration staff guidance on travel document checks.

Updates to this page

From:
UK Visas and Immigration
Published:
21 August 2013
Last updated:
7 April 2026
Show all updates

  1. Updated to reflect that certificates of entitlement to the right of abode are now digital documents, and to consolidate references to changes that happened in 2024.

  2. The 'no time limit' guidance has been updated.

  3. Updated version - amendments made following a review, in particular to the section on open date stamps.

  4. Updated the guidance to reflect that BRPs will no longer be issued. Instead, a successful applicant will be able to access an eVisa. Changes have also been made to make the section on EEA nationals and their family members clearer.

  5. Updated guidance.

  6. This guidance has been amended to reflect changes to the BRP Replacement Service.

  7. Updated guidance to reflect the relationship between NTL and the Immigration Rules, and that applicants may leave the Common Travel Area while their application is being considered.

  8. Updated guidance to reflect the changed status of EEA nationals in the UK after 30 June 2021, to provide further instruction for adopting a 'balance of probabilities' approach, and to remove reference to the application fee for an NTL BRP from 6 April 2022.

  9. Updated guidance to clarify the historical impact of Section 1(5) of the Immigration Act 1971 on the immigration status of Commonwealth citizens. Previous versions of Home Office guidance contained errors regarding the impact that this legislation had. The Windrush Scheme policy (and relevant guidance documents) has also been updated to reflect this issue.

  10. Updated guidance.

  11. Updated guidance.

  12. Updated guidance.

  13. Updated guidance

  14. First published.

Documents

Travel documents: no time limit (accessible)

HTML

Travel documents: no time limit

PDF, 325 KB, 33 pages

Details

UK Visas and Immigration guidance for staff on completing different travel document checks. It tells caseworkers about no time limit applications.

People who have indefinite leave in a legacy document, in a passport that is valid, lost, stolen or expired, or have no proof of their indefinite leave status, can have their indefinite leave transferred to a biometric residence permit by making a no time limit application.

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