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this post was submitted on 08 Oct 2024
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I'm a Canadian immigrant to the UK, from December 1st this year, all Residency proof documents are ~~formed~~ forced digital. As I'm Canadian I can just scan my passport and get in, no visa required. If border control pulls me aside and demands my proof of residency, and I can't access the internet, I may be stuck in a small room for hours or days, or ejected from the country. So that's gonna be fun.
How likely are you to not be able to access the internet at a UK border you might be traveling through? Seriously.
Also, have you heard of a download for offline usage?
There's been quite a few times where I've not been able to access the internet through my phone at major airports in the UK. Heathrow, Luton, Glasgow. I didn't have an active UK SIM I wasn't able to get net connection through the WiFi as they were overloaded/having issues. This is not uncommon.
See, it's not a multi-use thing, it's not like a membership card or a boarding pass or a credit card. It's a code that's generated by logging into the .gov site, and is only valid for a single use, and a limited time.
Seems to me that they're are easy solutions to your scenarios.
Ask to use their WiFi that isn't overloaded. Get a working SIM before you travel (eSim perhaps?). Download the one time code and screenshot it. If it's a code like the DVLA driver license check then it doesn't matter how you've saved it. Only that the code is valid when they enter it. Write it down on a piece of paper if you have to.
Ultimately it's on you to understand the requirements to travel to any country you visit and have the correct paperwork. And if you can't do that.... well 🤦♂️.
I don’t quite understand why you are dismissing this person’s concerns like this. The codes are available for a very short period so there is a chance that if there is a WiFi or other network outage they genuinely could not get to the code.
It’s also not as though the UK has the best record when it comes to managing immigrants despite their promises.
You are welcome to do a quick google on what happened to Windrush immigrants, the trouble that EU immigrants have had post-brexit, and UKVI’s general rules, wait times, and fees. Much like the US, the UK’s immigration policy has been made highly hostile to many forms of immigration, limiting options for families and managing to bungle things at several junctures.
I agree that it is hard to put faith in a system like this where your immigration status relies on the availability of a network or even a single government site with no physical or offline backups.
Because this isn't the case. They're pretending that they can only get a code when they land in the UK and there's a very real risk that they will be without internet when they've reached the immigration desk. This is BS.
The code is valid for 30-90 days. You're telling me that within 30-90 days of travelling to the UK you can't generate a code and save it or write it down? Seriously?
Here's some googling you might not have done (or OP for that matter).
https://www.gov.uk/check-immigration-status
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/immigration/applying-to-the-eu-settlement-scheme/viewing-your-pre-settled-or-settled-status/
https://www.york.ac.uk/students/support/international/immigration/immigration-status/
And it's not like they are complicated codes that is difficult to write down. They look similar to this: S4WADTYWF.
When faced with new facts would you change your mind? I didn't think so.
I was not aware the share codes last that long now, the last time I used one (for work, although this was several years ago) it was only valid for 4 days and my employer refused to accept it which was a whole thing. I was under the (incorrect) impression that the system for border clearance would be worse than that. So I have changed my mind on this point despite your flippant comment, which was argumentative for no reason.
On the case of trusting the UK government to manage the immigration status digitally for people I still have my doubts. They don’t have the best track record.
I have my own UK passport now so I am a bit out of the loop but any sort of system where a person doesn’t have offline proof of their status that they can keep seems like it is open to issues (although physical only also has its issues so there are pros and cons no matter how you approach it).