UK information watchdog accused of dragging toes on eVisa investigation

The UK information regulator has been contemplating whether or not to formally examine the Dwelling Workplace’s digital visa (eVisa) system for 5 months, resulting in accusations from digital rights teams that it’s dragging its toes.

In a joint letter despatched to the Info Commissioner’s Workplace (ICO) in late November 2025, the Open Rights Group and 18 different civil society organisations urged the regulator to formally examine whether or not the Dwelling Workplace’s eVisa system is breaking UK information safety legal guidelines.

The teams – together with the3million and Migrants Rights Community – highlighted the “excessive quantity” of knowledge high quality and integrity errors linked to the scheme, which have prevented folks from with the ability to reliably show their immigration standing.

In addition they highlighted the “digital-by-default” nature of the system, and the Dwelling Workplace’s refusal to situation various proof of immigration standing within the face of persistent information points.

In a single case completely reported on by Laptop Weekly, the technical errors with information held by the Dwelling Workplace have been so extreme that the regulator beforehand discovered there had been a breach of UK information safety regulation.

Talking with Laptop Weekly, the particular person affected stated that ongoing technical errors with the eVisa system meant his account continued to show an expired scholar visa, as a substitute of his new partner visa, and flawed passport data for nearly half a 12 months.

The ICO confirmed in early December 2025 that it had obtained the letter from civil society teams outlining their considerations, it stated that it’ll “fastidiously assess the problems raised earlier than responding”.

Laptop Weekly can affirm that whereas an investigation was opened by the ICO in early December – with a case reference quantity formally allotted – the regulator remains to be contemplating the issues raised within the letter on the time of publication.

A matter of urgency

Whereas the Excessive Courtroom heard – and in the end dismissed – a judicial overview case introduced in opposition to the Dwelling Workplace in early March 2026, that case turned on whether or not Dwelling Workplace coverage to by no means points various immigration standing regardless of persistent information points was lawful, slightly than any information safety points.

The case was introduced by two claimants who have been left unable to show their immigration standing for six and 9 months respectively, which occurred as a result of system both locking them out of their eVisa accounts or displaying incorrect data on their profiles.

Talking with Laptop Weekly, Sara Alsherif, the migrant digital justice programme supervisor at ORG, stated that migrants are being “failed” by each the Dwelling Workplace and the ICO.

“We raised severe considerations with the ICO concerning the Dwelling Workplace’s dealing with of non-public information underneath the eVisa scheme,” she stated, including the scheme has been tormented by widespread information errors, an inaccessible design, and chronic technical failures which have left folks unable to show their proper to work, hire, research, journey or entry important companies.

“Migrants are being failed by the Dwelling Workplace, which didn’t correctly assess the dangers of a digital-only roll-out, and by those that haven’t investigated regardless of being alerted to those points final December – epecially after the courtroom and the Dwelling Workplace admitted that these affected by information high quality and integrity points are dealing with ‘actual difficulties’ of their day-to-day lives. We urge the ICO to start a proper investigation into information safety breaches and accessibility points with the scheme.”

For Fizza Quershi, director of Migrants Rights Community, the ICO should act instantly to resolve eVisa information safety points: “These eVisas are harming actual folks, proper now. Migrants can’t be anticipated to navigate a digital system that’s each obligatory and unreliable. Persons are being left in positions the place they’re unable to show their rights, entry companies, or plan their lives.

“The dangers have been already clear way back to November. The regulatory physique has since confirmed no less than one breach of Knowledge Safety regulation, but there’s been no significant progress. Every day with out motion leaves folks prone to dropping their jobs, their properties or their capability to journey. The ICO should act with urgency to make sure the Dwelling Workplace is held to the requirements required by regulation.”

Laptop Weekly contacted the ICO about why it’s but to open a proper investigation, or publicly reply to the letter, regardless of widespread information safety points being reported with the system.

“We frequently have interaction with authorities departments, together with the Dwelling Workplace, to make sure that information safety obligations are met and potential dangers are mitigated,” stated an ICO spokesperson. “We are able to affirm that we’ve got obtained the letter outlining these considerations, and are persevering with to fastidiously assess the problems raised earlier than responding.”

In December 2025, Laptop Weekly obtained a Freedom of Info (FoI) Act response from the ICO concerning the quantity of eVisa complaints it had obtained since paper paperwork have been phased out on the finish of December 2024.

Nonetheless, the regulator stated on the time that it was unable to say what number of eVisa associated circumstances there are, as a result of it will require a guide search of lots of of complaints raised in opposition to the Dwelling Workplace.

“The reason being that we don’t report the requested data in a manner that’s simply reportable and would require a guide search of lots of of information to search out the knowledge that you’re requesting,” it stated.

“We maintain 851 circumstances concerning the Dwelling Workplace within the earlier two years, assuming that one 12 months is roughly half that, then there would nonetheless be 425 circumstances to manually search. Every search may take roughly 3-4 minutes to finish, which might nonetheless take it over the fee restrict. It must also be famous that a number of the searches would take significantly longer.”

Laptop Weekly requested the ICO whether or not it now has a transparent concept of what number of eVisa-related information safety complaints have been raised in opposition to the Dwelling Workplace, but it surely didn’t reply so far.