FUTURE BORDER AND IMMIGRATION SYSTEM PROGRAMME (FBIS)

Rating: Compared to financial year 24/25 Q4, the NISTA/SRO Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) rating at 25/26 Q4 remained at Amber. This is primarily due to the ongoing key risk in the plan; limited contingency. Any significant slippage will need clear prioritisation decisions.

Schedule: Compared with Q4 2024/25, the project’s end date at Q4 2025/26 remains unchanged at 31 March 2027. This reflects the position set out in the latest Programme Business Case, which did not seek to extend the approved delivery timeframe. The programme maintains a clear understanding of its scope and has established delivery plans to realise its intended benefits.

Cost: Compared with Q4 2024/25, the programme’s departmentally agreed Whole Life Cost at Q4 2025/26 has increased from £4,536m to £5,556m. This reflects the inclusion of running costs through to 2035/36, as well as cost increases across the period 2026/27 to 2034/35. The most significant increases in running costs are associated with Home Office Digital and Customer Services, reflecting updated delivery assumptions and the ongoing operation of the service.

Source: NISTA Major Projects Annual Report 2025-26 (data)

Rating: Compared to financial year 23/24-Q4, the Infrastructure Project Authority's Delivery Confidence Assessment rating at 24/25-Q4 remained at AMBER. This is primarily due to the following factors‚ The FBIS delivery plan is ambitious with limited contingency; changes to the scope of the programme caused by the Immigration White Paper or global events will require prioritisation decisions against exiting commitments. eVisa delivery currently remains the programme’s top priority. However, there is a risk that lack of Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) delivery capability required for this.

Schedule: Compared to financial year 23/24-Q4, the project's end-date at 24/25-Q4 increased from 31/03/2025 to 31/03/2027. This is primarily due to the following factors‚ Programme extension was to March 2027 has been approved by Home Office Investment Committee (InvestCo) and HMT with a new Business Case. This was to facilitate full delivery and benefit realisation of eVisa, ETA, Sponsorship and Border Vision.

Cost: Compared to financial year 23/24-Q4, the project's departmentally agreed Whole Life Cost at 24/25-Q4 (measured in £m) increased from 3428 to 4536. This is primarily due to the following factors‚ On 12th of November 2024, the Programme Business Case (PBC) was signed off by HM Treasury (HMT). As such, the baseline figures have been updated in line with this.

Source: NISTA Annual Report 2024-25 (data)

Rating: Compared to financial year 22/23-Q4, the Delivery Confidence Assessment rating at 23/24-Q4 remained at Amber(IPA rating). This is primarily due to the following factors. The programme received a delivery confidence rating of Amber for the whole of the programme following an Independent Review (January 2023). The programme has looked to address a number of actions following the review, including reviewing how Programme Board decision making includes impact statements of longer-term consequences associated with preferred option(s), strengthening the management of Dependencies and that FBIS carries out scenario planning exercises around the risk of the e-Visa deployment milestone being missed, as well as it happening as planned but with significant issues.

Schedule: Compared to financial year 22/23-Q4, the project's end-date at 23/24-Q4 remained schedule to finish on 2025-03-31. This is primarily due to the following factors. A new programme end date of 31/03/27 has been agreed by the Programme Board. This is to maximise the benefits of the programme by facilitating full eVisa, ETA and sponsorship delivery. This is yet to be approved by InvestCo and HMT. Therefore, formally agreed end date of the programme is 31/03/25. The FBIS programme continues to see additions to the plan because of the ever-changing political climate (Ukraine, Plan for Growth, ongoing discussion on net migration and the operation of the points-based system, etc.

Cost: Compared to financial year 22/23-Q4, the project's departmental-agree Whole Life Cost at 23/24-Q4 remained at 3428m. This is primarily due to the following factors. Costs are for the development and implementation of the United Kingdom's Future Border and Immigration System; as well as the running costs for the additional demand because of the new system. Figures up to and including 23/24 are based on actual expenditure and end year forecasts. Baselines from 24/25 have been taken from Programme Business Case produced in Autumn 2021 and approved by HMT. The FBIS Business Case was refreshed during 2023 and will be submitted to InvestCo in April 24 and HMT in due course.

Source: IPA Annual Report 2023-24 (data)