NTL application to transfer ILR vignette to BRP

Hi,

So I read I will need to make an NTL application to create a BRP (which I can then use to get an evisa) for my existing ILR vignette in my passport. This application could take up to six months.

I have a few questions I struggled to get definitive answers for:

Will I be able to keep my passport when waiting for the application to be processed? When I made ILR application ten years ago the Home Office retained passports and mailed them back to you at the end but I believe they don’t do this now and simply check it matches the scans you upload when you attend the biometrics appointment. Is that correct?

The other question is about whether I will be able to travel abroad while waiting for the BRP. I have read I will be able to travel as it is not technically an immigration application.

Thanks in advance for any advice or insights.