The Home Office has today published a Statement of Intent and draft Immigration Rules which set out further details about how EU citizens and their families can obtain settled status in the UK.
What has been announced?
The Statement of Intent and the draft Immigration Rules set out how the EU Settlement Scheme will work, who can apply, how people can apply and the fee.
The key points are:
- Most EU citizens will only need to complete three key steps to make an application:
- They will need to prove their identity;
- They will need to prove that they live here;
- They will need to declare whether they have any criminal convictions.
- We will check the employment and benefits records the Government holds to establish someone’s UK residence, meaning most applicants won’t need to provide anything to prove their residence.
- An application will cost £65 and £32.50 for children under 16 – less than the cost of a British passport. It will be free for those with valid documented permanent residence or valid indefinite leave to enter or remain
A range of user-friendly guidance and support, including a customer contact centre, will be in place when the scheme launches by the end of this year to help citizens through the process. We intend to lay the Immigration Rules before Parliament before the summer recess.
Who can apply?
- EU citizens and their family members will generally need to have lived continuously in the UK for five years to get settled status.
- Those that have lived in the UK for less than five years will be granted pre-settled status until they accumulate their five years. They can then apply for settled status free of charge.
- Irish citizens will not need to apply, but can elect to do so if they wish.
When can EU citizens apply?
- EU citizens cannot apply right now but can sign up for updates on our mailing list.
- The Scheme will be phased in later this year, before it opens more widely. It will be fully open by the end of March 2019.
- EU citizens will have plenty of time to apply after we leave the EU to make an application for settled status. The deadline for applications for those resident here by the end of 2020 is 30 June 2021.
- Read our media fact sheet on the Citizen’s Rights agreement here: https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2017/12/08/factsheet-on-eu-citizens-rights-agreement/
For more information on the settlement scheme, please visit:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/status-of-eu-nationals-in-the-uk-what-you-need-to-know?ghjh
Journalists interested in what the citizens’ rights agreement means for UK nationals living in EU Member States should contact the Department for Exiting the European Union.