In June 2018, the Home Office published the details of the settlement scheme for EU citizens.
The Government have confirmed that EU citizens living in the UK and their family members will need to apply under this settlement scheme to obtain their new UK immigration status.
The Minister of State for Immigration, Caroline Nokes, confirmed that those applying under the scheme will only need to complete 3 key steps. They will need to prove their identity, show that that they live in the UK, and declare that they have no serious criminal convictions.
The new online application system will be accessible through phones, tablets, laptops and computers. The Government will provide support for the vulnerable and those without access to a computer, and continues to work with EU citizens’ representatives and embassies to ensure the system works for everyone.
The settlement scheme will open in a phased way from later this year and will be fully open by 30 March 2019.
The deadline for applications will be 30 June 2021.
Caroline Nokes states:
‘EU citizens make a huge contribution to our economy and to our society. They are our friends, family and colleagues and we want them to stay. This is an important step which will make it easy for EU citizens to get the status they need to continue working and living here. We are demonstrating real progress and I look forward to hearing more detail on how the EU will make reciprocal arrangements for UK nationals living in the EU’