EU Settlement Scheme

The EU Settlement Scheme has been set up to provide immigration status to those who need it as the UK leaves the EU. It is therefore important that everyone that needs to applies. The EU Settlement Scheme has been designed with European Economic Area (EEA) citizens and their representatives to be simple and straightforward. It will be looking for reasons to grant, not for reasons to refuse.

It is estimated that there are 3.5 million EU citizens living in the UK and the Government is committed to enabling them to continue to live here. The UK’s departure from the EU means that EEA citizens, and their family members, will no longer be able to rely on the right of free movement and will need to obtain immigration status to demonstrate their right to remain in the UK. It means that they can continue to be eligible for:

• Public services, such as healthcare and schools;
• Public funds and pensions;
• British citizenship, if they meet the requirements and want to apply.

The Scheme opened on 30 March 2019 and applications must be made by June 2021. You can still apply if either:

• the deadline for you to apply is after 30 June 2021
• you have ‘reasonable grounds’ for why you’re applying now, and not by the deadline or in the time since the deadline passed