The UK Home Office published details of settlement scheme for EU citizens. To apply under this scheme EU citizens will need to prove their identity, show that that they live in the UK, and declare that they have no serious criminal convictions.
The UK government has defined Brexit “exit day” as 29 March 2019 at 11 pm.
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.
- EU citizens living in the UK and their family members will need to apply under the settlement scheme to obtain their new UK immigration status.
- Those who have not yet lived in the UK for five years will be granted pre-settled status and be able to apply for settled status once they reach the five-year point. From April 2019, this second application will be free of charge.
Settlement Scheme for EU citizens and families
- If you’re a European Union (EU) citizen living in the UK, you and your family can apply for ‘settled status’ if you want to continue living here after June 2021.
- You will not need to apply if you’re an Irish citizen or have indefinite leave to remain, but your family members from outside the UK and Ireland will.
- The scheme will open fully by March 2019. The deadline for applying will be 30 June 2021. You may be able to apply after this date if you’re joining a family member in the UK.
- Rights for citizens of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland are still being negotiated.
Under the scheme an application will cost £65 and £32.50 for a child under 16. For those who already have valid permanent residence or indefinite leave to remain documentation, they will be able to exchange it for settled status for free.
Source: GOV.UK
