On 4 September, UK Home office announced new immigration plans for no-deal brexit post Oct 31. As a part of new immigration reforms, criminality checks will be tightened for EEA citizens giving UK full control of the borders.
Here are the most important changes done to the immigration system post Oct 31, 2019
- A tougher UK criminality threshold for EEA citizens will be applied in order to keep out and deport those who commit crimes.
- A New European Temporary Leave to Remain scheme (Euro TLR) for EEA and Swiss citizens and their close family members. Those from these states moving to UK until the end of 2020 will be able to obtain a temporary immigration status lasting three years.
- New points-based immigration system built around the skills and talent people
- Removing the blue EU customs channel, requiring all travellers to make customs declarations by choosing the red or green channel
Introducing blue UK passports later this year - Removing the rights to permanent residence under retained EU law for those who arrive after Brexit
For EU citizens who are living in the UK by 31 October 2019 and their families, they have until at least 31 December 2020 to make an application to the EU Settlement Scheme.
On 15 August, the Home Office confirmed that over one million people had been granted status through the Scheme.