EU Settlement Scheme Deadline: 28 days to apply to stay in UK

Immigration officials will start giving EU citizens living in the UK a 28 day warning to apply for the EU settlement scheme to remain in the country.

The deadline for applications for settled status is next week on Wednesday 30 June 2021.

However, the Home Office will allow people with a reasonable excuse for delay an indefinite time to complete their application.

The government’s helpline receives thousands of calls every day.

So far, around 5.6 million European Economic Area (EEA) citizens have already applied for settled status. But that still leaves about another 400,000 outstanding cases. Poland and Romania have the highest number of nationals who have applied, with 975,000 and 918,000 people, respectively.

Following the 2016 Brexit referendum, the government introduced settled status for citizens of the EU and EEA who lived in the UK. This allows them to keep their rights of residence, employment, travel and access to healthcare. Although anyone who misses the deadline will still have their rights protected in law.

Immigration enforcement officials will start issuing 28 day notice periods advising people to apply for settled status. There are concerns that many children are among those who have not yet applied, as they may not realise they need to.

But immigration minister Kevin Foster says, if people have reasonable grounds for not applying, they will have an indefinite time allowing them to do so. For example, a student only discovering they do not have settled status when they apply for university.

‘Changed guidance’

Whilst it is good that eligible people can apply late, the fact still remains that it is unlawful if they have not submitted an application. It means they could still “risk losing work, housing, access to free health care and so much more”.

Meanwhile, Mr Foster says those already claiming benefits will not have payments stopped if they are not granted with settled status. But anyone without settled status are not able to start a benefit claim, job, or tenancy in England.

Border officials also have “changed guidance” following reports last month that some EU citizens were detained at the border for long periods of time. Mr Foster says he wants to “to get as many people through the door before the 30th [of June] as possible”.

What is settled status?

EU nationals living in the UK can apply to stay in the country. There are two types of status:

• Settled status – for anyone who can prove they have lived in the UK continuously for five years or more before 31 December 2020.
  
• Pre-settled status – for anyone who has lived in the UK for less than five years by the end of 2020. They can apply for settled status at a future date, but there are no guarantees they will get it.

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