28 August 2018

Today the EU Settlement Scheme been launched as a test phase, enabling a small cohort of students and staff from the following organisations to apply for settled status or pre-settled status on a voluntary basis:

• Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
• Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust
• Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust
• The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust
• The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust
• Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Liverpool Hope University
• Liverpool John Moores University
• The University of Liverpool

EU citizens and eligible family members who have at least five years’ continuous residence in the UK will apply for ‘settled status’. Those with less than five years residence will apply for ‘pre-settled status’ to allow them to complete five years and become eligible for settled status. After five years of ‘continuous residence’, those with pre-settled status may apply for settled status without a further fee.

Applications for adults will cost £65 and £32.50 for children under 16. Applicants who hold valid permanent residence or indefinite leave to remain documentation will be able to exchange it for settled status for free.

Status under the new scheme will be held ‘digitally’ for EU citizens, while non-EU citizens may be issued a biometric residence permit (BRP).

The changes coming into effect today do not have any bearing on EU nationals’ and their family members’ right to reside in the UK on the basis of free movement rules until at least the end of the implementation period (31 December 2020). Those resident in the UK before the end of the implementation period will have until at least 30 June 2021 to apply for the new status.

For further information on the implications of Brexit for employers and EU nationals, and our Brexit services, contact your assigned lawyer or email EUenquiries@lauradevine.com.