Settled and Pre-Settled Status For EU Nationals
If you are an EU national and wish to remain living and working in the UK after Brexit, you will need to acquire Settled or Pre-Settled Status and must apply before 30 June 2021. For both Pre-Settled and Settled status, you must have arrived in the UK before 31st December 2020.
It is understandably frustrating and confusing for EU citizens who have lived in Britain for many years to suddenly have to legitimise their right to live in the country. And although the Settled and Pre-Settled Status application process is relatively straightforward, refusals do occur.
Our immigration Solicitors have been helping EU nationals, and their family members negotiate the Settled and Pre-Settled Status process since its inception.
EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals who have been in the UK for five or more continuous years, can apply for Settled Status. With Settled Status, you will have the assurance that you can remain in Britain and not be subject to visa restrictions. After 12 months of Settled Status, you can apply for British Citizenship.
If you have been living in Britain for less than five continuous years, you can apply for Pre-Settled Status, which will allow you to remain in the country and achieve five years of continuous residence. You will then be able to apply for Settled Status.
If you have Pre-Settled or Settled Status, you will be able to access NHS services, work, study, access public funds, and travel freely.
How do I apply for the EU Settlement Scheme?
The Home offices will require proof of your identity. To do this, you will need to send your passport or travel document via:
- The Home Office’s EU/EEA Exit: ID Document Check iPhone or Android app;
- By post, or;
- By visiting an identity document scanning office.
The rest of the Settled or Pre-Settled Status application can be made online, and there is no fee.
What if my Settled or Pre-Settled Status application is refused?
If your application for Settled or Pre-Settled Status is refused because of a clerical error, you can apply for Administrative Review. An example of an error which can be corrected by Administrative Review is where the Home Office decision-maker examining your application incorrectly calculated the number of years you have lived in the UK and granted you Pre-settled Status instead of Settled Status.
Our immigration lawyers can prepare your application for Administrative Review and write a detailed cover letter to explain the error.
Can my non-EU/EEA family members obtain Settled or Pre-Settled Status?
Non-EU/EEA family members can apply for Settled or Pre-Settled Status. They can use their EU Family Permit as evidence of their time spent legally in the UK.
Our experienced London-based immigration Solicitors can assist you and your family members with applying for Settled and Pre-Settled Status.
Help for vulnerable EU citizens
There is concern that many EU nationals will miss out on applying for Settled or Pre-Settled Status for various reasons, including:
- not being fluent in English
- having mental health and/or learning disabilities
- they do not have internet access
We can arrange interpreters if you don’t feel confident when speaking English. We will also ensure you fully understand the Settled Status Scheme and that your application is submitted correctly.
Established in 2008, Garth Coates Solicitors is a leading Law Firm in Immigration who can provide professional legal advice to ensure that your Application satisfies the strict requirements of the Immigration Rules.
Our team of legal professionals offer comprehensive and considered advice to enable our clients to make informed choices. We strongly believe that our clients deserve the best; we take our responsibilities very seriously to ensure that client satisfaction is achieved by providing a professional yet friendly legal service. We aim to resolve all immigration matters brought to us by working diligently and together with the client, keeping them informed of the progress of their case at all stages. Our outstanding success rate is maintained thanks to the high standard of our work.
If you would like us to assist you with your Immigration Matter, kindly click here to leave us an Enquiry. Alternatively, we can be reached via telephone at (00 44) (0)20 7799 1600 from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (UTC+00.00 London) every Monday to Friday.
