BREXIT
Settled and pre-settled status for EU citizens and their families.
If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, you and your family will be able to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021. If your application is successful, you’ll get either settled or pre-settled status.
The EEA includes the EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
You may be able to stay in the UK without applying – for example, if you’re an Irish citizen or have indefinite leave to remain.
The EU Settlement Scheme will open fully by 30 March 2019. You may be able to apply now if you meet the criteria.
The deadline for applying will be 30 June 2021.
Which status you get may depend on when you apply.
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal
You will need to be living in the UK by 29 March 2019 to apply. The deadline for applying will be 31 December 2020.
Home Office complaints handling targets “routinely missed”
Home Office targets for handling complaints within 20 working days are “routinely missed”, according to a report published today by the immigration inspector, David Bolt. Mr Bolt also says that the department has failed to keep up improvements in this area made between 2015 and 2017 and needs to go back to square one. The inspection was […]
Coronavirus and the UK immigration system
Measures taken to combat the spread of coronavirus and COVID-19 disease have changed almost every aspect of society both here in the UK and around the world. The immigration system is no exception. This post gathers together various updates on changes to immigration law and practice caused by coronavirus. For now, in contrast with our […]
General grounds for refusal: alleged deception and innocent mistakes
Making a mistake on an immigration application form can be disastrous. If the mistake is interpreted by officials as an attempt to mislead or deceive, the application will inevitably be refused. If the application was for entry clearance, it will also lead to a ten-year ban on re-entry to the UK. There are a number […]
Rule 35 isn’t working – and there’s data to prove it
Data about the operation of Rule 35 of the Detention Centre Rules brought into the public domain by a Freedom of Information request lays bare the inadequacies of the current system for reporting vulnerabilities among immigration detainees. The data, obtained by Lewis Kett of Duncan Lewis Solicitors, demonstrates that Rule 35 reporting obligations are being […]
What is a representative of an overseas business visa and why are people talking about it?
There is something reassuringly self-explanatory about the representative of an overseas business visa. Compared to the crop of new visas that have emerged over the last year, with their irritatingly zeitgeisty names such as “innovator” and “global talent”, it is a visa that does exactly what it says on the tin. In short the aim is […]