EU Settlement Scheme - Less than 10 days left to apply

On Monday 21 June, there will be less than 10 days to go until the deadline of 30 June 2021 for applications to be made to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS).

The Home Office will be marking this milestone with a daily count down on our social media platforms between now and the final day of the scheme to reach non-applicants with the urgent call to apply as soon as possible.

An application to the EU Settlement Scheme by 30 June 2021 secures your existing rights in UK law until you’re granted a status, so we’re urging eligible to people to apply now, and not to delay.    

Over 5 million people have already been granted a status that allows them to continue to continue to work, study, and access free healthcare and benefits in the UK after 30 June 2021.

Help to apply

Support is available seven days a week by telephone and by email, for anyone who needs help with their application. The Home Office has a dedicated team of more than 1,500 people working alongside a UK-wide network of 72 charities and local authorities dedicated to supporting the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach applicants including those who are disabled, elderly, isolated, have language or literacy problems, are the victims of domestic abuse, struggle with technology or have further vulnerabilities.

Your contributions are invaluable in helping to reach these people in the final few days left before the deadline of 30 June 2021. 

Thank you to everyone who shared content for the 30 days to go milestone earlier this month. The response was incredible with over 293 separate organisations participating in the activity with a combined reach of 7.1 million across Twitter and on Facebook.  

As an employer it is not your responsibility to make sure your EU employees have applied, but you can play a role by reminding them of the approaching deadline and cascading the information in the employer toolkit available on GOV.UK. 

You will not need to carry out retrospective Right to Work Checks on existing employees after the 30 June 2021 deadline. However, from 1 July, new EU, EEA and Swiss employees that you hire will need to demonstrate their right to work either with the pre-settled or settled status, or with a visa under the points-based immigration system. These Right to Work Checks can predominantly be conducted digitally for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens.

We have published a new guide for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens on viewing and proving their immigration status (eVisa). The guide explains how people can view, prove and share their immigration status, update their details, what they should expect when crossing the UK border and how to get help accessing their immigration status. Please feel free to share this with your employees or networks.

Key points to remember in the run up to the deadline

•    A range of support is available to those who need help to apply. Please help us reach these people by sharing the link to support services across your channels.   

o    Share this link: www.gov.uk/help-eu-settlement-scheme

•    If an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and their family members have lived in the UK for many years or have a permanent residence document or EEA Biometric Residence Card (BRC), they still need to apply to the EUSS (or apply for British Citizenship) by 30 June 2021 to continue to live and work in the UK. 

•    An application must be made for every eligible child within a family. Parents should apply on behalf of their children, even if they have already applied and been granted a status themselves. 

•    Eligible close family members living overseas can apply to join an EU, EEA or Swiss family member who started living in the UK by 31 December 2020. They can apply to come to the UK at any point. More information on joining family members can be found on GOV.UK.

•    An application to the EU Settlement Scheme by 30 June secures your existing rights in UK law until you’re granted a status, It usually takes around 5 working days for complete applications to be processed, but it can take up to a month. Some cases may take longer to process applications if they are more complex, such as where the person has a relevant criminal record.

•    Those who have successfully applied to the EUSS can access their pre-settled or settled status online, update their personal details, and get a ‘share code’ to prove their status to others at www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status. More information and guidance can be found in the guide for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens on viewing and proving their immigration status.

•    Individuals with status under the EUSS should ensure that they update their online account with all valid travel documents (such as passports or national identity cards) that they hold and intend to use for travel, to avoid any unnecessary delays at the border. They can do this online by going to www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status

•    We have published non-exhaustive guidance on reasonable grounds for missing the deadline on GOV.UK. Examples of reasonable grounds include instances where a person had a serious medical condition, which meant they were unable to apply by the relevant deadline, or someone who is isolated, vulnerable or did not have the digital skills to access the application process.  

Thank you for your continued support in assisting EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens to apply to the EUSS, helping to secure their future in the UK.

Home Office Communications