EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) 2024 - Here's What You Need To Know
EU Settlement Scheme (settled and pre-settled status): after Brexit, you and your family may be eligible to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme in order to continue residing in the UK if you and your family are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein and were living in the UK before 31 December 2020. If you are a member of an eligible person's family from Northern Ireland, you might also be able to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.
The application deadline for those who were living in the UK by the end of Brexit transition period at 23:00 GMT on 31 December 2020, was 30 June 2021. In some cases, you can still apply for the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) after 30 June 2021.
Following Brexit, EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) was established to provide permanent residence in the UK for EU nationals who had been residing in the UK at the end of 2020 (31 December 2020). The scheme was put in place as a result of Brexit and the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union and consequently the ending of free movement. As a result, only residents of the EU who were present in the UK as of December 31, 2020, are eligible for government’s EU Settlement Scheme.
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What will EU citizens get after applying to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
European Union (EU) applicants who have lived in the UK for five years at the time of application are, under current rules, eligible for permanent residence and will be given settled status.
EU citizens who haven't lived in the UK for five years don’t meet the eligibility criteria for permanent residence and will be given pre-settled status to start with. The pre-settled status extends EU citizens visa validity by another five years, and extends their ability to remain in the UK so that they can fulfill the requirements for permanent residency.
Most EU applicants had to submit their EUSS applications by June 30, 2021. If you have 'reasonable grounds' for why you were unable to make the deadline, it is still possible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. In some cases, if a caregiver did not step up for you or if you are a victim of domestic abuse, critically ill or injured, you may fall under this category.
Non-EU family members who joined an EU family member in the UK on or after April 1, 2021 are still eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme. The EU family member must, however, have resided in the UK as of December 31, 2020 the latest.
Your rights with settled or pre-settled status
As a EU citizens with settled or pre-settle status you will be able to:
work in the UK
use the NHS for free
enroll in education or study in the UK
access public funds such as benefits and pensions, if you’re eligible for them
travel in and out of the UK
Switching from pre-settled to settled status
When you have resided in the United Kingdom continuously for five years, or earlier if you are eligible before five years, you can change your status to settled.
The 5 years is counted from the day you started your continuous residence, not the day you were granted pre-settled status.
To remain in the UK, you must apply for settled status before your pre-settled status expires.
This EU Settlement Scheme EUSS 2024 Guide will cover:
What will EU citizens get after applying to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
EU citizens rights with settled or pre-settled status
Switching from pre-settled to settled status