Everyone will be aware that Brexit has finally happened and that the UK left the European Union last year. As such, if you’re an EU national and want to continue living in the UK you need to be aware of some important changes that are set out under the new EU Settlement Scheme.  

You usually need to apply to stay in the UK if you're from:

• A country in the EU, European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland
• Another country and you are the family member of someone who is from the EU, EEA* or Switzerland
  *(The EEA includes EU countries and Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein).

Under the EU Settlement Scheme, you can apply for ‘pre-settled status’ or ‘settled status’ and the deadline is 30th June of this year.

It’s worth applying for pre-settled or settled status now. After 30 June 2021 you might be asked to prove your right to do things like get a job or use the NHS. Once you've got either pre-settled or settled status you will have a right to:

• Stay in the UK
• Work
• Study
• Use the NHS
• Rent a home
  If you get settled status, you'll also have the right to claim benefits. If you get pre-settled status, the rules are a bit more complicated and you might want to check your entitlement with the Citizens Advice Bureau.

You might also be able to apply for British citizenship, but it’s best to apply for pre-settled or settled status first - it’s faster and it’s free. You might also find it easier to apply for citizenship after you get settled status.

If you’re already a British or Irish citizen, you don’t need to apply to stay in the UK. If you have family members who aren’t British or Irish, you might want to check their status through the Citizens Advice Bureau.

If you’ve lived in the UK for less than 5 years you should apply to the EU Settlement Scheme for pre-settled status. To get it, you'll need to prove you’ve lived in the UK for at least 1 day that was both:

• On or before 31 December 2020
• In the 6 months before you applied
  If you get pre-settled status, you can live and work in the UK for up to 5 years. After you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years, you should apply for settled status to stay for longer. You can spend up to 2 years outside the UK without losing your pre-settled status. But, if you want to apply for settled status later, you need to:
• Have lived in the UK for 5 years in a row
• Prove that you lived in the UK for 6 months out of every 12 months during those 5 years
  The 5 years can include time before you got pre-settled status.

If you've lived in the UK for 5 years or more you should apply to the EU Settlement Scheme for settled status.

If you get settled status, you can:

• live and work in the UK for as long as you like
• live outside the UK for up to 5 years in a row without losing your status - 4 years if you're Swiss
• bring your family to live in the UK
• apply for British citizenship 1 year after getting your status (or immediately if your husband, wife or civil partner is a British citizen)
   

If you're claiming benefits and getting help with housing you have the right to apply for benefits or help with housing from your local council if you have settled status.

If you have pre-settled status, it’s easier to get benefits and housing help if you have another ‘right to reside’ - this depends on things like your work and family.

If you don’t have settled status or pre-settled status yet, you might still be able to claim benefits or get housing help. You must have been in the UK with a right to reside on 31 December 2020.

After 30 June 2021, you’ll usually need to have pre-settled or settled status to:

• Keep getting some benefits - like Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Child Benefit
• Be eligible for housing assistance from your local council
   

For more details, please visit:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-settlement-scheme-applicant-information