EU students

The UK left the EU on 31 January 2020 and entered the transition period. This is a period which the UK negotiated with the EU under the Withdrawal Agreement. A ‘no-deal’ scenario was avoided. During the transition period, free movement between the EU and the UK continues and EU nationals are therefore able to enter the UK without any additional requirements. The transition period ends after 11pm on 31 December 2020.

There are several ways to stay up to date with Brexit developments:

• Visit theEU Staff Information portal for the latest information for employees
• The following link contains a collection of all the current government information in relation to the EU Settlement Scheme: UK Government - EU Settlement Scheme
• Sign up for email alerts from the Home Office by visiting their website
• Learn about the EU Settlement Scheme by referring to the Home Office guidance.
• Visit the government’s Brexit Transition information page

After 11pm on 31 December 2020, free movement between the EU and the UK will end. This means that EU nationals entering the UK after this date to live and work here, will need to meet the same requirements as non-EU nationals.

Please note the following key dates:

31 December 2020 (11pm) – Deadline for entering the UK for EU nationals who wish to apply to remain in the UK in accordance with the provisions of the EU Settlement Scheme.

1 January 2021 - New UK immigration system expected to come into force, applies to EU nationals entering the UK after 31 December 2020.

30 June 2021 – EU Settlement Scheme application deadline (for those who entered the UK by 31 December 2020)

EU nationals and their family members must apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021.

You will have until 30 June 2021 to apply if you entered the UK by 31 December 2020, however we would recommend applying as soon as possible.

If you start residing in the UK by 31 December 2020, you will have to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme before 30 June 2021. This will secure your right to live and work in the UK.

We would recommend that you keep evidence of the date you arrive in the UK, such as your flight tickets, if you will come to the UK before 11pm on 31 December 2020 (when the transitional period will end) and apply for the EU Settlement Scheme

If you start residing in the UK after 31 December 2020, you will not be eligible to apply under the EU Settlement Scheme but will have to apply under the new UK Immigration system which will be in force by January 2021.

Yes, if you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national and you wish to continue to live in the UK after 30 June 2021, you must apply for status under the EU Settlement Scheme in order to protect your right to live and work in the UK.

Yes, if you are the holder of a valid UK Permanent Residence document, you must make another application to switch to Settled status to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021.

The assessment of your previous UK residence used at the time of your Permanent Residence application will not be repeated. However, your Settled status application will be subject to criminality and security checks and to confirmation that your Permanent Residence status has not lapsed.

Full details on the application process can be found here.

If you previously applied for Indefinite Leave to Remain, you do not need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.  You will most likely have a stamp in your passport or a ‘vignette’ (sticker) stating Indefinite Leave to enter or remain along with a letter from the Home Office.

However, subject to meeting the conditions of eligibility, you can apply for ‘indefinite leave to remain under the EU Settlement Scheme’.  The Home Office has advised that by doing so you “should be able to spend up to 5 years in a row outside the UK without losing your settled status (instead of the 2 years with the indefinite leave to enter or remain you have now)”.

Eligible non-EU family members can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme before 30 June 2021.

Full details on eligibility and the application process can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families/not-EU-EEA-Swiss-citizen

EU, EEA and Swiss nationals who are not resident in the UK by 31 December 2020, will not be eligible to apply under the EU Settlement Scheme but will have to apply under the new UK Immigration system which is expected to come into force early 2021.

From 1 January 2021, free movement between the UK and the EU will end and both EU and non-EU applicants will be required to apply for a visa before traveling to the UK for employment.

If you are commencing a new role with the University of Glasgow and are unable to enter the UK prior to 31 December 2020, the Recruitment team will provide you with further guidance on applying for a visa prior to travelling to the UK.

For further information on the UK’s new Immigration System, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-immigration-system-what-you-need-to-know

1. Read the Guidance on https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families

2. Complete a short online application form using a computer, tablet or mobile phone. The application will ask you to:

• Prove your identity
• Prove that you live in the UK
• Declare any criminal convictions

There is no fee for making the application. 

The processing times for the application can vary and may be longer than usual due to the coronavirus pandemic. Please visit the following link for details: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-application-processing-times

You will be required to provide information on the following:

Identity

You will be required to provide proof of your identity and nationality.

For EU nationals:

• a valid EU passport or a valid EU national identity card (valid in this context means current, not expired and not cancelled or invalidated in any way)
• a valid passport
• a valid biometric residence card or valid biometric residence permit

For eligible non-EU national family members:

You can provide the proof of your identity and nationality in one of the following ways: 

• Scan your identity documents using the ‘EU Exit: ID Document Check’ mobile application. This app is available on Android Phones or iPhone 7 or above.
• Send your documents by post
• Visit a location providing access to the ID document scanning service. A list of locations can be found at https://www.gov.uk/id-scan-eu-settlement-scheme

You will also be asked to provide a digital photo of yourself during the application process.

Residence

You will be required to provide proof of residence in the UK.

You will be asked to provide your National Insurance Number during the application process. This will allow the Home Office to check your residence status automatically using government records. Details on this check can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/eu-settlement-scheme-uk-tax-and-benefits-records-automated-check

If the automated check cannot find (sufficient) evidence of your UK residence or you do not have a National Insurance Number, you can also upload documentary evidence of your residence in the UK.

Details of which documents are accepted as evidence of residence can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/eu-settlement-scheme-evidence-of-uk-residence

Criminality Check

You will be required to complete a criminality check. 

You will be asked to declare convictions that appear in your criminal record in the UK or overseas during the application process.

Non-EU family members

Please note that non-EU family members of EU nationals will be required to provide additional evidence including proof of their relationship to the EU national.  

You will either receive Settled or Pre-Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

Which status you will receive, will depend on how long you have lived in the UK.

You will receive Settled Status if you have lived in the UK for a 5-year period and can evidence ‘continuous residence’.

If you have not lived in the UK for a continuous 5-year period, you will receive Pre-settled Status. This will provide you with permission to remain in the UK for 5 years, after which you can apply for Settled Status once you meet the 5-year continuous residence requirement.

To be eligible for Settled Status, you must be able to evidence a 5-year period of ‘continuous residence’ in the UK. This means being resident in the UK for at least 6 months in any 12-month period for 5 years in a row. There are some exceptions to this requirement:

• one period of up to 12 months for an important reason (for example, childbirth, serious illness, study, vocational training or an overseas work posting)
• compulsory military service of any length
• time you spent abroad as a Crown servant, or as the family member of a Crown servant
• time you spent abroad in the armed forces, or as the family member of someone in the armed forces

If you are an EU national, you will not receive a physical document but your status will be in digital form which can be accessed online and is linked to the identity documents which you used for your application.

If you are a non-EU family member of an EU national, you will receive a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP card) for your Settled or Pre-Settled Status.

You can spend up to 5 years outside of the UK without losing Settled status. Swiss nationals can spend 4 years outside of the UK without losing Settled status.

If you have Pre-settled status, you can spend up to 2 years outside of the UK without losing your status however if you wish to qualify for Settled status you must ensure that you maintain continuous residence, i.e. residence in the UK for at least 6 months in any 12 month period.

If you intend to apply for British Citizenship in the future, you should also make yourself aware of the rules on absences from the UK in the year(s) preceding the citizenship application. For information on British Citizenship, please visit https://www.gov.uk/british-citizenship.

If your family member is an EU national, they can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme as described above. Each EU national’s application will be decided independently of other family members, though different rules apply for children.

If your family member is not an EU national, they will need to submit their own application and provide your details during their application process, including proof of their relationship to you.

Yes, children also need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme and the application can be made on behalf of the child.

If you are making an application on behalf of a child, the first stage of the process (the ID Verification stage) using the EU Settlement Scheme app is more or less the same as for an adult applicant.

A parent provides their own email address and mobile telephone number for the purpose of the child’s application. There is no limit to the number of times the same email address and mobile phone number can be used. You should provide the contact details that are easiest for the application process.

The ‘liveness’ test (the stage before taking a photograph) is omitted from a child’s application.

The second stage of the application process will recognise that it is a child’s application and the app will proceed to a different page. The parent is then asked to enter their details, including the parent’s name and any reference number issued to the parent at the time of the parent’s application to the Scheme. This can be used to link the applications.

The parent is required to provide proof of their relationship to the child when making the child's application. Proof of their residence in the UK is not required unless requested by the Home Office.

Further information on how to make an application for a child, including linking their application to the parent’s application can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families/apply-settled-status-for-child

Irish nationals do not need to do anything. Irish citizens enjoy a right of residence in the UK that is not reliant on the UK’s membership of the EU. The Common Travel Area (CTA) was formed before either Ireland or the UK joined the EU. As part of the negotiations, an agreement has been reached that rights under the CTA will be protected post Brexit. Irish nationals are not required to apply for Settled status but may do so if they wish.

Eligible non-EU family members of Irish nationals will be able to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. Further information can be found on the Government website.

If you are granted Pre-Settled status, also known as Limited Leave to Remain (LTR), you will receive a letter from the Home Office granting you the right to remain in the United Kingdom for five years from the date of the letter.

The letter will also provide information on how you can apply for Settled status when you qualify for it. You should retain this letter as it provides guidance on where and how to view and prove your rights.

The Home Office will not contact you about any future settlement application; it is an individual's responsibility to make a further application.

You can update your details on https://update-your-details.homeoffice.gov.uk/. Further information will also be contained in the letter which you received from the Home Office confirming your Settled or Pre-Settled status.

If you need help or information about your application, you can contact the EU Settlement Resolution Centre helpline.

EU Settlement Resolution Centre
Telephone: 0300 123 7379
Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 8am to 8pm
Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am to 4:30pm
Find out about call charges

You can also submit a question to the EU Settlement Resolution Centre through an online form: https://eu-settled-status-enquiries.service.gov.uk/start

Please note that the EU Settlement Scheme is independent of the University of Glasgow and the HR Team is unable to respond to any queries regarding individual applications.

If your situation is complex or you require specialist advice, we would recommend seeking legal advice from a registered immigration adviser or solicitor: https://www.gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser