After a long period of uncertainty, a little clarity is finally brought on this very delicate and important subject for all expatriates living in London.
The details of the Settled Status system have yet to be approved by the British Parliament (which, in view of the political events of recent weeks, is not always without problems), however you will find below the broad outlines:
- European nationals and their families already residing in the UK will be able to apply for settled status, which will allow them to continue to reside in the UK indefinitely.
- The application system will be open between March 2019 and June 2021
- The system will be easy to use and inexpensive (unlike British nationality, for example, which is laborious and costly to obtain).
- Any European national moving to the United Kingdom before 2021 can apply.
- European nationals moving to the UK from 2021 can apply for settled status which allows them to reside for 5 years. After this 5-year period, they can apply for settled status.
Under this new system, another simplification has been introduced, that of proof of residence in the United Kingdom, which was previously in the form of the “complicated and laborious Certificate of Residence”.
This is therefore good news for European nationals, both in terms of the rights granted to them and the process put in place to formalise them.
For more information, you can visit the Government website: https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
