The EU Settlement Scheme was formally launched on 30 March 2019 following two “beta” test phases since August 2018. Friday 29 March was of course supposed to be the official “Brexit day” after the two-year Article 50 notice period, although the current parliamentary impasse means that the date has been delayed to 12 April at the earliest.
During the testing phases of the scheme there were over 230,000 applications, of which 210,000 have been concluded. Over the opening weekend a further 50,000 applications have been received by UK Visas and Immigration (“UKVI”).
EU citizens applying to the scheme are required to complete three key steps:
- Prove Identity
- Establish Residence
- Declare Criminality
A custom identity document check app, currently only available on Android devices, has been developed to verify identity remotely and at speed.
There will also be over 50 locations where applicants can have their passport verified and scanned.
The scheme will remain open in the event of a no-deal Brexit scenario. In such a scenario EU citizens will have until at least 31 December 2020 to apply. If the Withdrawal Agreement is approved and ratified, EU nationals and their family members who arrive in the UK before 31 December 2020 will have until 30 June 2021 to apply.
Please contact your Magrath Sheldrick representative for further guidance or contact us through this website.