EU Settlement Scheme: How to
support your EU employees

13 March 2019

In less than three weeks, from 29 March, EU citizens who wish to continue to live and work in the UK must register for the EU Settlement Scheme. All EU nationals in your organisation will need to apply for ‘settled’ or ‘pre-settled’ status.

The application deadline is 30 June 2021 if we leave the EU with a Deal, or 31 December 2020 in the event of No Deal.

Settled status versus pre-settled status

When applying under the EU Settlement Scheme, those EU nationals who do not have five years’ continuous residence will be eligible for pre-settled status. Assuming we leave the European Union with a deal, all EU nationals entering the United Kingdom by the 31 December 2020 will be eligible to apply for this status. 

All those EU nationals who can demonstrate five years’ continuous residence in the United Kingdom will qualify for settled status.

With the government poised to launch a nationwide marketing campaign to highlight the need for all EU nationals to engage with this application process, we advise UK employers to continue to show support to those EU employees seeking to secure their long-term status in the UK.   

What your business can do now

  • Determine how many EU nationals you have recruited within your organisation, ie, how many staff will be affected by this requirement?
  • Ask yourself if you are ready and able to answer every question that your employees may have regarding their immigration status and those of their close family members?
  • Decide what level of support and reassurance your business is prepared to provide to your EU staff

Smith Stone Walters can help

Our company is ready to assist your business. Our Brexit Immigration Service is tailored to meet the requirements of each client and is geared to reassure both you and your EU workforce.

  • We will deliver personal presentations to explain the relevant information your EU national workforce need to know
  • We will provide on-site one to one drop in sessions with your EU employees to assess their individual circumstances in relation to the EU Settlement Scheme
  • We will submit each settled status application to the Home Office on behalf of your EU employees

Talk to a member of our Brexit team today to gain further information on how we can begin to support your organisation.

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