EU 'Settled Status'
goes digital

23 December 2019

The current deadline for EU, EEA or Swiss citizens and their families to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme is 30 June 2021.

On completion of their application, each applicant receives settled or pre-settled status depending on whether they have lived in the UK for a continuous five year period or not. In each case, the Home Office does not award residence cards confirming the decision made. Instead, the new status is stored online in a digital format.

So how does an EU national prove their newly established UK settled status? Panic not.

Access To The Government Portal

A link to a new government portal is provided to each successful EU national on completion of their EU Settlement Scheme application.

The portal allows each registered individual to view their settled or pre-settled status and check what rights they hold in the UK. There is also the opportunity to share information with others (e.g. employers) as a way of proving lawful residency.

To access the portal securely the European national will need:

• details of the identity document used in applying to the EU Settlement Scheme
• their date of birth
• access to the mobile number or email address used in the original EU Settlement Scheme application

No imminent change

Despite the introduction of this new checking service, EU citizens will be able to use their passport or ID card to prove they can work/reside in the UK until 31 December 2020.

Employers therefore cannot insist on an employee providing evidence of their status under the EU Settlement Scheme until 1 January 2021 at the earliest.

How can Smith Stone Walters help your business?

Smith Stone Walters has been supporting clients in filing settled staus applications since the scheme’s introduction earlier this year.

Check out our informative how-to video or find out more about our online EU Settlement tracking system. Bespoke to each business, our unique tracker shows at a glance the status of your EU workers’ applications.

If you need further information on how we can help your EU workforce, please contact us today.

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