EU Settlement Scheme
hits three million

19 February 2020

It is estimated that over three million European nationals currently living in the UK have now applied for the EU Settlement Scheme. That’s according to the latest Home Office figures, as at the end of January 2020.

The EU Settlement Scheme allows those currently resident in the UK under EU law to obtain a status under the UK’s Immigration Rules. As such, it is open to all those currently here under EU law which includes the non-EEA family members of EEA and Swiss citizens.

Of the 3,107,900 applications received to date, over 2.7 million (2,730,200) cases have been considered and concluded by the Home Office. Over 370,000 applications remained under consideration, or pending, at the time statistics were released.

Coinciding with the month the UK formally left the European Union, the number of new applications received to the scheme rose significantly in January to 351,800 (up from 163,300 in December 2019). Whilst figures do not exist as to the exact number of EU citizens currently living in the UK, it is estimated that over 0.5 million are yet to apply.

Leading the way

Polish and Romanian nationals have made the highest number of settlement scheme applications to date – 585,400 and 498,700 respectively. This combined total represents over one third of all EU Settlement Scheme applications received to date.

In contrast, the number of applications received from nationals of Luxembourg and Liechtenstein since the scheme opened amounts to less than one thousand.

Settled or pre-settled status

Under the scheme, EU nationals who have lived in the UK for five years or more receive settled status, whereas those people who have resided for less than five years are awarded pre-settled status. As of 31 January 2020, 58% of EU citizens have been granted settled status and 41% have been granted pre-settled status.

To date, only seven applications have been refused on suitability grounds. Of these, one application was refused in January 2020, the other six between August 2019 and December 2019.

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