The UK government and EU leaders have now reached an agreement in principle on the rights of EU nationals living in the UK once the UK has left the EU on 29 March 2019, including an agreement on the “implementation period”, which will run from 30 March 2019
to 31 December 2020.

Firstly, during the implementation period, those EU nationals (and their families) who arrive in the UK during that period will have the right to live and work in the UK on virtually the same terms as EU nationals do now. However, these individuals will
be required to register if they choose to stay for longer than three months.

Secondly, any EU nationals who arrive in the UK by the end of the implementation period (or who are already in the UK) will be able to apply for “settled status” once they have continuously and lawfully resided in the UK for five years. Family members who
are living with, or join, EU nationals in the UK by 31 December 2020 will also be able to apply for settled status, normally after five years in the UK. The government intends that a new online registration scheme for settled status will be live and ready
to start accepting applications by the end of this year. Those EU nationals who have already been residing in the UK for five years will be able to apply for settled status as soon as the registration scheme is open. Those who have not yet been residing in
the UK for five years by 31 December 2020 will be able to apply once they reach the five-year threshold and, until then, they will be able to apply for a temporary residence permit. It will become mandatory for EU nationals who arrive in the UK before 31 December
2020 to hold either settled status or a temporary residence permit from 1 July 2021 onwards.

Settled status will allow EU nationals to live and work in the UK indefinitely and they can go on to apply for British citizenship if they wish. Settled status will be granted if the EU national meets the eligibility criteria and submits a valid application,
unless they are refused on the grounds of their serious criminal convictions or for security reasons.

From 1 January 2021 onwards, the government is to introduce a new immigration system for EU nationals and their family members. The details of this have not been finalised. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) will publish its report on EU migration into
the UK in September. Until then, there is unlikely to be any further clarity on the new immigration system as the MAC’s report is to be used to help design the government’s post-Brexit immigration policy.

Source: New feed