What is the EU Settlement Scheme?

The EU Settlement Scheme deadline has passed. If you still need to apply, we can provide free advice and support to assist you to make a late application.

EU Settlement Scheme Deadline

If you have missed the deadline you can still apply for EUSS if you have reasonable grounds.
 
The list of ‘reasonable grounds’ is not exhaustive and includes:

  • Children
  • Care leavers
  • Where adults lack the mental / physical capacity to apply
  • Where there are serious medical conditions
  • Victims of trafficking
  • Abusive / controlling relationships.
  • Other compelling or practical reasons

 
An application should still be accepted past the 30th June deadline but seeking specialist immigration advice and representation is strongly advised if the deadline is missed where, a person:

  • may have been unaware of the requirement to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme by the 30 June deadline
  • may have failed to make an application by the deadline if they had no access to internet
  • had limited computer literacy or limited English language skills
  • had been living overseas

What we can offer

We offer free:

  • Immigration advice
  • Practical assistance and support to complete EUSS application/s
  • Language support & interpreting services
  • Digital support & equipment/digital provision
  • Information sessions for EU nationals, NGOs, service providers, employers, trade unions, embassies/consulates

 

EU Settlement Scheme Information Sessions

We regularly hold EU Settlement Scheme Q&A sessions with an Immigration adviser.

You can find the dates and times for these sessions and book your place through Eventbrite.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

We have compiled some general questions and answers about the EU Settlement Scheme in Northern Ireland.

Do I need to prove that I have been working since coming to the UK?

No. An award of pre-settled or settled status is made solely on the basis of a person’s residence in the UK. There is also a criminality check to confirm the applicant’s suitability. It doesn’t matter whether you are or have been working, self-employed, studying, claiming benefits or dependant on someone else, if you are living in the UK and you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen or their family member you are eligible to apply to the scheme.

Does it take long for a decision to be made?

The majority of decisions are made in a matter of days. In some cases you may be asked for further evidence, which will obviously slow down the decision-making process, so it is important to monitor your email for communications from the Home Office. In a small number of cases it may not be possible to make an online application and an offline application will be required; these decisions will usually take a number of weeks.

I already have ‘permanent residence’, do I need to apply?

To continue living in the UK, EU citizens and their family members who have already obtained permanent residence must either apply for settled status under the EU settlement scheme or, alternatively, apply to naturalise as a British citizen. This is because permanent residency documents will become invalid after the application deadline for settled status under the scheme.

However, the application is easier if you already have valid proof of permanent residence as you will not have to prove you have 5 years’ continuous residence.

I have an Irish passport, can I apply?

Irish citizens enjoy a right of residence in the UK that is not reliant on the UK’s membership of the EU (it is protected by the Common Travel Area (CTA), which is an administrative arrangement implemented in UK domestic law). This means that Irish citizens do not need to apply for status under the scheme. Nonetheless, Irish citizens can make an application under the scheme, should they wish to do so and their family members who are not Irish or British citizens and who do not already have leave to enter or remain in the UK will need to make an application for status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

Irish citizens born in Northern Ireland, however, are not eligible to apply as they also automatically hold British citizenship, whether or not they have applied for a British passport.