EU Settlement Scheme | University of Reading

EU Settlement Scheme with students in library

The EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) is open to EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their eligible family members, as well as eligible family members of British citizens who have exercised a right to reside in another EU country.

The EU Settlement Scheme is immigration permission that will protect your residency in the UK and therefore your right to study, work and live within the UK after the post-Brexit transition and grace periods have ended.

There are eligibility requirements and deadlines to apply by which you can view on the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website, as well as important guidance.

What is the application process?

You will be required to prove your identity and complete an online application, but you should first make sure you read all the information on the UKCISA website.

Prove your identity

If you want to prove your identity using the app, you can apply inside or outside of the UK. You must verify your identity before completing the online application. This is the recommended way of proving your identity.

You will need to use the Home Office’s ‘EU Exit: ID Document Check’ app which is compatible with Android phones 6.0 and above that have Near Field Communication (NFC) technology that is required to make contactless payments using your phone or an iPhone 7 or above. If you do not have an appropriate device, you can use someone else’s phone, find a location where you can use a phone or you can contact the International Student Advisory Team to arrange to use their device in the Carrington building.

You will need to open the app, scan your passport, national identity card (containing a biometric chip) or a UK issued biometric residence card before placing your ID document on the phone to enable it to check the electronic information stored in it. Then you will be asked to scan your face using the phone (children aged 10 and below will not be asked to scan their face). You will then be required to take a photo of yourself using the app.

After completing the identity checks you will be linked to the application form via the app.

You must apply inside the UK if you need to prove your identity by sending your documents by post. Your documents will be returned to you after they have been checked. This option will require you to upload a photo of yourself and answer questions on nationality as part of the online application.

Residency evidence:

The most simple way of proving your residency is by providing your National Insurance number (NI number) in your application if you have one.

If you do not have an NI number or the information attached does not cover your 5-years’ continuous residence you can upload documents such as; annual bank statements, a letter from the University/previous schools confirming the dates you are/were enrolled, utility bills etc. Find out more about which documents can be used.

If you are applying for pre-settled status there is no minimum amount of time you need to have spent in the UK, you only need to evidence you have been in the UK for 1 day out of the 6 months preceding the date of your EU Settlement Scheme application. A confirmation of student enrolment letter confirming your UK address and your status as a current student is more than adequate. You can also provide a used travel ticket that shows the date you entered the UK.
See ‘EUSS and absences from the UK’ below.

Should I apply for the EU Settlement Scheme?

Benefits of applying:

It is evidence of immigration permission to be in the UK.
If your course ends after the deadline for applying for the scheme as specified above you must apply. Otherwise, you may not be able to continue on your course and will be subsequently suspended/withdrawn because you will not be able to prove you have a right to study in the UK.
It is free and simple to apply.
Circumstances can change! Even if you feel that you are definitely not going to stay in the UK after completion of your studies, things can change. Applying for the scheme increases the options open to you.
As a current University of Reading student you have access to a free, confidential advice service with dedicated International Student Advisers who can assist you with your application.

It is entirely your choice to decide whether you apply for the scheme, but when making your decision you should consider the future and how it may affect you.

Please note that you will need to declare any criminal convictions in your application. The Home Office will check you against the UK’s crime database and if you have criminal convictions it may affect if you will be granted settled or pre-settled status. You will still be eligible for the settlement scheme for minor crimes such as speeding fines, but other crimes will be judged on a case-by-case basis.

Key dates

30 March 2019: The date the EU Settlement Scheme fully opened.
31 January 2020: The date the UK left the EU.
31 December 2020: The end of the transition period. EU citizens who arrive on or before this date can apply for the EU Settlement Scheme.
30 June 2021: The deadline for applying for the EU Settlement Scheme.

If you have obtained immigration permission under the EUSS

If you are granted either settled of pre-settled status you will not get a physical document unless you are a non-EU family member and do not already have a biometric residence permit (BRP). You will be able to access evidence of your status and application via an online system and share your rights to others online such as employers, landlords and educational institutions.

Make sure you read the FAQs.

EUSS and absences from the UK

If you intend to apply for settled status you must maintain 5-years’ of continuous qualifying residence, which includes being in the UK for at least 6 months in any 12-month period for 5 years in a row. You can have one instance of absence for up to 12 months for an important reason such as study, serious illness, pregnancy, compulsory military service etc.

If you intend to apply pre-settled status from outside of the UK you have to evidence you have been in the UK under continuous qualifying period’ in Appendix EU Annex 1- Definitions. You will need to evidence you have been in the UK for 1 day out of the 6 months preceding the date of your EU Settlement Scheme application. Please refer to the UKCISA guidance for further information.

Important note: UK Visas and Immigration have released guidance for EUSS applicants who have been affected by restrictions associated with coronavirus. Please read this information carefully. If you have broken or are likely to break your ‘continuous qualifying period of residence’ see the section below.

People who hold pre-settled status but cannot change their status to settled status due to not meeting the residency criteria will need to leave the UK before their pre-settled status expires or apply under the immigration rules in place at the time if the rules permit them to switch and they meet the requirements.

If you have broken or are likely to break your ‘continuous qualifying period of residence’

You should return to the UK by 11:00 on 31 December 2020 and reapply for pre-settled status. If you do not, and you want to return to the UK from 1 January 2021 you will not be able to remain in the UK long term i.e. beyond the expiry of your pre-settled status.

If you have lost your pre-settled status (after being granted) by spending more than 2 years outside of the UK and Islands, you will be required to obtain immigration permission under the new immigration system to enter the UK. Please read the relevant FAQ.

If you hold valid pre-settled status (as you have not spent more than 2 years in a row outside of the UK and Islands) at the time you want to travel to the UK, you can enter using your pre-settled status. However, you will not be able to change your pre-settled status to settled status before it expires because you will not meet the residency requirements.

You should read UKCISA’s guidance.