The majority of the two and a half million people with pre-settled status in the UK and the leave to remain in the UK under the EUSS for a total of 5 years will lose their pre-settled status in August 2023 after expiration.
Therefore, they are advised to apply for settled status to continue living in the UK before their pre-settled status expires. Otherwise, many EU nationals will be living in the UK unlawfully.
This is unpleasant news for individuals as well as employers since they will soon be hiring people who don’t have the right to work in the UK unknowingly.
Moving, let’s look at some details.
Your pre-settled status has a validity of 5 years from the date it was granted. However, this period can decrease if your status is revoked.
Furthermore, you become eligible for settled status after living in the UK for 5 continuous years. In case you are wondering, living in the UK continuously means you didn’t visit another country for over 6 months during any 12-month period. However, this can be affected by exceptions.
On the other hand, your pre-settled status lapses, making you ineligible to apply for settled status if you visited another country for 2 years in your 5-year validity period.
You can apply for settled status online. The application process is pretty straightforward, provided you have all the relevant ID documents, have been employed continuously, and HMRC has records of your employment. Consequently, your continuous residence in the UK is verified through HRMC records during the application process.
In case HRMC doesn’t have complete records of your employment and stay in the UK, you will be required to submit additional evidence to the Home Office. This can happen if you have been outside the UK for more than 6 months. You are free to upload any supporting documents online.
Moreover, you will have to acquire a new ID if your previous one expired before applying for settled status.
You will get a Certificate of Application confirming your right to live and work in the UK after you submit your free application. Don’t forget your application will still be pending approval.
We hope you found this information helpful. Follow our blogs for the latest updates and informative content on UK immigration.
