The European Union (EU) is a 27-country economic and political union. It maintains an internal (or single) market that enables the free flow of products, capital, services, and people between member states.
Member states of the European Union
The EU member states are as follows:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.
Europe’s Economic Community (EEA)
The EEA comprises the EU member states as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. It entitles them to participate in the EU’s single market.
Switzerland is not a member of the EU or the EEA but is a member of the single market. This means that Swiss nationals enjoy the same rights as other EEA citizens to live and work in the UK.
Citizens’ residence rights following the UK’s exit from the EU
If you or a family member are an EU or EEA national who moved to the UK before 31 December 2020, you may be eligible to apply for the free EU Settlement Scheme.
For the majority of people, the application date was 30 June 2021. You may still apply if one of the following applies:
You have a later deadline-for example, you’re joining a family member who was living in the UK on 31 December 2020-or you have “reasonable grounds” for not being able to apply by 30 June 2021-for example, you were ill or were a victim of domestic abuse.
Contact us at Henleaze Law to see if you are still eligible to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme.
Permanent Residence Application
How to submit an application for permanent residency
Permanent residence in UK is alternatively referred to as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). This allows you to live and work permanently in the United Kingdom. After 12 months, you may also be eligible to seek British citizenship.
There are several ways to apply for permanent residence in the UK, depending on your circumstances. For instance, you may be eligible for ILR if you meet the following criteria:
You’ve been a resident of the United Kingdom for at least five years.
If you have resided in the United Kingdom for five years or longer, you should be eligible to apply for UK permanent residence. However, there are exceptions. For example, you will be unable to apply for ILR if you have been living in the UK on a Tier 2 ICT work visa – which is granted to individuals who have transferred from another country to a UK firm branch to work on a specific project.
You are a close relative of a British citizen or permanent resident.
You may also be eligible for ILR if you are the spouse, parent, or dependent relative of a British citizen or permanent resident. Depending on the type of visa you hold in the UK, you may be eligible to apply for permanent residence after as little as two years.
You are in possession of a work visa.
If you have held a Tier 2 (General) work visa for five years, you may apply for ILR. Employers must sponsor you. Additionally, you’ll likely be required to demonstrate that you make at least £25,600 per year, unless you work in healthcare or a profession in short supply in the UK.
Charges and processing time
ILR takes around six months to process, according to UK Visas & Immigration. ILR applications cost £2,389 each. However, keep in mind that many categories have financial criteria, which can significantly increase the cost of applying.
English language skills
To apply for ILR, you may be required to demonstrate that you have at least a B1 level of English. Additionally, the UK Home Office recognizes our PTE Academic UKVI secure English language test for all UK visas. The test is computer-based to eliminate human bias and is quick and easy — results are available within 48 hours.
EU’s Settlement Scheme
You can apply for the EU Settlement Scheme if you are an EU citizen and do not have IRL.
The plan is free to apply for, and upon acceptance, you are granted either “settled” or “pre-settled” status. You can remain in the UK indefinitely if you have settled status. You can stay another five years with pre-settled status, but you can always apply for established status afterwards.
With both, you’ll gain the right to work and study in the UK, as well as access to the NHS, public benefits, and pensions, as well as the ability to leave the country for travel-and, after 12 months, apply for British citizenship.
