December 2020

1st December 2020

On 31 December 2020, the current Brexit transition period ends. This means that all EU/EEA nationals (except Irish nationals) need to apply to the Home Office for leave to remain in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS).

The EU Settlement Scheme has been fully open since 30 March 2019, so most EU/EEA students and their families will have already applied to the scheme. However, it is important that you check because the scheme closes on 30 June 2021. In effect, the next six months are a grace period for anyone who has not yet applied to make sure that they get onto the scheme before it closes.

Under the EU Settlement Scheme, EEA/EU nationals under the age of 21 can apply either as dependants – linked to a parent’s application – or in their own right. If applying in their own right (looked-after children, for example, or former pupils who are no longer in contact with their parents), applicants must provide evidence that they have lived in the UK.

Three organisations in Newcastle can provide support with EUSS applications: Riverside Community Health Project, The Children’s Society and North East Law Centre. Their contact details are on the attached leaflet, which also contains ‘after-care’ information for applicants once they have been granted status under the scheme. This information is extremely important to understand because EU/EEA nationals will need to access the government’s ‘View and Prove’ website to evidence their status as of next year.