January 30, 2025
The Home Office has introduced a new process to automatically upgrade eligible pre-settled status holders to settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), removing the need for a further application.
Key Updates:
The EUSS allows eligible EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens who were residing in the UK before January 1, 2021, to secure their residency rights.
The scheme opened on March 30, 2019, with a general application deadline of June 30, 2021. However, individuals with a later deadline or “reasonable grounds” for a delayed application may still apply.
Under the new system, eligible pre-settled status holders will be automatically converted to settled status based on government-held data, eliminating the need for a separate application.
What to Expect:
The rollout will occur in phases, with wider implementation planned for later in 2025.
The Home Office will conduct automated checks as a pre-settled status holder’s expiration date approaches.
Individuals will receive an email notification if their case is being considered for conversion. No action is required from them.
Those ineligible for automatic conversion will be informed accordingly.
The first grants of settled status under this process are expected by late January 2025.
Background:
Since the original EUSS deadline passed more than three years ago, the UK government has continued refining the scheme. As of September 30, 2024, approximately 5.7 million people had secured status under the EUSS. Additionally, over 540,000 vulnerable applicants have received support through a network of grant-funded organizations across the UK.
This development aims to simplify the transition for pre-settled status holders and ensure their long-term residency rights in the UK.
Written by “Liie Immigration”
