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Our take on Settled Status

Sharing our own team’s experience with the EU Settlement Scheme

Melissa, June 21, 2021

Settled-Status-Hero

On 31 January 2020, the UK officially left the EU, and is no longer obliged to follow one of the key tenets of the European Union: the free movement of people.

This means that, following this momentous date, EU citizens still living in the UK will need to secure their right to stay (if they hadn’t done so already).

At Monese, it’s our mission to help people thrive anywhere. This includes borderless workers, families, students, expats, retirees and other EU citizens living in the UK.

As well as our highly multicultural customer base, we’re also proud to have a pretty diverse team in London, most of whom are EU (non-British) citizens. This makes the end of free movement very much an important issue for us and the reason we’re sharing our experiences with you today.

The EU Settlement Scheme

The government’s solution to the end of free movement is something called the EU Settlement Scheme. This lets EU/EEA citizens and citizens of Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Lichtenstein, along with eligible family members, secure their residency in the UK now that Brexit has happened. The deadline to apply for this scheme is 30 June 2021 and there’s no fee to apply.

Once you’ve successfully applied to the scheme, you’ll be able to carry on working and living in the UK past this date without any issues. Depending on how long you’ve been in the UK, you’ll get either settled or pre-settled status. Whichever you’re eligible for and granted, you’ll be able to:

  • work in the UK
  • be a part of the National Health Service
  • enrol in education and study in the UK
  • access public funds and benefits, if eligible for them
  • travel in and out of the UK

What’s been our experience with the scheme?

Settled-Status-Visual-passport

Here a few of our fellow colleagues share their experiences with the scheme so far:

Toomas

“I’ve been in the UK since July 2020 and moved here from Estonia. I applied for pre-settled status in November last year and everything went smoothly. I just filled in the form and provided the necessary evidence. Getting a National Insurance number was trickier”!

Jiri

“I came to the UK in 2005 from the Czech Republic. Applying for settled status back in September 2019 was pretty smooth for me. The whole process took two days. To apply, I needed to send my full name, email, phone number and had to scan my passport. After submitting my application, I got an email confirming my submission. Two days later, I received an email with the outcome: I’d been granted Indefinite Leave in the United Kingdom or settled status.

While I realise that for me the procedure was quick, I know others were a bit stressed because unlike me, they weren’t notified within days. They had to wait weeks”!

Radu

“I moved to the UK from Romania in 2017 so I applied for pre-settled status in April 2019. The process was extremely smooth: I had to scan my passport, which I did with their app on an Android phone. I stuck the biometric passport to the back of an NFC-capable device, and a few seconds later everything was done.

A few days later I got an email from the Home Office saying they’re pleased to inform me that my pre-settled status for five years (until 2024) was granted. All in all, smooth sailing from start to finish.

On their platform, they also provide a way for an individual to prove their right to stay: you can generate a one-time security code, which employers or whoever else needs to can easily check this”.



We’re strong believers in giving people everything they need to make the best decisions for their future and, of course, the freedom to thrive anywhere, wherever they may be.

That’s why we’re taking the opportunity to remind you that the deadline to apply and secure your right to stay in the UK is 30 June 2021.

Have you signed up for the EU Settlement Scheme? How was your experience? Did you have any difficulties applying? We’d love to hear your thoughts, tips and stories. Get in touch via email at community@monese.com or on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

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