EU Settlement Scheme briefing pack

On 25 July 2018 the UK Government published its 6 item briefing pack produced to help employers of EU nationals in the UK brief their employees on the UK Settlement Scheme which covers EU citizens and their EU, or non-EU family members.

The pack contains 2 briefing documents for employers, three leaflets for employees (which could be distributed directly to any EU citizens without involving employer engagement) and a series of posters for the workplace to help ensure EU citizens are made aware of the scheme.

The scheme is not ready yet to take application, (it has yet to receive Parliamentary approval, which it seems likely to do).  The intent appears to be to ensure that EU citizens and their families have access to information and, thus, more certainty about their future from this the earliest opportunity and to ensure that by the time the process is fully open for applications, individual are clear on how it impacts upon them and what they need to do about it, by when.

Key dates:

• The scheme will be phased in gradually from later in 2018 until it is full open by the end of March 2019.
• The scheme will apply to all those EU citizens living in the UK  by 31 December 2020. There will be protected rights for family members not resident in the UK by that date or children born after it.
• Those living in the UK by 31 December 2020 will have until 30 June 2021 to apply, thus, allowing plenty of time between qualifying cut-off  date and application deadline.

Please consider sending the materials out to any local tourism partners who  may employ EU workers, stressing that this is the start of the process and that no immediate action is required of their employees.  The briefing materials can be accessed here.