Frequently Asked Questions
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EU students
Student FAQs - Disclaimer
For official information and updates, please consult UK Government sources (www.gov.uk) and sources from other key institutions such as Universities UK (https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk) or the UK Council of International Students’ Affairs (https://www.ukcisa.org.uk).
In our answers, we refer to all individuals eligible for status under the EU Settlement Scheme as ‘EU citizens’. However, some categories of citizens (e.g. Irish citizens) might benefit from different arrangements and exceptions.
Other resources
Useful resources:
Your Europe: EU Nationals in the UK (contains lots of links to other guidance and q&a documents from the European Commission)
UK Government: ask a question about the EU Settlement Scheme
UK Government: COVID-19 guidance for the EU Settlement Scheme
UK Government policy paper on student finance eligibility for the 2021-2022 academic year
Immigration Assistance:
EU Settlement Resolution Centre - Webform: eu-settled-status-enquiries.service.gov.uk/start or call 0300 123 7379 between Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 8am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am to 4:30pm (See call charges)
Postcode finder - to find closest charity / voluntary organisation https://www.gov.uk/help-eu-settlement-scheme
Charity / community organisations - the Home Office has funded charity / voluntary organisations to assist vulnerable applicants with their EUSS applications for free, search on: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-community-support-for-vulnerable-citizens
Identity Scanning Locations - search here for a list of Local Authority locations. (Note that some may still be closed due to COVID-19 so if you can’t use your mobile devices to scan your documents you may need to send your Identity documents by post)
Assisted Digital Service - call 03333 445 675 or text “VISA” to 07537 416 944
Settled is a charity providing free immigration advice to EU citizens. You can contact them here: http://settled.org.uk/contact
Here for Good, free advice for vulnerable EU citizens, see https://www.hereforgoodlaw.org/advisory
There are many organisations and individuals providing advice on citizenship. In the UK, all immigration advice is regulated, so please make sure you go to someone who is qualified to give you advice on this area of law. On the ILPA website, you can find a directory of members to find an immigration advisor near your area: https://ilpa.org.uk.
What does ‘continuous residence’ or ‘continuity of residence’ mean?
Continuous residence, or continuity of residence, simply means living in the UK. However, too much absence from the UK can break continuity of residence.
The rules are different depending on whether you are applying to the EU Settlement Scheme, or for British citizenship.
EU Settlement Scheme:
You are allowed six months’ absence (or a one-off absence of up to 12 months*) from the UK out of any 12 month period before breaking your continuous residence.
‘Six months’ actually translates to 180 days, rather than six calendar months.
The ‘out of any 12 month period’ is trickier to calculate than you might think, because you really do have to look at any 12 month period, not just checking each calendar year. For example, if you are away for 4 months between August and November in one year, and then 3 months from February to April the next, you might think that you didn’t break your continuity of residence. Unfortunately you did, because you were away for 7 months between July of the first year and July of the second.
To help you calculate your greatest total absence in any rolling 12-month period, we have created an ‘absence calculator’ for you.
Click here to see the calculator and find out more about absences.
* A one-off absence of up to 12 months is allowed for some specific reasons (some examples are pregnancy, childbirth, serious illness, compulsory military services). The Home Office has updated their Covid-19 guidance for the EU Settlement Scheme, which includes concessions for longer COVID related absences not breaking continuity of residence in some cases, and allowing people to apply for a further grant of pre-settled status where necessary to achieve five years’ continuous residence.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Unless you are applying to the EU Settlement Scheme as a joining family member, your eligibility for (pre-)settled status depends on continuous residence which needs to have started before 31 December 2020.
British citizenship
See this question on allowance absences when applying for British citizenship. The requirements are stricter than for the EU Settlement Scheme.
What do I need to do if I am an existing EU citizen student, studying in the UK?
If you were in the UK before 31 December 2020, you had until 30 June 2021 to apply for settled/pre-settled status to secure your rights to stay in the UK but you can still apply if you can show that you have reasonable grounds for missing the deadline. See our FAQ on late applications. Students who do not qualify for the EU Settlement Scheme, i.e. they did not enter the UK before 31 December 2020 or do not have family members they are able to join in the UK, will have to apply using the new immigration system.
For more information about settled/pre-settled status and how to apply you can visit the Government’s website.
I am an EU citizen, and have started my course at a British university online. What can I do if I do not have settled/pre-settled status and I did not arrive in the UK before 31 December due to the pandemic?
If you are an EU citizen and are studying at a university in the UK already (i.e. you started your course before August 2021), you will be eligible for home fees for the duration of your degree. However, you need to have entered the UK before 31 December 2020 to be eligible for settled/pre-settled status.
If you have visited the UK in the past, but more than six months ago, you will likely not be able to show a ‘continuous residence’ that started before 31 December 2020, but seek advice because the Government have updated their Covid guidance for the EU Settlement Scheme, which includes concessions on longer absences related to Covid-19.
If you are not eligible for pre-settled status, you will now, instead, need to apply for a student visa under the new Immigration System.
If you are in any doubt about your absences, see https://www.the3million.org.uk/absence-calculator.
I have pre-settled status but cannot return to the UK due to the pandemic. Will this have an impact on my status?
With pre-settled status, you lose your status if you leave the UK for a period of 2 consecutive years, whereas with settled status you can be away for 5 years. (See also this FAQ on settled status 5-year absences).
However, to be able to maintain your continuous residence in the UK and convert your pre-settled status to settled status once you complete five years of residence in the UK. Usually, if you spend more than 6 months outside of the UK, you will lose your continuous residence. However, due to the pandemic, there are exceptions to how long you are allowed to stay outside of the UK without breaking your continuous residence. For more information on what the rules are, please read here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-eu-settlement-scheme-guidance-for-applicants#above1
To check whether you will still be eligible to apply for settled status in due course, read the ‘continuous residence’ FAQ.
I have pre-settled/settled status and intend to apply to start a university course after 2020/2021. Will I be eligible for home fees?
It has been confirmed that, if you are an EU citizen and already hold pre-settled/settled status and meet the relevant eligibility requirements (see here for more details) , you will be eligible for home fee status and financial support.
See this UK Government policy paper on student finance eligibility for the 2021-2022 academic year.
I have settled/pre-settled status and intend to start a postgraduate degree. Will I be eligible for home fees?
It has been confirmed that, if you are an EU citizen and already hold pre-settled/settled status and meet the relevant eligibility requirements (see here for more details), you will be eligible for home fee status and financial support.
See this UK Government policy paper on student finance eligibility for the 2021-2022 academic year.
What documents will be required to be able to stay in the UK for a study or work period from 2021?
If you arrived in the UK before 31 December 2020, you should have applied for the EU Settlement Scheme. Your pre-settled or settled status will be used as evidence of your rights in the UK. If you have not applied but believe you are eligible to apply, please see the guidance on late applications
If you first entered the UK after this date, you will have to apply for a visa under the new Immigration System.
What does the new Immigration System entail?
On 13 July 2020, the UK Government launched a UK points-based immigration system. These new arrangements will affect workers, students and graduates and visitors who will arrive in the UK from 1 January 2021, once freedom of movement with the European Union (EU) has ended and are also known as the new Immigration System.
If I arrived in the UK before December 2020, will I be eligible for home tuition fees and student loans?
It has been confirmed that, if you are an EU citizen, entered the UK before 31 December 2020 and apply for pre-settled/settled status, you will have access to home fees and student loans even after August 2021 (provided that you meet the criteria).
This is not the case for new EU students (without settled/pre-settled status). This might be different for Irish nationals intending to study in the UK.
For more information about this, please visit the dedicated Brexit section on Universities UK website or on the UK Council of International Student Affairs website.
See this UK Government policy paper on student finance eligibility for the 2021-2022 academic year.
Will EU students have the right to work in the UK after they graduate?
EU students with settled/pre-settled status will see no changes in their right to work in the UK.
Those who arrived in the UK after 31 December 2020 and are not eligible to apply for settled/pre-settled status will need to apply for a student visa under the new Immigration System. Graduates will be able to work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to 2 years, or 3 years if a PhD graduate.