Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Right to workCoronavirusLatest NewsImmigrationMigrant workers

Home Office warns of delay in EU settlement scheme decisions

by Ashleigh Webber 3 Apr 2020
by Ashleigh Webber 3 Apr 2020 Image: Willy Barton / Shutterstock.com
Image: Willy Barton / Shutterstock.com

EU citizens applying to remain in the UK following Brexit have been warned their application may take longer to be processed.

Due to the pressures imposed by the coronavirus outbreak, the Home Office warned that new applications under the EU Settlement Scheme will take “longer than usual” to be decided.

Migrant workers

Frontline health workers granted visa extension

Points-based immigration: five things employers can do now

Around 600,000 EU, EEA and Swiss nationals are yet to apply under the scheme before the 30 June 2021 deadline. About three million people have been granted authority to remain in the UK.

“While applications continue to be processed, during this challenging time they will take longer than usual. A range of support continues to be available online, by email and telephone for those who have questions or need help applying,” the Home Office said in a blog post.

“The Home Office is keeping this situation under constant review and will endeavour to reinstate support services and application routes to their original capacity in line with public health guidance.”

Some support services and application routes had changed temporarily. Its ‘settlement resolution centre’ will continue to respond to email enquiries and call applicants back where required, but due to many of its staff working from home, they are no longer able to answer incoming telephone calls.

“However, individuals can continue to apply using any laptop or mobile device and they can still use the “EU Exit ID Document check app” to complete the identity stage of their application,” advised the Home Office.

ID document scanner locations and the postal route for submitting identity evidence have been suspended, but documents that had already been posted will be processed and returned as quickly as possible.

“The government has made clear that where a person eligible for leave under the EU Settlement Scheme has reasonable grounds for missing the application deadline, they will be given a further opportunity to apply,” the Home Office added.

Chetal Patel, a lawyer at Bates Wells, said: “With the world on lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, individuals are having to re-evaluate travel plans but this shouldn’t hinder submitting applications. You don’t need to be physically in the UK to send in an application under the EUSS as the application can be made using a laptop or mobile.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“Whilst the world is adjusting to a new ‘business as normal’, individuals affected by the EU referendum result need to also continue ‘as normal’ and get their status now.”

Recruitment and resourcing opportunities on Personnel Today

Browse more recruitment and resourcing jobs

Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is a former editor of OHW+ and former HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support.

previous post
Occupational Health & Wellbeing research round-up: April 2020
next post
How can essential employers cope with increased demand on HR?

1 comment

IK 20 Jan 2021 - 4:13 pm

The settlement resolution centre does not provide an email. All it says is “Sorry, there is a problem with this service” and gives a phone number that makes you hold for 15 minutes at which point it turns off. There is no way of contacting them at all right now.

Comments are closed.

You may also like

Immigration white paper: which jobs will be affected?

19 May 2025

Immigration white paper: 10 key points and reaction

12 May 2025

Immigration white paper: strict limits on overseas recruitment

12 May 2025

Labour MPs urge more flexibility with EU over...

24 Apr 2025

Home Office reveals employers’ costly right-to-work mistakes

7 Apr 2025

New right to work checks put onus on...

3 Apr 2025

Florida to relax child labour laws

28 Mar 2025

Will new visa rules kill or cure the...

25 Mar 2025

‘Inconsistent immigration policy since Brexit is damaging the...

21 Mar 2025

You’ll never guess who’s a skilled worker –...

14 Mar 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+