Key announcements

Due to maintenance, some of our online forms and systems will be unavailable from 6:00am on Saturday 30 March to 7:00am on Monday 1 April. We are sorry for any inconvenience. To find out more about the section 114 notice, visit our section 114 page

Switching from pre-settled status to settled status

If you hold pre-settled status, you can apply for settled status as soon as you are eligible.

This is usually after you have lived in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 5 years in a row (known as ‘continuous residence’).

You may not be eligible for settled status if during the 5 years you have spent more than 6 months outside the UK in a 12-month period.

There are some specific exemptions to this, including absence for an important reason e.g. COVID 19.

Read more about eligibility for settled status on GOV.UK website.

The 5 years are counted from the day you first arrived in the UK. You do not need to have held pre-settled status for 5 years to apply for settled status.

If you have pre-settled status you must apply to the EUSS again before your pre-settled status expires.

Learn more on how to apply to switch your status

Applying for your children

If you have children who were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020, are not British or Irish citizens, and do not have another type of UK immigration status (for example, temporary leave or indefinite leave to enter or remain) they must make an application to the EUSS.

You can apply on their behalf, and when you apply for your child you can ‘link’ their application to yours.

Read more about Apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (settled and pre-settled status)

If you or your partner has given birth in the UK since 31 December 2020, and neither you or the other parent had settled status, another form of indefinite leave to enter or remain, or British citizenship when the child was born, you will need to apply to the EUSS on your child’s behalf within 3 months of their date of birth.

You do not need to apply on your child’s behalf if you or your partner held settled status, another form of indefinite leave to enter or remain, or British citizenship at the date the child was born because the child will be British by birth.

Read more about whether you have British citizenship

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