Securing The Future Of EU Workers In Britain Ahead Of The Government Crackdown

Published On : 12/09/2016

A guide to permanent residence and British nationality 

UK immigration laws on EU nationals living in the UK are set to change should Article 50 be triggered by March next year, with talks already underway on new work permit rules and major restrictions on overseas students. While finance companies should encourage their EU national workers to act now to get ahead of changes and safeguard their future in Britain, immigration law experts, Migrate UK , say that few EUs – and their employers – are aware of the strict criteria and timings required to become a ‘qualified person’ eligible for British Nationality status.

Jonathan Beech, Managing Director of Migrate UK, said, “We have EU clients that have lived and worked in the UK for more than 10 years many of whom are highly educated and highly skilled from sectors like finance, banking and engineering. They assumed that their length of time in the country meant that they’re automatically considered permanent residents but this isn’t the case. Following the Brexit vote, many EU nationals no longer feel safe about their future status and so it’s important for those people, with the support of their employer, to make residence applications sooner rather than later.”

Below is a comprehensive roadmap from Migrate UK for EU finance workers, self-employed, job-seekers and UK finance companies  concerned about the future skills of their workforce, on how to secure permanent residence (PR) and British Nationality status under current immigration legislation.

Length of stay in the UK

EU passport holders may enter the UK free of immigration restrictions for at least three months but after this time they will need to become a ‘qualified person’ such as in employment, a student, self-employed or self-sufficient (those to be eligible for residence and British national status.

In most circumstances, your workers must have been in the UK for five consecutive years as a qualified person before applying for PR and if they are absent from the UK for more than 180 days – or six months roughly – per year in those five years, then they won’t qualify.  There are allowances to this rule such as students on work placement, or those with serious health issues that require medical care overseas, but the circumstances must be exceptional.

Further, there are restrictions on the right of entry and residence on the grounds of public policy, public security and public health for example, a custodial sentence in the UK does not count towards being a qualified person.

Employees and self employed

Finance companies and individual workers must keep evidence of employment such as payslips, bank statements and contracts, as this will be critical for your worker’s residence application as it is evidence that they have remained a qualified person for five continuous years.

If they are classed as self-employed then they need to keep evidence such as tax and National insurance documents, and proof of earnings.

Furthermore, unlike self-sufficient individuals and students, EU workers and self-employed individuals do not need to hold Comprehensive Sickness Insurance (CSI) but what many EU workers and self-employed individuals do not realise is that if they are in-between jobs or out of work, even for a short time, they must register with the Job Centre otherwise they are automatically classed as self-sufficient and will need CSI.

Self-sufficient EU nationals and students 

Few self-sufficient EU migrants and foreign students realise that they must hold CSI if they wish to remain in the UK for longer than three months. It’s free from the country of origin and it’s best to get it before entering the UK. CSI applying from the UK would not be valid.

CSI is also fundamental for any permanent residence application where a person has spent time in the UK as a student or self-sufficient person during their five years in the UK.  Students must show proof of studying in the UK such as details of any grants, scholarships or bursary and self-sufficient EU nationals need to show evidence of having adequate finances to support themselves as well as CSI.  

Work-seekers

Those finance professionals seeking work do not need CSI if they have registered with the Job Centre. They can access the NHS and they can seek permanent residence after five years, so long as they can show evidence of efforts to secure work. The Job Centre will evaluate job searches for all registered job seekers unable to secure work after 90 days in the UK. 

Your residence revoked

Unlike British Nationality, permanent residence isn’t always a guaranteed licence to remain in the UK and can easily be revoked, for example, should any of your workers leave the UK for more than two years at any one time and not return.

But, once they’ve shown evidence of being in the UK for 12 months after the five continuous years (unless they are married to a British Citizen and then the PR qualification period is slightly different) they should then be able to qualify for British Nationality status provided they are free from any immigration restrictions.

Cost and length of time

Permanent residence applications are taking longer than normal since the vote to leave the EU, due to rising demand, with average time taking six months and costing £65 per person. British Nationality applications are £1,236 and can take on average three to four months to process.

Jonathan continued: “Latest official labour force statistics show that there are around two million* EU migrants working in Britain and they will be affected by the Government’s proposed changes to the UK Immigration Rules. Plans to restrict foreign students coming into the UK will need to go through public consultation whilst proposals to introduce work permits looks like it will be a numbers game led by employers and the need for certain skills. These rules could add another layer of complexity to finding much needed talent for example, under proposed new rules, EUs wishing to work in Britain will need a UK sponsor which will be a near impossible task if you’re outside the UK at the time and how many employers will really want to pay to fly possible candidates over to interview? It’s no surprise that Britain’s biggest banks are considering leaving the UK early next year ahead of Brexit, taking some of best financial skills with them.”

Wanda Rich

Wanda Rich has been the Editor-in-Chief of Global Banking & Finance Review since 2011, playing a pivotal role in shaping the publication’s content and direction. Under her leadership, the magazine has expanded its global reach and established itself as a trusted source of information and analysis across various financial sectors. She is known for conducting exclusive interviews with industry leaders and oversees the Global Banking & Finance Awards, which recognize innovation and leadership in finance. In addition to Global Banking & Finance Review, Wanda also serves as editor for numerous other platforms, including Asset Digest, Biz Dispatch, Blockchain Tribune, Business Express, Brands Journal, Companies Digest, Economy Standard, Entrepreneur Tribune, Finance Digest, Fintech Herald, Global Islamic Finance Magazine, International Releases, Online World News, Luxury Adviser, Palmbay Herald, Startup Observer, Technology Dispatch, Trading Herald, and Wealth Tribune.