Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 2 October 2019 to Question 293633 on Immigration: EU Nationals, what estimate she has made of the proportion of settled status applications that are not completed within the five working days target.

Our aim is to process all applications to the Scheme as expeditiously as possible. The majority of applications are concluded within 5 working days.

The following link lists the expected processing times for EU Settlement Scheme applications, based on current performance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-application-processing-times/eu-settlement-scheme-pilot-current-expected-processing-times-for-applications.

However, it is likely to take longer in the following instances:

• Further information is required from an applicant;
• If the applicant is applying as a minor and or the application is not linked to an adult;
• If the applicant has submitted a paper application;
• If the applicant has a relevant criminal record;
• If the applicant is a non-EEA or non-Swiss citizen and are applying based on a relationship not relied on in a previous application to the Home Office.

Overall, the total number of applications that have been concluded, as of 30 September 2019, was more than 1.5 million (1,524,500). Of these, 61% were granted settled status, 38% were granted pre-settled status.