Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Security and Deputy for EU Exit and No Deal Preparation of 7 January 2020, official report, column 320, whether the definition of a good reason to miss the deadline for applications to the EU Settlement Scheme will be the same as that set out in the guidance published by the Home Office on 5 August 2019 entitled Applications from overstayers, version 8.0.

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 of 30 June 2021, they will be given a further opportunity to apply.

As this is over 17 months away, our focus is on encouraging all those who need to apply to do so before the deadline. EU citizens can apply to the scheme, free of charge, simply by completing three key steps: proving their identity, showing that they live in the UK and declaring any criminal convictions. There is support available for any who need help in applying, including through the EU Settlement Resolution Centre, which is open seven days a week.

However, our compassionate and flexible approach will ensure that individuals who miss the deadline through no fault of their own can still obtain lawful status in the UK. We will publish clear guidance for caseworkers in due course to ensure consistency of approach.