BREXIT: what to do in these uncertain times?
The timeline of Brexit events so far
has been both interesting and concerning for Europeans living in the UK as well
as for Britons living in Europe.
Firstly, we had a vote in June 2016,
voting to leave the EU. The UK Government then took almost a month to publish a statement
on the immediate effects on status of EEA citizens, which can be found here
(updated
now since its first publication in July 2016). At the time it was, and still
is, simply saying not to worry and everything remained as before for the time
being - quite rightly and legally accurate.
Yet it is not the past or present that is
on the people’s mind – it is the future!
The Government triggered Article 50 (of
the Lisbon Treaty) on 29th March 2017 and again published the
reassuring statement just over a week later, again telling the EU/EEA citizens
not to worry for the time being while the UK remained a full member during the
upcoming 2 years. That statement can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/status-of-eu-nationals-in-the-uk-what-you-need-to-know
. Interestingly,
it used to be right at the top of the Homepage of UKVI website.
Even more interestingly, shortly after
that the Prime Minister Theresa May announced a General Election on the 8th
June 2017 – and the above statement was removed from the website. It now sits just
as one of the News stories. Talk about uncertain times!
Whether it is going to be a “soft” or “hard”
Brexit, here is what you can do now to be safe and sure.
Our advice
to European nationals and their family members remains the same as it was last
June: to make an immigration application to confirm your status
in the UK as soon as possible. We advise so because you “can” apply for your peace of
mind and because no one knows about the future, even as near future as 9th
June 2017 (a day after the Elections).
Depending on how long you have lived in
the UK, it can be a certificate to confirm your current status (such as a worker),
permanent residence, or British Citizenship followed by a British passport. The
UK allows dual nationality.
For
individual advice or to make an application, book our Advice
Session now! Contact
us: info@1st4immigration.com
or visit our website www.1st4immigration.com
, or read testimonials on http://www.1st4immigration.com/testimonials.php