BREXIT, Election and 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!
Now we have unexpected results of the general election! With every day bringing more and more uncertainty, the only certain thing is a visa document in your hands, or a UK passport, as the case may be.
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: 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.
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 please contact us:info@1st4immigration.com or visit www.1st4immigration.com