60% of Portuguese applicants get permanent ‘settled status’ UK residence

  • Lusa
  • 27 August 2020

Of the 271,210 Portuguese applications processed by the British Home Office up to June 30, 192,980 (60%) received the permanent residence permit in the UK.

More than half of the Portuguese candidates received a permanent residence permit in the UK under the EU Citizen Registration System opened following Brexit, revealed the quarterly report on Thursday.

Of the 271,210 Portuguese applications processed by the British Home Office up to June 30, 192,980 (60%) received the permanent title (‘settled status’), awarded when people have been in the country for at least five years, and 103,400 (38%) the provisional title (‘pre-settled status’) because they arrived less than five years ago.

However, 4,820 (1.8%) were refused, withdrawn or considered invalid.

These figures compare with a total of 3,463,000 applications processed, of which 1,984,000 (57%) received permanent status, 1,427,000 (41%) provisional status and 51,320 (1.5%) rejected or invalidated.

In addition to citizens of EU countries, the system is open to nationals of Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein, and close family members of all eligible applicants, including from non-European countries.

As of June 30, according to the report published today, 3,722,000 people applied, 286,390 of them are Portuguese, but the pace has slowed significantly since March, when the pandemic was declared.

Portugal is the country with the fourth-highest number of applications, behind Poland, Romania and Italy.

The system will be open until June 30, 2021 for Europeans settling in the UK until December 31, the end of the transition period negotiated following the UK’s departure from the EU on January 31.

Residence status will be required for Europeans and their families to retain the right to work and reside in the country, including access to British public services such as health, education and social support, after the end of free movement at the end of the year.

On January 1st a new immigration system is expected to come into force in the UK which will impose criteria such as professional or academic qualifications and a minimum wage of £25,600 (€30,800).