UK Home Office has announced changes that will ensure it remains easy for status holders to demonstrate their rights in the UK. With this, the UK Home Office has confirmed changes to the EU Settlement Scheme enhancing the ease of providing evidence for pre-settled status and providing clarity for immigration status checks.

The changes will ensure that citizens can continue to prove their rights easily and bring greater clarity for those required to check immigration status. Changes to the EU Settlement Scheme announced today will ensure that all those granted pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme can continue to prove their rights easily, and bring greater clarity for those who are required to check immigration status, such as employers and landlords.

The changes support the Home Office’s practical implementation of the High Court judgment in the judicial review proceedings brought by the Independent Monitoring Authority for the Citizens’ Rights Agreements (IMA).

In response to that judgment, we announced changes to the EU Settlement Scheme in July 2023 to ensure that nobody loses their immigration status if they do not apply to switch from pre-settled to settled status.

The Home Office has continued working closely with the IMA to implement the judgment. Having listened to concerns raised by the IMA and others about the potential implications for those affected by the decision, the changes announced today will ensure it remains easy for status holders to demonstrate their rights in the UK.

The Home Office will change the duration of pre-settled status extensions from 2 to 5 years. The Home Office will also remove the pre-settled status expiry date from the digital profiles shown to third parties in the online checking services for Right to Work, Right to Rent and View and Prove.

Alongside this change, employers, landlords, and letting agents will not be required to conduct a further right-to-work or rent check where the individual remains in their employment or as part of that tenancy agreement.

The EU Settlement Scheme has been a great success. As of 31 December 2023, 5.7 million people had secured their rights in the UK through the scheme, with 2 million holding pre-settled status and 3.7 million holding settled status.