On 21 January 2019, Theresa May announced that the Government will waive the £65 fee for applications under the EU Settlement Scheme. This is good news for EU nationals and for any employers who had previously agreed to meet this cost.
Mrs May confirmed that the fee will be removed when the scheme opens fully on 30 March 2019. Meanwhile anyone who pays/has paid the fee during the pilot phases will be reimbursed.
No mention was made of the application fee for permanent residence cards. Previously individuals who held these cards were exempt from paying the settled status fee. At this time it seems unlikely that they will be reimbursed, but this may be subject to further discussion in Parliament.
The latest pilot phase of the scheme is now open, with EU nationals able to submit applications for settled or pre-settled status using the passport scanning app. An android phone is required to download the app.
The scheme is due to be fully rolled out from 30 March 2019. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, EU nationals and their non-EU citizen family members will have until 30 December 2020 to apply.
