Information for EU and EEA students and the latest Brexit news

  • Last updated on 28 November 2019.

    How can ISAT help?

    There is one thing that is certain about Brexit and that is that it can create a lot of uncertainty! The international student advisers are here to help you by providing you with the most up-to-date information we have from the most reliable sources. In our answers below we have linked to a number of UK Council for International Students (UKCISA) sites and they are a great source of information for all students from outside the UK.

    Brexit information can change very quickly and we will keep this webpage as up to date as possible. If you have any questions, do contact the International Student Advice Team.

  • A Brexit deal has been agreed in principle with the EU. The UK is preparing to leave the EU by 31 January 2020, but could still leave with no deal if the withdrawal agreement is not approved by this date.

    If you’re an EU/EEA or Swiss national living in the UK, you will need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme if you want the opportunity to continue living here after 31 December 2020.

    The deadline to apply is 31 December 2020 if the UK leaves without a deal (and you will need to be living in the UK before the date that the UK leaves the EU), or 30 June 2021 if the UK leaves with a deal.

    You can apply for settled or pre-settled status:
    Settled Status is given to those who have been residing in the UK for 5 years.
    Pre-settled Status is given to those who have been in the UK for less than 5 years. Once you have been here for 5 years you will receive settled status.

    Advice on the settlement scheme (UKCISA)

    Yes, you can apply for the EU settlement scheme if you are an EU/EEA or Swiss national (or family member) living in the UK.

    More details of who needs to apply (UKVI)

    If you are arriving in the UK to start a course in January 2020 you will be able to enter the UK with your passport or national ID card. As long as you arrive before 31 January 2020, you will be able to apply for the EU settlement scheme once you have evidence of your UK address. If you arrive after 31 January, you will be able to apply for the EU settlement scheme if we are still in the EU or have left with a deal.
    Yes at the moment, you can travel into the UK using your passport or identity card.
    If you have already applied for the EU settlement scheme you can travel into the UK using your passport or identity card. If you live in the UK now and are travelling back into the UK after 31st January, it might be worth having an attendance letter with you to show you were living in the UK before 31st January.  If you are coming into the UK for the first time once we have left the EU, you will need to apply for European Temporary Leave to Remain.

    You can apply here

    You will need:

    • your passport or national ID card (if you use your national ID card and it does not have a chip you will need to post it to the UKVI), or biometric residence card/permit for family members
    • an android device or iPhone 8 or above to download the EU Exit ID Document Check app. (The app will be available on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus shortly following an upcoming iOS software update).
    • proof of residence for example your Brookes attendance letter
    • National Insurance Number if you have one.

    Using the ‘EU Exit: ID Document Check’ app (UKVI)

    Come to see us if you don't have access to an Android device or iPhone 8 or above, or if you need any other help with your application.

    The current average decision times for the EU Settlement Scheme when no further evidence is required. (UKVI)

    If you are temporarily resident outside of the UK, you are eligible to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme from abroad, for example, if you are enrolled at Oxford Brookes University as a student and doing a placement year abroad. When applying you will need evidence to show that you are resident here, such as an attendance letter.  Please contact the ISAT team if you need further advice.

    More details about applying from outside the UK (UKVI)

    No, you do not need to apply. However it might be worth applying just in case you change your mind and you later decide that you do want to live in the UK for longer, for example for work or further study.

    If you are travelling back into the UK after the UK left the EU and you have not applied for the EU settlement scheme, then it may be useful to have evidence with you that you were living in the UK before the UK left the EU. This evidence could be your Brookes Attendance Letter (see below).

    If you are a current student log into Student Information, and under My Requests from the left hand side panel, click on Request a Document. It will ask you what document you would like to request. Choose Attendance Letter – printed version. You will need to collect the letter from Student Central the following day.

    If you have finished your course, please ask Student Central for a Statement of Qualification which will provide all the information you require.

     

     

     

    UKCISA have confirmed that students can be temporarily absent on Brexit leaving day. To check whether your absence would qualify as temporary, please contact us and we will discuss your individual case.

    From 9 April 2019, EU Settlement Scheme applications can be made from outside the UK.

    "If you are an EU citizen and receiving education or training in the UK, and you have an EHIC, it will be valid until exit day. While the government is seeking agreements with EU countries, it may not be valid after this date. You should buy insurance to cover your healthcare as you would if visiting another non-EU country.

    Swiss and EFTA (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) nationals who start their studies in the UK before exit day, will continue to benefit from their EHIC cover for the duration of their course, even if it finishes after exit day.

    For those who come to the UK and commence their education or training after exit day, their EHIC may not be valid. However, we are seeking agreements with Switzerland and the EFTA states to continue reciprocal healthcare arrangements after exit day." UKVI

    More information about healthcare and Brexit (UKCISA)

    Right to rent checks (UKVI)

    Until 1 January 2021 EU, EEA and Swiss citizens will continue to be able to prove their right to rent in the UK as they do now, for example by showing their passport or national identity card.

    There will be no change to the way EU, EEA and Swiss citizens prove their right to rent until 1 January 2021. This remains the same if the UK leaves the EU with or without a deal. 

    You can apply for an administrative review if either:

    • your application was refused on eligibility grounds
    • you were granted pre-settled status but think you qualify for settled status

    You must make your application for administrative review within 28 days of the date on your decision email.

    You’ll need to complete the administrative review application form.

    It costs £80 per person to apply for an administrative review.

    The fee will be refunded if:

    • the original decision is withdrawn due to a caseworking error
    • your application for a review is rejected because it’s invalid

    The fee will not be refunded if your decision is changed solely because you’ve submitted new information or evidence. If you want to submit new information or evidence, you can reapply to the EU Settlement Scheme for free instead.

    Please see the related Frequently Asked Questions on the Brookes page.

    The British Ambassador to Ireland has given these words of reassurance.

    “The rights and privileges UK and Irish nationals enjoy in each other’s countries will continue, whatever the circumstances of the UK’s exit from the EU. British citizens in Ireland and Irish citizens in the UK will continue to be able to live and work in each other’s countries, and to access healthcare, education, social welfare and benefits including state pensions.”

    This is because the UK and Ireland belong to the Common Travel Area that predates the current EU arrangements that will be ending.

    You can get help with your application on the phone or online. 

    If you’re inside the UK
    Telephone: 0300 123 7379
    Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 8am to 8pm
    Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am to 4:30pm

    If you’re outside the UK
    Telephone: +44 (0)203 080 0010
    Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 8am to 8pm
    Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am to 4:30pm

    Use the EU Settlement Scheme contact form to get help online.