Brexit FAQs

If you need to hire EU or non-EU citizens, the company will need a sponsor licence to sponsor anyone outside the UK who wishes to work. 

As an employer of EU, EEA or Swiss nationals, you should support them and their families in the application of settled or pre-settled status under the European Settlement Scheme (EUSS) by 30 June 2021. If the employee is entering the UK after 11 pm on the 31st December, they must first obtain the relevant UK visa from their home country prior to travelling to the UK. However, if you are visiting for tourism reasons (i.e. anything other than work, education or permanent residence), you can still travel visa-free.

The first steps for you would be to identify how many affected workers you have and who they are. From here, you should help those affected with the information and support they may need while reminding them of the deadline and consequences of failure to apply.

Please note that Irish nationals do not need to apply for settlement status to travel to or living and working in the UK due to the Common Travel Agreement (CTA).

There are various requirements for a sponsorship, but each case will need to be assessed on its own merit. However, for sponsorship, the role will need to meet the role salary requirements, and the employee will need to meet the English language and qualification requirements.

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens in the UK before 11 pm on 31 December 2020 will be eligible for settlement status. They will need to apply for status through the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) by 30 June 2021 to be granted either 'settled' or 'pre-settled'.

Settled status is given to people who have lived in the UK for five continuous years and will enable the holder to remain in the UK indefinitely. 

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens in the UK before 11 pm on 31 December 2020 will be eligible for settlement status. They will need to apply for status through the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) by 30 June 2021 to be granted either 'settled' or 'pre-settled'.

Pre-settled status is given to those without five years of continuous residence in the UK. Those with pre-settled status can apply for settled status once they have accrued five years of continuous residence.

No, applicants must meet the scheme's eligibility requirements, but they can apply from the EU. The application can be completed via any computer or mobile device.

For your employees who are EU citizens and were in the UK before 11 pm on 31 December 2020, they do not need to show settlement status until 1 July 2021. From this date, any new hires who are EU citizens must provide evidence of their status in the UK (pre-settled or settled).

For EU citizens entering the UK for the first time to work, they will need to meet the UK’s post-Brexit migration requirements.

No, there is no such regulation or law which requires this from employers.

These employees will have no immigration status and would be prevented from retaining any existing jobs and starting a new one. The legal responsibility lies on the employee to offer evidence of status to the government.

Employers should clearly communicate with the employees who fall into this category to remind them of the need for a settlement status and offer any support they can to help them apply before 30 June 2021.

UK citizen employees will now need to apply for the relevant permits and visa for the specific EU countries they are travelling to, even if this only for a short visit.

EU, EEA and Swiss employees with settlement status or who have the relevant visa permission to work and live in the UK are able to continue travel between the EU and UK. For those with no settlement status, travelling to and from the UK will need to comply with new business visitor rules for entry after 1 October 2021.

The UK no longer accepts national ID cards for entry to the UK for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens

Nation ID cards can be currently used for entry for those just visiting. However, they will not be valid for entry to the UK after the 1st October 2021 (unless combined with the relevant UK Immigration or EUSS document).