(The Minister of State for
Immigration): My rt hon Friend the Home Secretary
laid before Parliament on Friday 20 July a Statement of Changes
in Immigration Rules [Cm 9675] concerning the EU Settlement
Scheme for resident EU citizens and their family members. The
Government also laid before Parliament on Friday 20 July the
Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) (EU Exit)
Regulations 2018, which provide for the fees and fee exemptions
for the scheme.
As set out in the Statement of Intent published on 21 June 2018,
and in my oral statement that day about the scheme (column
508-520), the EU Settlement Scheme will be opened on a phased
basis from later this year and will be fully open by 30 March
2019, and this will be preceded by a private beta phase to enable
us to test the relevant processes and ensure that they work
effectively. These measures, together with The Immigration
(Provision of Physical Data) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations
2018 on biometric enrolment for the scheme laid on 2 July under
the affirmative procedure, will enable this private beta phase to
begin from 28 August 2018.
I am very grateful to the 15 public sector organisations set out
in the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules which have
agreed to take part in the private beta phase. They are 12 NHS
Trusts and three Universities in the North West of England, whose
relevant employees and students will, if they wish, be able to
apply for status under the EU Settlement Scheme during this
period. It is appropriate that the National Health Service and
the higher education sector, which both benefit so greatly from
the contribution of EU citizens, should help in this way to
establish the EU Settlement Scheme. As indicated in the Statement
of Intent, we will provide further details in due course of our
plans for the phased roll-out of the scheme.
We also continue to expand our wider communications about the EU
Settlement Scheme to ensure that EU citizens and their family
members living in the UK are aware of it and of how it will
operate, but are also reassured that, in line with the draft
Withdrawal Agreement, they will have plenty of time (until 30
June 2021) in which to apply for status under the scheme.
