United Kingdom, 1st March: A recent report urges New Permanent Residence UK Visa for EU citizens. The report by representatives of EU remain campaigners, leave campaigners, TUC(Trade Unions Congress) and business groups has called for a New permanent residence UK visa for EU citizens if they can prove having five years residency in the UK.
New Permanent Residence UK Visa for EU Citizens urged
EU citizens who are able to prove their five year residency in the UK should be given UK permanent residence status, the report urges. This permanent residence status can be converted to a new kind of indefinite leave to stay in the UK after the UK exits the EU (European Union).
The report has been organized by an independent and a non-partisan group named the British Future thinktank and chaired by Gisela Stuart, a leading pro-leave Labor MP.
New Permanent Residence UK Visa for EU Citizens–Another proposal
There was another proposal about a new UK visa for EU citizens after the UK exits the EU. The present UK visa process for non-EU citizen workers, namely the UK Tier 2 visa and UK Tier 2 sponsorship license process, is quite limiting. EU citizens wanting to work in the UK for the first time ever after Brexit will find it harder to do so.
Uncertainty prevails about New Permanent Residence UK Visa for EU citizens
A wave of uncertainty clouds the fate of EU citizens in the UK after Brexit becomes effective. To put an end to this uncertainty, the report has asked the UK government to assure that nearly 2.8 million EU nationals living in the UK currently shall be allowed to stay once Britain exits the EU.
The report further urged the UK government for streamlining the UK Residency application system. This will help in processing of UK Permanent residency petitions by EU citizens fast. Otherwise, it will take almost hundred years to process the UK Permanent residency petitions of EU citizens.
Related Read—UK Visa options for Non-EU Citizens
Rights of EU nationals and UK Visa status
It must be the top priority of the UK government to define the rights and UK visa status of nearly 2.8 million EU nationals currently living in the UK in the negotiations with other EU member nations. This was stated by Stuart.
The UK government seems to be non-serious about the rights of EU nationals and their visa status in the UK. This becomes evident from the UK government’s statement that it cannot give any reassurances about the future of EU nationals in the UK until there is an agreement regarding the post-Brexit status of 1.2 million Britons staying across EU member nations.
The UK needs to send a clear message at the beginning of Brexit negotiations that EU citizens who are already in the UK before that date can continue to stay here.
Permanent residency to EU citizens living in the UK on the day article 50 is triggered
There is another recommendation by the report calling for permanent residency to EU citizens already living in the UK on the day article 50 is triggered. Moreover, the report urges to offer help to the ones who can find it difficult to prove residency of five years or more for getting UK permanent residency.
The UK Home Office must probe the effectiveness of processing such a high number of applications, the study urges. The UK Home Office has stated that to deal with the estimated influx of UK permanent residency applications, it is planning a fast-track online process.