The Government of Jersey has set out details of a scheme, which will operate from the end of this year, where EU citizens living in the island can register for ‘settled status’, allowing them to continue living and working in Jersey after Brexit.
This follows an announcement by UK Immigration Secretary Caroline Nokes this week of a Statement of Intent for the UK’s EU Settlement Scheme.
Jersey has been working to produce an aligned scheme, known as the Jersey EU Settlement Scheme. EU citizens resident in Jersey will be able to apply to the Jersey scheme via a simple online process.
The Minister for External Relations, Senator Ian Gorst, who has overall responsibility for Jersey’s Brexit preparations, said: “The government continues to recognise the important contribution made by EU nationals to island life. We can assure EU citizens living here that they will be able to apply to remain in the island by taking advantage of the Jersey EU Settlement Scheme.”
Deputy Gregory Guida, the Assistant Minister for Home Affairs, commented: “The scheme that we are proposing will reflect that offered by the UK, allowing EU citizens who have lived in Jersey continuously for five years to apply for settled status. Those who have not yet lived in the island for five years will also be able to apply, for ‘pre-settled’ status, gaining settled status when the full five years have elapsed.
“We are also working closely with the UK government to finalise the approach to time spent in Jersey in respect of eligibility for settled status in the UK and vice versa.”
• Information on how the scheme will operate, including case studies to help EU citizens understand the application process, is available at www.gov.je/brexit. Further information will be added as it becomes available.