Worcester City Council is offering face-to-face and phone appointments to support EU citizens who wish to secure permanent rights to stay in the UK.
On 31 January 2020 the United Kingdom left the European Union and entered a 'transition period'. This means that all qualifying people who wish to remain in the UK beyond the transition, which finishes on 31 December 2020, need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to secure rights to remain in the country.
Citizens of the EU, Norway, Lichtenstein, Iceland and Switzerland can apply – as well as eligible family members of British citizens who have exercised a right to reside in another EU country. The scheme also applies to the family members of EU and European Economic Area (EEA) nationals.
Worcester City Council's Community Engagement team has supported migrant communities in Worcestershire for several years, and is able to provide comprehensive advice on eligibility and the application process for the EU Settlement Scheme. Translation services can be made available where necessary.
Face-to-face appointments are available every Wednesday from 10.00am to 4.00pm at Trinity Street Housing Advice Centre, Trinity Street Worcester, WR1 2PW. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, all appointments need to be pre-booked in advance – please email
Under the scheme, eligible applicants are granted one of two types of status:
- Settled status - applicable to those who have lived in the UK for five years or longer.
- Pre-settled status - for those who have been in the UK for fewer than five years. Once the pre-settled status is obtained, the applicants will need to continuously reside in the UK to maintain their status to reach the five-year requirement to qualify for settled status.
The Council's role is advisory - it has no influence over the outcome of individual applications.
