Advice for international colleagues
26 Nov 2020
Important information as the UK prepares to leave the EU
Our University is committed to supporting our international staff from 1 January 2021.
Our HR Services team is available and happy to advise and assist international staff and managers who are in the process of recruiting international colleagues. Here’s an overview of the latest Government advice:
Applying for the EU Settlement Scheme
Many of our international colleagues have already applied for the Government’s EU Settlement Scheme. Having settled status means that you can stay in the UK as long as you like and will be able to apply for British citizenship if you’re eligible.
It’s free to apply to the Scheme and if you haven’t done it already here is what you need to do:
Current staff from an EU or EEA (including EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) country or who are a Swiss citizen
- You and your family will need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme - the deadline to do this is 30 June 2021. You can apply on the Government’s website. You’ll usually get settled status if you’ve started living in the UK by the 31 December 2020 and have lived in the UK for a continuous five-year period.
- If you don’t have five years’ continuous residence when you apply, you’ll usually get pre-settled status. You must have started living in the UK by 31 December 2020. You can apply to change to settled status once you’ve got five years’ continuous residence.
- Non-EEA/Swiss nationals who are family members of EEA/Swiss nationals are also eligible to apply under the scheme.
- If you are an Irish citizen or have indefinite leave to remain you don’t need to apply for settled status.
If you’re unsure of your current status, or need further support, please contact HR Services at HRServices@manchester.ac.uk giving your full name and University ID number. There is no requirement for colleagues to inform HR Services if they have already demonstrated their right to work in the UK.
If you’re recruiting new international staff
If you’re recruiting new members of staff who are from EU or EEA (including EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) countries or who are Swiss citizens, you should advise them to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme if they are resident in the UK before 31 December 2020.
From 1 January 2021, the Government is introducing a new points based immigration system and after this date the University will be required to offer sponsorship to international colleagues who are joining our University. HR Services will provide further information on how to apply once it is launched on 1 December 2020.
Current colleagues who live outside the UK
A small number of University colleagues live outside the UK - the Government terms these ‘frontier workers’. If this applies to you, you will have to apply for a frontier worker permit which from 1 July 2021 you’ll need, as well as your valid passport or national identity card, to enter the UK as a frontier worker. It’s free of charge and you can apply from 10 December 2020.