Policy paper

EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status automation update

Published 9 April 2026

The government is committed to full implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement, with citizens’ rights a key priority. The EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) reflects these obligations and by the end of 2025 had provided over 5.8 million EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens, and their eligible family members, with the immigration status they need to live in the UK.

Although the main deadline for applications to the EUSS was 30 June 2021, it remains open to late applicants with reasonable grounds for missing the deadline, as well as eligible joining family members. However, most applications are now from individuals with pre-settled status applying for settled status. At the end of 2025, an estimated 1.4 million people held pre-settled status.

Streamlining the route to settled status

Having settled status is the best way for a pre-settled status holder to prove their right to live in the UK permanently. The Home Office has therefore taken steps to ensure that the process of acquiring settled status is more streamlined and straightforward for thousands of people who hold pre-settled status.

The rules for continuous residence have been simplified so a pre-settled status holder can be granted settled status if they have been resident in the UK for at least 30 months in total in the most recent 60-month period, including those whose leave was previously considered to have lapsed. This addressed confusion regarding permitted absences from the UK, which may have led some to inadvertently break their continuous residence

In 2025, the Home Office introduced a new process to automatically convert eligible pre-settled status holders to settled status, without them making a further application - to the end of 2025 there have been 87,000 automated grants of settled status

Automating more grants of settled status

On 9 April 2026, the Home Office introduced improvements to the automated system to increase the number of people automatically granted settled status. The system now checks for 30 months of tax and benefit payments in the last 60 months to confirm UK residence, rather than the complex rules set out in the Withdrawal Agreement.^{[footnote 1]}

Whilst this change will increase the number of pre-settled status holders automatically granted settled status, some pre-settled status holders cannot be automatically converted to settled status and will need to apply in the usual way.  We are unable to convert the following groups:

• EEA citizens who have not been paying tax or receiving benefits for at least 30 months in the last 60 months
• those granted pre-settled status who later obtained another UK immigration status
• non-EEA national family members
• joining family members of any nationality
• those under the age of 18
• those with other eligibility requirements (such as those with ‘derivative rights’)

If we cannot automatically grant settled status, a person’s pre-settled status will continue to be extended by five years. Pre-settled status holders can still apply for settled status as soon as they are eligible.

Removing pre-settled status from those not eligible

EUSS status provides a person with all the rights provided under the Withdrawal Agreement. To maintain the integrity and fairness of the EUSS, it is important to ensure that status is held only by those who meet the requirements for it.  This protects the integrity of the EUSS by preventing unlawful immigration, protects public services, and maintains public confidence in the EUSS.

From 9 April 2026, the Home Office will begin removing pre-settled status from individuals who have clearly ceased to maintain continuous residence in the UK. To do this, we have built a two-stage integrated process:

• First checks: against tax and benefit data to verify a person’s continuous residence in the UK, as well as reviewing any evidence of criminal conduct. Where the Home Office can establish eligibility for settled status, the person’s digital status will be converted automatically to settled status.
• Second checks: where the Home Office is unable to confirm eligibility for settled status, checks will be made using Home Office travel data to help determine which pre-settled status holders have not maintained continuous residence in the UK.

Those who have been outside the UK for the longest will be reviewed first, starting with those who have been outside the UK for the last 5 years.

Safeguards

Before a decision to remove pre-settled status, individuals will be contacted using the email address and telephone number on their UKVI account and given the opportunity to provide evidence of their UK residence or reasons for their absence.  Additional time to provide evidence will usually be given where required and we will support vulnerable individuals to provide the right evidence. 

In line with the Withdrawal Agreement, status will only be removed where it is proportionate to do so. When deciding if it is proportionate to remove pre-settled status, caseworkers will undertake consideration of:

• the circumstances surrounding excessive absence from the UK, including the reasons for any absences, the length of any absences and reasons for not returning to the UK sooner

• any other relevant factors which would affect the impact of a decision to remove pre-settled status on the individual, such as age, health or integration

Where it is considered disproportionate to remove pre-settled status, the person will keep their pre-settled status and can apply for settled status once they have been resident in the UK for 30 months in the last 60 months.

Any decision to remove pre-settled status will be subject to a right of appeal.

1. These generally require that the individual had not been absent from the UK and Islands for more than six months in total in any given 12-month period for a period of 5 consecutive years (with some exceptions). ↩