21 June 2018
The Government of Jersey has set out the details of a scheme that 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 the UK Immigration Secretary, Caroline Nokes, in the Commons earlier today where she produced 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 continue to recognise the important contribution made by EU nationals to Island life. We can assure those 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 5 years to apply for settled status. Those who have not yet lived in the Island for 5 years will also be able to apply, for ‘pre-settled’ status, gaining settled status when the full 5 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 now available on the Government’s website at www.gov.je/brexit. Further detailed information will be added to the website as it becomes available.
gov.je