Settled status

Thank you all for being so understanding. I will write to my MP and ask her to explain the ins and outs of the settled status scheme, not the actual initial registration but future implications when passports expire. I think this decision to register all EU nationals in one go in such a short time was ill conceived and rushed. It reminds me of the situation with women and their pensions. Decisions made in haste and not fully communicated are by definition flawed.

Good news: I am not losing any sleep over this. I have the support of family and friends and I am still able to voice my opinion and seek clarification. Others are not so lucky.
Another piece of good news: we have just had documents from Sweden that confirm that my two young grandsons have been registered as Swedish citizens. They now have dual citizenship and that may one day be very useful to them.

Is it the difference that in mainland Europe everyone has an identity card. If they move areas they have to register by law at the local police station or suchlike.
We rely on passports only and not everyone has one.
There was some talk about ID cards a while ago but it wasn’t taken further.
I wish you well Greta, and hope all goes through without too much stress and inconvenience. Definitely contact your MP.

Greta could you perhaps contact your MP and get him/her involved? x

It’s a bit simplistic to place all the blame for the referendum on David Cameron.
He called it because at the time, UKIP was seeing a massive rise in its support.
If blame has to be apportioned, why not blame Farage and all those people who voted for him.
Politicians don’t make policy on their own whims. They respond to what they think people want.
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/politics/2013/may/13/david-cameron-eu-ukip

Greta I am truly sorry for your situation and ashamed of my country.

Greta had leave to remain in the UK permanently, notanan2 - nothing hostile towards her. It was granted under EU Regulations and now has to be re-granted under UK Regulations.
Were it not for DC and his referendum, Greta's would not need to re-apply for confirmation of her leave to remain.

Well, EV it was just one politician - David Cameron by bringing about the referendum.

Nope. A lot of the current and future misery is due to TMs "hostile environment" legacy from her previous job!

At that time Sweden did not allow dual citizenship.
I see why now - similar to Denmark too, then.

Well, I hope they will be more aware, more professional this time crystaltipps and that there will not be untold misery, although it is often down to the misinterpretation of rules and inefficiency which causes problems.

Let's hope it all goes through quickly and smoothly.

I wouldn’t have any faith in the Home Office not to make huge mistakes and cause untold misery. Windrush anyone?

Yes, Callistemon, it does seem like a formality. But I feel this settled status scheme has been rushed through and not enough consideration given to all aspects and possible snags. I need to make sure I can stay safe. I am going to write to my MP, who also happens to be the immigration minister, to see if she can clarify matters.

I did enquire about British citizenship some time ago. At that time Sweden did not allow dual citizenship. They do now. However, citizenships is going to cost me £1300 plus costs for translation of documents and an English language test. I would probably do it if I was much younger.

Thank you for your good wishes.

What an unholy mess these politicians have caused !
Well, EV it was just one politician - David Cameron by bringing about the referendum.

The rest of all this is the adjustments that will need to be made because of the result.

Lemongrove
Swedish passports: Swedish citizens living in Sweden just go to their nearest police station to apply for/renew their passports. They will also collect their passports at the same police station. As far as I know this has always been the case. I guess it has to do with security.
I have to apply in person at the Swedish Embassy in London.

Of course you are right, when I can no longer travel to London to renew my passport I can't travel abroad either. But that means the last passport number I registered is no longer valid which in turn means my records are out of date. If I then needed hospital treatment and my records are checked in order to see if I qualify for treatment they would show that my registration is out of date. This might make it difficult for me. I don't trust the system.

I agree with you that it is good we now have set up a registration process but it does come across as an 'after-thought'. Over 3 million people now have to register en masse. One can only hope that the Home Office can cope and not make too many any mistakes.

Apropos of passports and sending them in the post. A few years ago my husband (British) applied for a new passport. It was sent by post – but not to our address but to another house in the neighbourhood. He only found out because the person who had received it had opened the envelope looked in the passport and recognized my husband!

It is just a formality, Greta.

If you don't have British nationality you are not 'a second-class citizen' as there is no such thing - you are either a citizen or you have 'settled status', which is presumably the same as having 'permanent residency' in eg Australia, which is not citizenship. Have you considered applying for citizenship at all as you are so settled here?

This is just some annoying bureaucracy which will have to be enforced due to the fact that we will be leaving the EU - your 'settled status' is under EU regulations and now will have to be adjusted. I cannot see that it is a big deal, merely a formality.

There will always be someone with a dramatic story guaranteed to upset people - I am sure yours will just be a matter of completing paperwork to change from EU to British regulations.

Best wishes.

Ok just back from family lunch for my birthday (those AC who are in th UK and GC).

Suziewoozie my post was neither smug or unconcerned, it was just facts that I know.

The UK has guaranteed "settled status" to all EU citizens working / living in the UK as opposed to the EU which has not done this for UK citizens living in EU member countries (easy to look,up if you do not believe me, Spain and Portugal are considering reciprocal rights)

Greta, if you are ever not able to get to London for passport renewal ( as Swedish passports cannot be sent by post) then am guessing you are unable to get yourself on holiday anyway.Why cannot the passports be sent through the post, do you know?
If other countries ‘managed it’ then why single us out for managing to do this now? Presumably they have a proper registration system already? So British citizens in E U countries already have to go through this process.
It’s an annoyance for you, but is not disgraceful IMHO.

I agree it is a disgrace. Unfortunately the people we want to stay will leave including Brits and the illegals who we cannot find will stay.

Lemongrove: It’s not ‘disgraceful’ at all, it’s a necessity, and although aggravating, will soon be sorted out once you apply.

As always, the devil is in the detail. The initial application process can be fairly straight forward for some applicants. However, that is not the end of the matter. Read the small print:

^You must update your online status with your passport or identity card number when you renew it.
Your online status will be checked at the border when you enter the UK. If your passport or identity card number isn’t the same as the one on your online status, you might not be allowed back into the UK.^

A Swedish passport is only valid for 5 years. To get one I need to travel to London twice. The first time to hand in my application form and have my photo taken, the second time to collect the new passport. Swedish passports can not be sent by post.

The scenario I can imagine is that somebody could easily forget to update their details. Also, nowhere does it tell me what will happen if my passport expires and I am not able to travel to London.

We have been in the EU for 40 odd years. If we have not had a proper registration system for EU nationals as they entered the country but has chosen to introduce such a system 40 years after joining the EU that is our own fault. Other EU countries managed it.
It is a disgrace.

It’s not ‘disgraceful’ at all, it’s a necessity, and although aggravating, will soon be sorted out once you apply.

Greta it’s a formality, you have your letter as proof in any case.Tell them that, and you may need to actually send it.
There is no scenario where you would be sent away from the UK, but because we are leaving the EU all EU nationals have to be contacted.

What an unholy mess these politicians have caused ! Never mind sorting through those who have a right to be here-----hence passports, registration, employment etc etc. They should be tracking down those with no paperwork, but no, that's too hard because they have no idea of the numbers of those who've " slipped through the net " ! Fact !
Nor a hope in Hell of tracking them down unless they look towards the lucrative slave-labour market where obnoxious gangs promise the earth in return for a room/shed which will accommodate a couple of dozen unsuspecting souls who'll work their fingers to the bone for 1/6 an hour.

This is what these politicians should be doing instead of making people's lives a misery through worrying about their LEGAL status in this country. It's disgraceful.

I don't know what to say Greta to help other that Im
thinking of you and yours. ++

Granny did you mean your post to sound so smug and unconcerned?

GrannyGravy13: My DIL and best friend applied on line (two different EU Countries) accepted immediately.

This does not help my 88 year old friend who has suffered a stroke. She is too unwell to travel to London to renew her Swedish passport. The settled staus process involves a valid passport. It also involves having a mobile phone with NFC technology and using a computer. She hasn't and can't. She has lived here for over 60 years.

EU nationals are all different.

My DIL and best friend applied on line (two different EU Countries) accepted immediately. Our Eldest GD shall apply when she is eighteen later this year.

Urmstongran if you believe that you havent been paying attention...

My daughters friend is a respected doctor ,she has been here for a long time has a Scottish husband and children..she was born in the Netherlands .She has had to trail back and forth to London becuse of this disgusting situation as we are not "allowed" control over our own immigration.SCOTLAND NEEDS immigrants ,the rest of the UK does too but the brexiteers wont admit it until the country falls apart and then they'll all cry foul..it wasn't supposed to be Those immigrants we got rid of just the ones we dont like.It makes me sick to see the state we're in.David Cameron should be hung drawn and quartered for this ,instead he'll keep living the life of Riley
I hope you manage to get this sorted without any more unjustifiable stress ,there are more people who want you to stay here in your home than the other nasty bigotted and braindead type