Family & Personal
The session covered a range of topics including updates on COVID-19 issues and the simplification of the Immigration Rules, third party contractors and the new December Immigration Rules. Members raised issues with the replacement of 90-day vignettes (the guidance on this has since been updated on the GOV.UK webpage), BRP delivery, and priority services.
ILPA has raised the issue of BRP delivery with the Home Office and will provide an update on this and priority services as soon as we can.
European
This meeting provided a forum for Members to discuss issues with the EU Settlement Scheme, frontier workers and a host of other urgent matters as we approach the end of the transition period.
In the first half of the session, Christopher Benn of Seraphus very kindly presented on the joining family members rules. In the second half, we had a Q&A session with Gabrielle Monk (Head of Euro and Settlement, and EU Settled Status Customer Resolution Centre) and Adam Lamont (Lead Adviser of Legacy Free Movement Policy & EU Litigation). A list of the questions raised can be found here (“Q&A”).
It was confirmed that people with pending applications for residence cards which are decided after 31 December would be issued with a document.
The Home Office have also now published a policy relating to absences due to Covid-19 in relation to the EUSS, which can be found here.
The majority of the other policy and operational questions were answered either in full or in part. For example, it was confirmed that frontier workers could apply for pre-settled status if they anticipate the pattern of their travel to the UK will remain as a frontier worker, rather than them being resident in the UK to the extent that they will qualify for settled status in due course.
We will upload the minutes from the meeting as a matter of urgency so that Members can review all of the answers to the questions posed.
Economic Migration
Discussion centred on COVID-related issues, issues with UKVI and its third party contractors, and issues with the new December Immigration Rules.