With a no deal scenario becoming ever more likely, it is hardly a surprise that EU nationals residing in the UK are concerned about their future prospects. At this stage in the proceedings it's going to be extremely hard to tell which direction the Brexit negotiations will take next. While theoretically all the negotiations have now finished, it is clear that the deal that British prime minister Theresa May has brought back to parliament is not going to pass. There is a significant amount of resistance to the bill and there needs to be new options offered quickly.
So what happens if we end up with no deal? The consequences of a no deal Brexit could be catastrophic for the country. The UK is simply not prepared for a no deal due to the government's insistence that a deal with the EU was always going to happen. The fallout of this move towards a no deal is also affecting the inner sanctum of the cabinet, as one the prime minister's closest allies, justice secretary David Gauke, has noted that he would leave the cabinet in the face of a no deal. This would be a blow to Theresa May - one of her senior allies walking out could prompt a raft of resignations and throw the cabinet into even further difficulty.
At this stage it is more about what we don't know than what we do. For two years we have been expecting a deal to be thrashed out between Britain's Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) and the EU's negotiating team in Brussels. Often these negotiations have felt more like a Punch and Judy show than a serious set of negotiations. Even the most casual observer could see that the negotiations were a struggle, but deep down the expectation was that a deal would be done.
The good thing for EU nationals living in the UK is that it is very unlikely that their rights to remain in the UK will be removed. Not only would it be politically damaging to remove the rights of those already residing in the UK, it would also cast the UK in a very ugly light and do little for their global standing as an ambassador of relations. Apart from this, there is also the number of British citizens living inside the EU to consider. A joint report by the EU and Britain's Office of National Statistics quoted the number of those born in Britain living in the EU (excluding the UK) was 1.3 million. While it is estimated that 3.8 million EU born citizens live in the UK, repatriating 1.3 million citizens to the UK would be an unimaginable task. For this reason alone, the rights of EU citizens in the UK is likely to be safe for many years to come.
So is the worst case scenario for EU nationals living in the UK? As stated in the last section, the removal of rights for the estimated 3.8 million EU nationals currently residing in the UK is extremely unlikely. That being said, the fate of EU nationals is potentially a strong lever for the British government to negotiate with the European Union. Will they use it? This is the crucial question that realistically cannot be answered. Political desperation will be what decides how the UK proceeds from here. So while it is extremely unlikely that the rights of EU nationals will be revoked, it isn't impossible.
With all this in mind, what can you do to resolve your own situation? At this moment in time the best option for EU citizens to remain in the UK is by applying for Permanent Residence. Permanent Residence allows EU nationals who have lived in the UK for at least 5 years (will need to be proved) the right to indefinitely stay in the UK and even apply for a British passport. If you plan to stay in the UK, Permanent Residence is likely your best option. Please feel free to get in touch if you would like to discuss your case further and we'll be more than happy to help.
Absolutely there is. Right from the very beginning, heads of other European States noted that at any stage Britain could change its mind and remain a member of the European Union. It is the political will of the British that will likely stop this from happening. The referendum in 2016 was a pivotal point in British politics, those in Westminster are all too sensitive to the idea that turning over the result of the referendum would be a terrible idea.
Even the most ardent remainers would struggle to convince anyone that overturning the result of such a high turnout poll would be a good idea. It would essentially ignore the will of the people. A poll with 72.2 t;urnout (46,501,241 votes cast) makes it the highest in recent memory for any vote. Whilst many do not agree with the result, it is undoubted who won it. With this in mind, remaining in the European Union is clearly off the cards.
If you are an EU national currently living in the UK and would like help or advice then please get in touch. Our immigration specialists can help to assess your situation and give you practical advice to help secure your status in the UK. We understand that many of you are concerned about your immigration status, and a chat with a member of our team may help to set your mind at ease. So for advice with this, or indeed any other immigration query, get in touch and we'll be only too happy to help.
It's a shame that you dont have an 'Excellent' star rating on here, as my experience with Reiss Edwards is nothing short of an excellent rating. They handled my application for an Indefinite Leave to remain in April 2014 and did my husband's one very recently including my daughter. Every time i have approached them, they have continued to treat me with courtesy, respect and patience. Amar was indeed a very thorough and professional gentleman. He is very knowledgeable, corporative and engaging. He responded to my emails, calls and enquiries promptly. He was always reassuring. I could not have asked for a better Immigration service. I would recommend them over and over again for anyone looking for an immigration advice. They gave me a free immigration advice when i called them, and the quality of the advice was something other charge thousands for. If you need a particular, name, Amar would be it. He exemplifies, for me, the true, professional gentleman. He is a valuable asset to Reiss Edwards.
I am glad that i instructed Reiss Edwards on my visa matter. It started with a 20 minutes free immigration advice. I met with Amar to discuss my ILR refusal. He gave me a great deal of quality advice and decided to take on my messy case. I had doubts on the merits of my case by he was relatively convinced he could win it. That made me quite secure. To be honest, things did not start as quick as I would have wanted, but they kept on communicating the process and state of things to me.A big thank you to Verusha and Foram. They were also very helpful. Brilliant and informative. Their fee was fair and reasonable, especially if you compare them to other law firms and immigration law firms in London; some of whom even told me that i would not be able to get an indefinte leave to remain in this country. The process was long but was worth it. In the end, a big thank you to Reiss Edwards.
Investing over 2 million pounds is defintely not a routine decision. We had to make sure that the Tier 1 investor immigration lawyers that we'd be picking has to be one of the best within the Tier 1 investor category. We contacted Reiss Edwards and they were able to get us not only the Tier 1 investor visa but also suggested profitable investment portfolios in addition to what we already had in mind.
TI have just had British Citizenship application approved. Prior to making the application, i was not sure which law firm i should hire to facilitate the paperwork. After a few hours of research, i decided to go with Reiss Edwards and i must confess that i wasnt disappointed. The immigration lawyers at Reiss Edwards handled my case well and they really knew what they were doing. They were fully aware of what documents I needed and it was easy for them to tell if my case was going to be easy or not. At the end of the day, I have not received my British citizenship within 3 months. If anyone is looking for a good immigration lawyer to handle thier case, contact Reiss Edwards.
Fantastic Solicitors!!!
My wife's spouse visa extension application was refused by the Home Office and they gave her 14 days to leave the country. We contacted Reiss Edwards and they said "OK don't worry we will sort this out". They put together the list of documents for me to obtain and they prepared a bundle which was as thick as the printer it came out from.We followed everything they asked us to do and in the end we won our appeal and got our spouse visa. We can't recommend them enough and we have promised ourselves never to make any more UK visa applications without them.
The team of lawyers at Reiss Edwards are very professional and friendly people. Their experience in and around UK immigration law is quite extensive; be sure that you application is in safe and competent hands. My immigration matter was an indefinite leave to remain application based on Tier 1 on a self-employment basis. The immigration lawyers at Reiss Edwards made sure that the application was perfect and ready to be accepted. I got a positive decision and I recommend them highly for anyone who needs a UK immigration help.
I contacted Reiss Edwards to help me with my wife's UK settlement visa. They acted with utmost professionalism throughout the entire application. I spoke with Joe Dinh, he is an immigration solicitor and he is one of the best solicitors out there. He ensured that there was little to no room for error. At some point I thought he was over cautious. He remained calmed and continued to assure us on our immigration matter. Most people in his position would have panicked but he was calmed and continued to assure us. We received out positive outcome very quickly.
I have been using Reiss Edwards for three years now for my family's immigration application. Both for my initial application and extension. They are really affordable. The team of solicitors at this firm are probably one of the most efficient and economical in terms of cost. They offered free advice over the phone and spent good time with us before inviting us for consultation.
Reiss Edwards is a top notch immigration service company. The way they handled our documentation and also the list of documents they sent was efficient and top quality. They helped us professionally throughout the process. We are very happy with the immigration advice we received from the team. We highly recommend them.
I used Reiss Edwards immigration lawyers to assist with my immigration matter and that of my family. It was an EX1 application. They dealt with the matter properly and even when complications were coming up from the Home Office, they helped resolve the issue properly. They are very professional and are very popular in London. I am happy to have worked with them.
This is the only firm that i spoke with that didn't ask for money before listening to me, will be using them again.
I used Reiss Edwards for my Tier 2 visa application and it was successful. The team was ever present and happy to answer my question. The caseworker that dealing with my case went on holiday yet by case did not suffer one bit. Another lawyer stepped and took over the case without any hassle.
My Tier 1 Investor Visa was dealt with quickly and without issue. Would recommend Reiss Edwards as an Immigration law firm in London. Thank you to the team.
1st Floor, Holborn Gate, 330 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7QT, United Kingdom