The UK formally left the European Union (EU) on 31 January 2020. A transition period applied until 31 December 2020. From 1 January 2021 EU, EEA or Swiss citizens citizens moving to the UK to work will need to get a visa under the new UK’s Points-Based System (PBS) in advance.
Brexit information for staff
EU citizens and their family members (including non-EU citizens), resident in the UK by 31 December 2020, need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue to live, work and study in the UK beyond 30 June 2021. Even if they have lived in the UK for many years, or have a UK permanent residence document, they still need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. They do not need to apply if they have indefinite leave to remain or enter, but they can if they want to. Irish citizens do not need to apply, but they can if they want to. The deadline to apply is 30 June 2021.
Under the EU Settlement Scheme, qualified applicants can be granted ‘settled status’ if they have been in the UK for five years or more which gives the right to remain in the UK with no time limit. Qualified applicants who have been in the UK for less than five years, can be granted ‘pre-settled status’. This gives them the right to remain in the UK for up to five years, after which they can apply for ‘settled status’.
This status means also that they can continue to be eligible for:
- public services, such as healthcare and schools
- public funds and pensions
- British citizenship, if they meet the requirements and want to apply.
See ‘What is settled status and how to apply?’ section below for more information about the process.
As a transition measure, recruiting managers can continue to accept the passports and national identity cards of EU citizens (without having to determine if they are an existing resident or someone who has arrived in the UK for the first time from January 2021 onwards) as evidence of their right to work up until 30 June 2021. Recruiting managers are not required to make retrospective checks for existing workers.
HR colleagues continue to be available to staff and managers to provide support and guidance as appropriate.
I’m an EU national. Will I be able to continue to work at Oxford Brookes?
Yes.
There will be no change to the immigration status of EU/EEA/Swiss staff who are resident in the UK by 31 December 2020.
Staff need to apply for settled status which will enable them to live, work and study in the UK for as long as they like. The EU Settlement Scheme opened fully in March 2019 and the deadline for applications will be 30 June 2021. For more information on the EU Settlement Scheme and how to apply, please refer to the ‘What is settled status and how do I apply’ tab.
You can also apply for status under the EU Settlement Scheme from outside the UK. All University staff who are EU nationals are strongly encouraged to consider this option if they are currently overseas.
What advice and support are available for EU staff working at Oxford Brookes?
As a university, Oxford Brookes strongly believes that the diversity of its staff and student body, and the extent to which we collaborate with international colleagues, are signs of a successful, responsible and forward-thinking institution.
Colleagues in Human Resources are available to support staff wherever possible with questions or concerns about their employment in light of the UK’s planned exit from the EU. Contact details can be found on the Working at Brookes webpages.
What is settled status and how do I apply?
Details about the EU Settlement Scheme are available on the Gov.UK website.
EU/EEA/Swiss nationals who have already been in the UK for five years and can provide evidence of that, will be granted settled status. EU/EEA/Swiss nationals who have been in the UK for fewer than five years will be granted pre-settled status until they reach the five-year residency requirement. Those EU/EEA/Swiss nationals with permanent residence will be able to convert their permanent residence status into the new settled status free of charge, subject only to verification of identity, a criminality and security check and proof of ongoing residence.
The Home Office has produced a step-by-step application process for EU citizens to apply for settled status. The settlement scheme opened in March 2019 and the deadline for applications will be 30 June 2021.
Staff are strongly encouraged to apply for pre-settled status even if they do not have 5 years’ continuous residence by the deadline date. You can stay in the UK for a further 5 years from the date you get pre-settled status and, depending on your initial residence date, you may well be able to make a subsequently successful application for full settled status.
You can also apply for status under the EU Settlement Scheme from outside the UK. All University staff who are EU/EEA/Swiss nationals are strongly encouraged to consider this option if they are currently overseas.
Some staff members may wish to apply for British citizenship rather than settled status. The University announced in January 2019 that it will allow claims of £65 for those EU staff who, since 1 January 2018, have applied successfully for British citizenship. Further detail and conditions can be found on the Staff Communications Hub.
ID verification
Part of the settled status application involves ID verification that utilises a downloadable app, which runs on Android devices. A number of staff who do not own such a device have asked if one can be made available and IT Services can indeed assist. Android devices will be made available to staff on each of our four main sites at the IT Services service desk.
The process is that:
- the user will be given a factory reset blank android phone;
- they will then log into the phone using their google account;
- they will download the app from the Play Store and do the required scan as part of the settlement application and complete the process;
- finally they will then watch as the service desk staff member factory resets the phone for the next user.
You will not be able to take the phone away from the service desk and IT Services staff are on hand to help if you encounter problems. Please keep in mind that we have specific opening times for walk-in service desks. The last admittance for this service will be an hour before they close.
In addition, the following support is available if you need help to complete your application, including:
EU Settlement Scheme Resolution Centre - call 0300 123 7379.
Assisted Digital - this free service is available over the phone and in person if you do not have the right access, skills or confidence to complete the online application form. Contact We-Are-Digital by calling 03333 445 675. To check availability of this service or for more information visit Assisted Digital.
ID document scanning service - this service is available to complete the proof of identity step if you do not have access to the EU Exit: ID Document Check app. There may be an administrative fee to use this service. To check availability of this service and for more information, see the list of scanner locations.
Community organisations - if you need more support with your application, contact a nearby community organisation. For more information, see Get help applying to the EU Settlement Scheme.
I am applying for settled status or submitting some other form of application for residency and need copies of my past P60. Can the University provide this?
You can print off your P60 from the Core HR staff portal yourself, as well as your monthly payslips from May 2015 onwards. Regrettably we are unable to exactly re-produce P60s earlier than 2016; these are specifically produced legal documents. However our Payroll team can, with at least 30 calendar days’ notice, produce a letter which would contain historical P60 details for you. If you contact Payroll on finance-payroll@brookes.ac.uk then they will be able to assist you but please do give them as much notice as possible.
To support my application, I need past payslips. How do I do this?
As above, you can print off your payslips from May 2015 onwards yourself. However if you would like payslips prior to that date then you can request this information from Payroll on finance-payroll@brookes.ac.uk but please allow at least 30 days’ notice.
Will Human Resources provide a letter in support of my application?
Yes. HR will happily write a ‘to whom it may concern’ letter confirming the essential employment details that you will need to assist you in your application. If you contact your link HR team then they will be able to assist you with this request.
I’d feel more comfortable having copies of documents such as P60s, old contracts, payslips, etc. certified as genuine and correct by the University before I send them off. Can that be done?
If you give Human Resources sufficient notice, they will happily stamp historical payslips and copies of contractual documents as having been verified by us. Please do request this in advance with your link team though and with suitable notice. Please note that Human Resources cannot verify any documents that are not created by the University such as copies of utility bills or other papers. HR will verify contractual documents and payslips but regrettably no other documents.
Will the UK continue to have access to EU funding for research and innovation such as Horizon 2020, Erasmus+ and European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIFs)?
Information on European research funding after Brexit can be found on our European Funding and Brexit intranet page.
I need to travel to and within the EU as part of my position at Oxford Brookes. How should I prepare and what should I expect?
After the transition period from 1 January 2021, all UK nationals travelling to the EU will be treated as third-country citizens. Business travellers from Oxford Brookes will need to ensure that they adhere to the rules in place for the jurisdiction(s) to which they are travelling and ensure that their intended activities are permitted. For more information check the relevant government guidelines.
The Government has provided advice and guidelines for UK nationals on driving in the EU after 31 December 2020.
I need to travel to and within the EU for personal reasons for a considerable period but I have not applied for the settled status yet. What are the implications of this?
As long as you apply for the settled/pre-settled status before the 30 June 2021 deadline, and will not have been outside the UK for more than six months, you should be able to travel and apply when you return. If you will be outside the UK for a longer than one month short period and you have a biometric passport and can apply through the phone application, however, you may want to consider applying from outside the UK. We advise installing the phone application while still in the UK.
I’m involved in purchasing for the University. What do I need to consider?
The Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium, of which Oxford Brookes is a member, has this advice:
While we can, and will, continue to support universities on their use of Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium framework contracts, we recognise the range of products and services you purchase is hugely varied. It’s important for procurement teams to develop a clear picture of their supply chain for all existing contracts and seek to understand which present a higher or lower risk by asking appropriate questions around key topics. When reviewing risks and challenges, universities should consider aspects such as:
- currency volatility
- staffing constraints
- supplies shortages
- increased risk of modern slavery
- waste impacts
- products subject to higher levels of border control
- border delay impacts
- and how agile suppliers are in a fluctuating market.
You can find more information on Brexit and universities from the following websites.
- Universities UK provides FAQs on their Brexit and UK universities page.
- UK Council for International Student Affairs for information on how Brexit affects EU students.
- The Government’s Brexit webpages.