Brexit: EU nationals in UK to apply for ID card for special settled status

Nearly 3 million EU nationals in the UK will have to apply for a special "settled status" identity card after Brexit to continue to enjoy the same rights they do as members of the bloc, Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Monday as she unveiled detailed plans in the House of Commons.

The British prime minister presented a 15-page policy paper to Parliament today which sets out the UK's opening discussions with the EU at a recent summit in Brussels.

She said the UK's approach is to have a new "light touch" online system to process applications that will give applicants the same "indefinite leave to remain" status as many non-European nationals who have also lived in Britain for five years.

The offer will cover the over 20,000 Goans of Portuguese heritage based in the UK as EU citizens of Portugal.

Describing it once again as a "fair and serious offer", May said: "The system of registration for EU nationals will be as streamlined and light-touch as possible.

Some of the technical requirements for getting permanent residence will be removed.

For example, people will not have to demonstrate that they have had comprehensive sickness insurance.

The new EU "settled status" residence document will essentially be an identity card backed up by an entry on a Home Office central database or register.

The cut-off date will be the subject of discussions, but will be no earlier than 29 March 2017 — when Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty was invoked — and no later than March 29, 2019, the date the UK leaves the EU.

Relatives of EU migrants will also be given permanent residence in the UK as long as they join them before the day Britain formally leaves the EU.

"No families will be split up. Dependents who join a relative here before Brexit will be able to apply for settled status after five years. And after the UK has left, EU citizens with settled status will be able to bring family members from overseas on the same basis as UK citizens," May said.

In exchange, the British prime minister expects Brussels will drop its demand that EU citizens should be able to enforce their rights in the European Court of Justice after Brexit instead of in the British courts.

She also called for a reciprocal fair deal for British expatriates living in EU countries.

The UK offer includes guarantees on UK pensions and the ability of settled EU nationals to continue to have social security benefits, such as child benefit, paid in other EU countries.

However, several key areas such as healthcare, professional qualifications and the rights of the self- employed fall in the negotiating category of "seek to ensure continuity" rather than a UK unilateral guarantee.

To avoid a so-called "cliff edge" in applications the day after Brexit, EU nationals will have a grace period of up two years to demonstrate their five continuous years of residence in Britain.