The "Brexit" debate will be on the minds of EEA nationals who have moved to the UK for work. Those who have been here for some time will be concerned that they could lose their right to remain in the UK. A change in the regulations governing the rights of European nationals is fueling this concern. In November 2015, European nationals lost the automatic acquisition of permanent residence after five years exercising treaty rights in the UK.
Now a European national must make an application for confirmation of permanent residence if he or she wishes 12 months later to apply for naturalization as a British citizen. This means the national will have to make two applications and wait 12 months between each application.
Although this extra burden could be unfavourable to any Europeans wanting a British passport, the likelihood is that protecting the Europeans who are in the UK will form part of the negotiations of any Brexit. Similarly, thought will need to be given during negotiations to those British nationals who are living in other European countries.
Since there is some ambiguity, we recommend that European nationals act now to secure confirmation of their status.
Dentons is the world's first polycentric global law firm. A top 20 firm on the Acritas 2015 Global Elite Brand Index, the Firm is committed to challenging the status quo in delivering consistent and uncompromising quality and value in new and inventive ways. Driven to provide clients a competitive edge, and connected to the communities where its clients want to do business, Dentons knows that understanding local cultures is crucial to successfully completing a deal, resolving a dispute or solving a business challenge. Now the world's largest law firm, Dentons' global team builds agile, tailored solutions to meet the local, national and global needs of private and public clients of any size in more than 125 locations serving 50-plus countries. www.dentons.com.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
