As you will be aware, the UK’s withdrawal from the EU has been delayed beyond 29 March 2019. Depending on a Parliamentary vote, the UK will either leave the EU with no deal in place on 12 April or, if an agreement is reached, the UK will leave on the terms of that agreement on 22 May. The UK Government may also seek a further extension to the UK's withdrawal from the EU.
I know that for all our students from countries within the European Union, the current speculation and uncertainty around Britain’s future relationship with Europe can cause worry and I wanted to write to everyone in this position to provide as much information as we currently have, following up on my update earlier this year.
The latest information from the Government regarding the status of EU students in the UK is as follows:
For all EU students currently at BU and in the UK at the date Brexit occurs, there is no need to take any immediate action. In the longer term - and depending on the time remaining on your course - you may need to apply for 'Leave to Remain' or 'Settled Status'. The timescales for applications will depend on whether the UK leaves with a deal or not and full information about this process will be published by the Government at the appropriate time.
For all current EU students at BU not in the UK at the date Brexit occurs, there should be no barriers to you returning to the UK, provided you have not been out of the country for more than 12 months if you were abroad for the purposes of completing a placement/study abroad, or six months if you were abroad for any other reason. You may wish to carry proof that you are a current student at BU in the unlikely event that this is queried at immigration. Guidelines as to how to print a student status letter can be found on our website.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do get in touch with us by emailing [email protected].
It is important to note that at the time of writing there is still no decision as to the UK’s withdrawal date from the EU. Once this is known, we will have more clarity and will update you further.
