Due to continuing uncertainty following the Brexit vote, EEA nationals who qualify are acting now to secure their right to stay in the UK.
No doubt to help with the influx of permanent residence applications received from EEA nationals, the Home Office is making changes to its application procedures. Starting October 1, 2016, European passports filed with applications on forms EEA(QP) or EEA(PR) can take advantage of a “return service.”
This means that a local authority, such as a county council or city council, can, for a fee, photocopy the passport and forward a copy, with the checklist and application, to the Home Office. This will enable the applicant to keep his or her passport while the Home Office is processing the application. If the application is caught up in a backlog, at least the EEA national retains the original passport.
