Problems with your settled status decision
After you apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, the Home Office will email you a decision letter to tell you what status they’ve given you. They'll contact you if they need more information from you before they make a decision.
It can take some time for the Home Office to process your application, so don't worry if you're still waiting for your decision letter. Check how long it takes to get a decision on GOV.UK.
If your family member also applied, they might get a decision before you - even if you linked your applications.
You can contact the EU Settlement Scheme Resolution Centre to check the progress of your application.
EU Settlement Scheme Resolution Centre
Telephone: 0300 123 7379
From outside the UK: +44 203 080 0010
Monday to Friday, 8am to 8.30pm
Saturday and Sunday, 9.30am to 4.30pm
You can ask a question about the scheme on GOV.UK - they'll reply within 5 working days.
Your call is likely to be free of charge if you have a phone deal that includes free calls to landlines - find out more about calling 030 numbers.
If you didn’t get the status you wanted
If you’ve been given pre-settled status and not settled status, or refused a status at all, your decision letter from the Home Office will tell you why.
Your decision letter will also tell you if you can:
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apply again
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ask for the decision to be looked at again - this is called an ‘administrative review’
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appeal the decision
If you got pre-settled status but expected to get settled status
If your letter doesn’t say you applied for settled status, you might have applied for or accepted pre-settled status by mistake when you applied online. Contact the EU Settlement Scheme Resolution Centre to find out if you did this.
If you accepted pre-settled status by mistake, you can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme again to get settled status.
EU Settlement Scheme Resolution Centre
Telephone: 0300 123 7379
From outside the UK: +44 203 080 0010
Monday to Friday, 8am to 8.30pm
Saturday and Sunday, 9.30am to 4.30pm
You can ask a question about the scheme on GOV.UK - they'll reply within 5 working days.
Your call is likely to be free of charge if you have a phone deal that includes free calls to landlines - find out more about calling 030 numbers.
Applying again if you got pre-settled status
You should apply again if you can:
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give new information - for example, other names you’ve been known by or different spellings of your name
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provide new evidence to show you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years in a row
It’s free to apply again and there’s no limit on how many times you can apply. Check what evidence you can use to apply again.
You can get help from your nearest Citizens Advice before you apply again.
Asking for an administrative review if you got pre-settled status
If you don’t have new evidence and you think the Home Office made a mistake, you should ask for an administrative review.
You have 28 days from the date on your decision letter to ask for a review. An administrative review costs £80. You’ll get a refund from the Home Office if they change their decision because they made a mistake.
It’s worth asking for an administrative review if you think you should have got settled status because you:
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are retired and you’ve lived in the UK for less than 5 years
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stopped work because you were ill or injured and you’ve lived in the UK for less than 5 years
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uploaded evidence that shows you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years in a row and you think the Home Office made a mistake
If you’ve missed the 28-day deadline to ask for an administrative review, you should apply to the EU Settlement Scheme again. It’s free to apply again and you can apply as many times as you need.
Get help from your nearest Citizens Advice before you ask for an administrative review.
Find out more about asking for an administrative review on GOV.UK.
Appealing the decision to give you pre-settled status
If you applied to the EU Settlement Scheme after 11pm on 31 January 2020, you can appeal the Home Office's decision to give you pre-settled status instead of settled status. If you applied before this time, you can’t appeal but you can apply again or ask for an administrative review.
A written appeal costs £80 or an appeal hearing costs £140. The Home Office will refund your fee if you win the appeal. Appealing can take a long time, so it’s usually best to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme again or to ask for an administrative review.
You should consider appealing if:
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you applied for an administrative review and your application was refused
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you don’t have documentary evidence, but you have witnesses or other evidence
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the Home Office doesn’t accept it got the law wrong
If you’re in the UK, you have 14 days to appeal from the date on your decision letter. You can appeal from inside the UK online or by using form IAFT-5 on GOV.UK. You’ll be appealing a decision to ‘vary the length or condition of your stay under the EU Settlement Scheme’.
If you’re outside the UK, you have 28 days to appeal from the date you received your decision letter. You can appeal from outside the UK online oy by using form IAFT-6 on GOV.UK. You’ll be appealing a decision to ‘vary the length or condition of your stay under the EU Settlement Scheme’.
Get specialist immigration advice if you need help with your appeal. You can:
- contact your nearest Citizens Advice for a recommendation
- search for an immigration adviser near you
- search for a solicitor near you
Find out more about appealing an immigration decision on GOV.UK.
If you've been refused any status
You’re unlikely to be refused any status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
Your decision letter will tell you why you’ve been refused. It will also tell you if you can:
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apply again
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ask for the decision to be looked at again - this is called an ‘administrative review’
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appeal the decision
Get help from your nearest Citizens Advice if you’ve been refused any status.