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Original poster

Disgusted at how the UK government will charge EU nationals £65 and no iPhone app

779 replies

Rosepetalgeranium · 29/12/2018 08:30

Even if someone has been here working hard and paying tax for decades they will have to pay £65 to stay and there's only an android app to apply not even an iPhone app!

OP posts:
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avenueq · 29/12/2018 08:31

Yup, it's disgusting. Been here 20 years, British husband and children, teacher, school governor... having to apply for permission to stay here 

Original poster
Rosepetalgeranium · 29/12/2018 08:35

I'm sorry that you need to apply not to be deported. It's not fair at all.

Espically as EU immigrants contribute more to the economy than British born people!

OP posts:
LakieLady · 29/12/2018 08:36

I was talking to someone just before Christmas who is an EU citizen, but lived/worked/married/had her kids in the UK and has been here for 30 years.

They spent £3k getting her British citizenship not long after the Brexit vote, because they were convinced that the UK government would dump on EU citizens from a great height. They felt it was the best way to protect her right to live and work here, and I can't say I blame them.

Childrenofthesun · 29/12/2018 08:36

Disgraceful. These are people who came and made their lives here perfectly legally and include children who were born here! I have an EU friend who's been living here for 15 years, married to a Brit and they have 2dc. She runs her own business employing 50 people and now is expected to pay to carry on living in her own home!

There needs to be a big outcry about this. They obviously slipped it out over Christmas hoping nobody would notice.

JustABetterPlayer · 29/12/2018 08:45

So residency can be concluded using an app on operating system that nearly three quarters of the planet use, for the low fee of £65 and you think the sky is falling? And there’s still no guarantee we will even leave the EU, TM isn’t exactly looking ‘strong and stable’.

Try applying for a green card and later residency in the US, it’s great fun Confused

Rubusfruticosus · 29/12/2018 08:46

You’ll be able to complete the application form online using any device (for example, an iPhone). You’ll be able to get support over the phone or in person if you need help doing things online.

You’ll only need an Android phone or tablet if you want to scan your identity document - you can send it by post if you do not have access to one.

www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families/applying-for-settled-status

redsummershoes · 29/12/2018 08:50

So residency can be concluded using an app on operating system that nearly three quarters of the planet use

so changing goalposts every few months is fair?
if this is mandatory, it should be easily accessible to all. with a stamped paper as proof.

with they also get a yellow star in the post to sow on they jacket?

MissionItsPossible · 29/12/2018 08:52

Omg, you have to pay to live in a country you’re not a born resident of, shock horror? Hmm It’s £65 pound. Get over it. Someone on here a couple of weeks ago in a thread said they had to put aside a million dollars to be able to live in the USA.

ginghamstarfish · 29/12/2018 09:00

I don't see why it's a big deal. To be able to live and work in some countries costs a great deal more, you have to prove job offer, have a medical, proof of savings, etc etc, and I don't see people whining about that.

DeepanKrispanEven · 29/12/2018 09:00

It really is ridiculous restricting any part of the process to people with phones on one particular operating system. How hard would it be to make it properly accessible to everyone who needs to use it?

As for the comparison with people who want to live in the US, there is a major difference: this relates to people who are already here and who have no choice if they need to remain. If they're settled and have been paying tax for years, it's incredibly petty to make them pay simply to be able to carry on with their lives.

Original poster
Rosepetalgeranium · 29/12/2018 09:01

*so changing goalposts every few months is fair?
if this is mandatory, it should be easily accessible to all. with a stamped paper as proof.

with they also get a yellow star in the post to sow on they jacket?*

This exactly! I worry about what is next.

They are clearly trying to make it as difficult as possible by not allowing people with the most popular phone to easily apply!

OP posts:
StoorieHoose · 29/12/2018 09:01

I can almost guarantee it’s the Apple App Store that held up the iPhone app and not the government

JagerPlease · 29/12/2018 09:02

This hasn't "slipped under the radar", it was announced months ago and people have been applying since August. It's £65. Less than the cost of a passport. And if people can't easily afford that, they have 2 years to save up. It's Android only for document verification because Apple won't allow the technology to be used, so direct your anger at them. And as PPs have said, people with no access to android can send their document in. Of all the Brexit things to get worked up about, this really isn't it. Haven't seen the EU making any similar arrangements for UK nationals living over there...

DeepanKrispanEven · 29/12/2018 09:03

I don't see why it's a big deal. To be able to live and work in some countries costs a great deal more, you have to prove job offer, have a medical, proof of savings, etc etc, and I don't see people whining about that.

Again, that is for people who make a decision to move. Is it really so difficult to see that there is a difference in relation to people who are already here and who may have no choice but to pay up if they are to keep their livelihoods? It's not their fault that we decided to leave the EU, and they had no control over that decision.

DeepanKrispanEven · 29/12/2018 09:04

Haven't seen the EU making any similar arrangements for UK nationals living over there..

Why should they? Again, our choice, we can't moan because they don't tie themselves in knots helping us to avoid the consequences.

Obviouspretzel · 29/12/2018 09:05

The iPhone is not the most popular phone. Or even if it was, collectively Android models are much more popular.

To me, the cost or operating system is pretty irrelevant. It's the principle. It's saying to someone who has legally been in this country for 20 years, working, contributing and paying taxes, that they are effectively "less" in some way than a British born native, and now need to pay for the right to stay. Disgraceful in my opinion. How would that make you feel?

WhatsUpHun · 29/12/2018 09:07

It's £65. Less than the cost of a passport. And if people can't easily afford that, they have 2 years to save up. It's Android only for document verification because Apple won't allow the technology to be used, so direct your anger at them.

Both of these points

Ruffina · 29/12/2018 09:08

I thought the UK had offered permanent residency and work rights to all EU nationals established here but that the Commission wouldn’t reciprocate and threatened to take away UK ex-pats’ rights?

Childrenofthesun · 29/12/2018 09:08

Again, that is for people who make a decision to move. Is it really so difficult to see that there is a difference in relation to people who are already here and who may have no choice but to pay up if they are to keep their livelihoods?

Exactly! This is being retrospectively imposed on people who may have lived here for years. It's not the same as making a decision to move to a country knowing there will be a fee to pay.

LucilleBluth · 29/12/2018 09:09

You should see how much we gave to the Canadian government in our six years there in administrative fees etc...I wish it was just £65.

swingofthings · 29/12/2018 09:10

Omg, you have to pay to live in a country you’re not a born resident of, shock horror? hmm It’s £65 pound. Get over
The issue is that you are expe Ted to pay to get nothing more than what you were told you wouldn't need to before because you had automatic residency. It's different to living in the States when you know you'll have to pay to live and work there.

soulrider · 29/12/2018 09:11

OH will have to apply but in the grand scheme of things 65 quid is not too bad an outcome (assuming the process works ok - fairly big assumption admittedly).

swingofthings · 29/12/2018 09:13

And just to add, 10 years ago it was free to get a resident card but EU workers were told there was no need for it because residency had already been established anyway. It also only cost £450 to ask for naturalisation. Its now over £1,500. That's quite some inflation for a 10 year period.

MissionItsPossible · 29/12/2018 09:13

The issue is that you are expe Ted to pay to get nothing more than what you were told you wouldn't need to before because you had automatic residency. It's different to living in the States when you know you'll have to pay to live and work there

Right. But we are now leaving the EU so things have changed as non nationals won’t have automatic residency anymore. If it was £650 I’d be more inclined to agree with the outraged but it’s £65. FAR less than you’d pay in fees to live in another country.

GCAcademic · 29/12/2018 09:13

You should see how much we gave to the Canadian government in our six years there in administrative fees etc...I wish it was just £65.

Presumably you knew about that in advance, and the Canadian government didn’t change the goalposts after 20 years of you living there, asking for money from you to keep living in your home with your Canadian children?