Q. I'm an EU national who is residing in the UK before 12 April 2019. Can I still apply for positions at the University of Cambridge?
Yes. For EU nationals who are resident before exit date (now 12 April 2019), in the event of no deal, your residency rights remain unchanged and you are still able to apply for positions at the University.
You must apply for either pre-settled or settled status, through the EU Settlement Status scheme, before 31 December 2020.
If you are currently working overseas, but were previously resident in the UK for at least five years, you would be eligible for settled status provided you have not been absent from the UK (for any reason) for more than five years and you re-enter the UK before 31 December 2020.
If you are currently working overseas, but were previously resident in the UK for fewer than five years, you would be eligible for pre-settled status provided you have not been absent from the UK (for any reason) for more than 12 months and you re-enter the UK before the 'specified date' (in a deal scenario, the specified date is 31 December 2020; in a no-deal scenario, the specified date is 12 April 2019).
Further guidance on the EU Settlement Status scheme is available on the University's webpages and on government webpages.
Q. I'm an EU national who is currently employed by the University. Can I continue to work at the University of Cambridge?
Yes. For EU nationals who were resident before exit date (now 12 April 2019), in the event of no deal your residency rights remain unchanged and you can continue to work at the University without restriction.
You must apply for either 'pre-settled' or 'settled' status, through the EU Settlement Status scheme, before 31 December 2020.
If you are currently employed by the University and working abroad but were resident in the UK before 12 April 2019, you will still be able to apply for either pre-settled or settled status provided you have not been absent for more than five years continuously (for any reason) and return to the UK before 31 December 2020.
Further guidance on the EU Settlement Status scheme, which also encompasses guidance for your family members, is available on the University's webpages and on government webpages.
Q. I'm an EU national who will be arriving in the UK for the first time after 12 April 2019. Can I still apply for positions at the University of Cambridge?
Yes. For EU nationals who arrive after exit date (now 12 April 2019), in the event of no deal, you are still able to apply for positions at the University.
You will not require a visa to enter the UK. For EU nationals there will be no requirement to obtain a visa in advance of travel to the UK. At border control, you will be able to enter the UK using your passport or ID card, as you can at present.
There will be no restrictions on your ability to live or work in the UK. You will be able to reside and take up employment/work in the UK as soon as you enter. However, if you intend to stay in the UK for longer than three months, within three months of arrival you will need to apply for European Temporary Leave to Remain. Irish nationals will have no restrictions on their stay and will not be required to apply for temporary status.
Q. What is European Temporary Leave to Remain and who needs to apply?
In the event of a no-deal Brexit, European Temporary Leave to Remain will allow EU nationals arriving in the UK for the very first time after 12 April 2019 to live, work and study in the UK.
want to stay in the UK for more than three months.
EU nationals who are granted European Temporary Leave to Remain will be able to stay in the UK for 36 months from the date of their application. European Temporary Leave to Remain will be a temporary, non-extendable immigration status.
After 36 months, EU nationals would be required to apply for an immigration status under the new immigration system, which will come into effect from 1 January 2021.
How do I apply for temporary leave to remain?
No further details are currently available on the application process for Temporary Leave to Remain. Further details will be published once information is provided by the government.
This status will only be introduced in the event of a no deal.
Q. I'm an EU national who will be arriving in the UK for the first time after 12 April 2019. Can I bring my family members?
Yes. Family members who are EU nationals can enter on the same basis as yourself and would also require Temporary Leave to Remain (see questions above) if they intend to stay for longer than three months.
Family members from non-EEA countries will need to apply for a 'family permit' before accompanying or joining you in the UK.
No further details are currently available on the application process for a 'family permit'. Further details will be published once information is provided by the government.
Q. I'm a non-EU national. Can I still apply for positions at the University of Cambridge?
Yes. No change is anticipated to the current UK immigration system for non-EU nationals, whether there is a deal or no deal, until at least 2021.
Further details on how to obtain an appropriate visa can be found on the University's webpages.
Q. Will you need to do additional pre-employment checks if I am offered a position at the University and I am from a country within the European Union?
No. It is not currently expected that additional pre-employment checks will be required for applicants from the European Union. Evidence of right to work will still be required, as detailed in the questions below.
No. In the event of no deal, the government has confirmed that right to work checks will not change and existing procedures will therefore continue to apply, even for those arriving after 12 April 2019.
This means that EU nationals will be able to continue proving their right to work in the UK using only their passport or ID card. There will be no requirement to inform, or evidence, to the University that you have gained documentation through the EU Settlement Status scheme or the European Temporary Leave to Remain process. The government have indicated that this will remain the case until at least 1 January 2021.
Q. Will there be any impact on checking my qualifications?
In the event of the UK leaving the EU with no deal, the MRPQ Directive will no longer apply to the UK and there will be no system of reciprocal recognition of professional qualifications between the remaining EEA states, Switzerland and the UK. The UK will ensure that professionals arriving in the UK with EEA and Swiss qualifications after the exit date will have a means to seek recognition of their qualifications, and the government has indicated that a new system will operational in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Further details on the future arrangements in the event of a no-deal Brexit can be found in the government's technical notice.
Q. I'm an EU national who is currently employed by the University. Can I continue to apply for other jobs within the University?
Yes. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, you are able to apply for other positions at the University without restriction.
Q. Will there be any changes to the way you handle my data in the event of a no-deal Brexit?
No. The rules governing the collection and use of personal data are currently set at EU-level by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In the UK, the Data Protection Act 2018, alongside the GDPR, provides a comprehensive data protection framework. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, there would be no immediate change to the UK's own data protection standards. This is because the Data Protection Act 2018 would remain in place and the EU Withdrawal Act would incorporate the GDPR into UK law to sit alongside it.
Therefore, existing data protection processes and procures that are in place at the University will continue to apply after 12 April 2019.
Q. I'm an EU national who is currently employed by the University. Will my rights within the workplace change?
The EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 brings across the powers from EU Directives. This means that workers in the UK will continue to be entitled to the rights they have under UK law, covering those aspects which come from EU law.
Domestic legislation already exceeds EU-required levels of employment protection in a number of ways. The government will make small amendments to the language of workplace legislation to ensure the existing regulations reflect that the UK is no longer an EU country. These amendments will not change existing policy.
Will my rights within the workplace change if I work for the University in an EU country?
If you work for the University in an EU country, you should make yourself aware of the any relevant legislation implemented in the EU country in which you work.
Q. Will there be changes to social security for those on International Assignments in the event of a no-deal Brexit?
An International Assignment is where an employee is spending a defined period of time working abroad in one or more countries, normally for six months or more, where they previously worked in the UK for the University and intend to return to work in the UK for the University on the completion of the Assignment.
Will EU social security agreements remain valid?
No, any agreement made under EU treaties will no longer be valid. The UK has bilateral social security agreements in place with some countries in Europe and these would remain valid, although it is likely they would need to be updated in the event of a no- deal Brexit. Where a bilateral agreement is not already in place, one will need to be negotiated.
What is an S1 certificate and what is its purpose?
Employees living and working overseas are currently able to apply for an A1 and accompanying S1 certificate. The S1 certificate (formally E106) entitles the individual to access the healthcare system in the country where they are working, to the same level as a local employee. If a local employee has to pay for a particular treatment, then the employee with an S1 would also be expected to pay. The S1 certificate does not guarantee free medical treatment.
Will employees still be able to access local health care facilities through their S1 certificate?
S1 certificates are generally issued for a period of two years. At this time, it is not clear whether S1 certificates awarded under the EU social security agreements will remain valid until their expiry date. Further updates on this status will be provided when information becomes available from the government.
Will employees be provided with private medical insurance if they are no longer able to access state provided medical facilities with their S1 certificate?
No. The University does not currently provide private medical insurance, so if needed employees within Europe would need to purchase supplementary medical insurance.
What is an A1 certificate and what is its purpose?
The A1 certificate confirms which country's social security legalisation applies to an employee whilst they are working overseas, to avoid contributions being made in more than one country.
Will employees still receive social security protection through their A1 certificate?
At this time, it is not clear whether A1 certificates awarded under the EU social security agreements will remain valid until their expiry date (they are generally issued for two years), or if they will be cancelled on the 29th March 2019. We will provide updated advice once we receive further information from the government about this.
What are the implications for social security if the A1 is no longer valid?
If the A1 certificate becomes invalid, your social security liability would need to be re-assessed and you could become liable to social security in another European Country. Both employee and employer contributions could become payable, which may require establishing an overseas payroll.
If you were no longer able to contribute to your Home Country social security scheme, it is expected that you would look into the possibility of paying voluntary social security contributions to protect your long-term and retirement benefits. HR will provide more advice about this if this is the case.
Q. I am a departmental administrator and/or manager. Where can I find advice on recruitment and right to work issues if there is a no-deal Brexit?
Please see the following FAQs for departmental administrators and/or managers in the case of a no-deal Brexit.