UK revokes EU pre‑settled status

In early August 2026 the UK Home Office began notifying EU citizens that the pre‑settled status they had received under the EU Settlement Scheme was being withdrawn. An initial notice on 2 August said at least 100 individuals had been sent letters, highlighting a case of a Portuguese‑Brazilian NHS worker whose residency, employment and finances were at risk. The Home Office said it was reviewing all cases that needed to move from pre‑settled to settled status, including children and non‑EEA nationals.

The following day, a broader report indicated that thousands of EU nationals had been contacted and that the pre‑settled status had been granted in error because the recipients did not meet eligibility criteria before the 31 December 2020 deadline. Affected people were now required to re‑apply for settled status, raising concerns for those living, working and studying in the UK. The Guardian noted that the Home Office had not disclosed the total number of letters, but a Freedom‑of‑Information request confirmed that 95 letters had been sent in March as part of a wider review.

The two snapshots together show the Home Office’s escalating review of the EU Settlement Scheme, moving from an initial limited notification to a larger‑scale reassessment that could affect thousands of EU citizens residing in Britain.