Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to clear the backlog of settled status applications.

We currently have 1,500 UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) European Casework staff in post working on applications made to the EUSS.

Our aim is to process all applications to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) as quickly as possible. The majority of applications have been concluded within 5 working days, but cases may take longer dependent on the circumstances of the case, for example if the applicant is facing an impending prosecution or has a criminal record.

The following link lists the expected processing times for EU Settlement Scheme applications, based upon current performance:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-application-processing-times/eu-settlement-scheme-pilot-current-expected-processing-times-for-applications