Apologies for a long post - only seen the topic now.
Originally Posted by
ajax
Yes - Malaysian citizens don't need Schengen visas prior to arrival. That's 27 countries right there.
I don't think there are 27 countries in the Schengen yet
Originally Posted by
ajax
How does an EU citizen become permanently resident in the UK? I honestly don't know. Do they need to apply for ILR? What's the qualifying period? I know nothing about this route to citizenship, as all EU citizens I know in this county have no need for British citizenship nor British settled status. Genuinely curious.
Originally Posted by
ajax
Interesting - I have never heard this. I wonder if these EU citizens need to apply for settled status or if it is conferred upon them automatically.
They need to apply for ILR on a basis of 5 years exercising the Treaty rights [will leave it to someone else to look up the exact Treaty]
Originally Posted by
Aviatrix
So - it's called "permanent residence", and it's automatic after five years.
It might be 'automatic', but EU citizen will still have to prove in his/her ILR application that they've been residing in the UK in the 5 years prior to applying [P60s for example]
Originally Posted by
ajax
FWIW, the UK has something called "settled status" which is the status of right-of-abodeholders, ILR-holders and Irish citizens (and some other British Overseas Citizens). Although these people are not British Citizens, any children of their born in the UK are automatically citizens.
Although worth mentioning that if father has ILR, but is not married to non-ILR/non-citizen mother, child[ren] won't have automatic UK citizenship.
Originally Posted by
ajax
All legal residents in the UK can vote in local elections; EU citizens can also vote in MEP elections, whereas British, Commonwealth and Irish citizens can not only vote in all elections (including referenda), but can also stand for Parliament should they so choose.
For local elections, I think you may find that all those legal residents still have to be nationals of the countries you mentioned.