rooibos wrote: ↑Mon May 13, 2019 8:12 am
What other applications to the HO would a EU citizen make, apart from, possibly, applying for citizenship?
None. As a settled person, you will have reached the top of the immigration tree, the end of the immigration pathway.
The next step is to preserve that status by residing in the UK (or of course, acquiring citizenship).
rooibos wrote: ↑Mon May 13, 2019 8:12 am
And what about point 1?
I did not respond to that point because I could not find anything specific about it in Appendix EU.
My interpretation of it is that if the WA is ratified, people with settled status would be able to be absent from the UK for five years without losing that status (as that is a specific provision in the WA).
If there is a Brexit not based on the WA (or even in the event of a no-Brexit), the normal rules for ILR (which is the legal status that you get with Settled Status) will apply, which means that the ILR would lapse automatically if absent from the UK for more than two years.
Note again that the above is my interpretation, in the absence of any specific legal text.
I am not a lawyer or immigration advisor. My statements/comments do not constitute legal advice. E&OE. Please do not PM me for advice.