Post
by Zerubbabel » Thu Aug 20, 2020 11:00 am
I am not thinking about the UK at this stage as the road seems closed.
Your mother, with her British password, has until the end of this year (31/12/2020) to go to any EEA country she likes and starts living there. The transition period allows her to be seen as an EEA national until then.
The specifics depends on the country she picks up but the law is more or less the same as we are talking about countries under EEA regulations. So the form she would fill may look slightly different between France, Germany or Spain, but eventually, the same regulations apply.
She needs to play quick. The clock is ticking. You may shortlist a few countries during the next 10 days. See where you have family if any, where you can learn the language, feel good, have the budget... whatever, these are your criteria. Then, early September, she goes to the country she picks up, rent a place and immediately apply for a residence under the Withdrawal Agreement. By December she would have a 5-year card in Europe and seen as European for the purpose of immigration.
From that point, she may then sponsor her husband. Under EEA rules, there is no £18600 or similar. It's just a form and couple of photos that's it.
They won't be able to go to the UK. As by then the UK would be totally a third party country without easy options but, at least, your parents would be living in Europe. I know it's not optimal, but it's middle solution.
But time is of the essence here. If they don't move now, this option will soon be out of the table.