Sophie, who is married to a British man, was in the UK for five years before Brexit but went back to France in 2020 for 18 months after a family tragedy.
Under the Brexit withdrawal agreement, the rights of British citizens in Europe and EU citizens in the UK to live and work in their country of residence before Brexit are protected.
When she eventually applied to the EU settlement scheme (EUSS) in early 2022, Sophie knew she had missed the June 2021 deadline but also knew from the government website that late applications were being considered if there were "reasonable grounds" for missing the deadline.
Her application in early 2022 was, however, refused on the grounds that she had "not evidenced clearly enough" that she "had continued to live with my husband when I was in France, which was a little confusing".
On legal advice, she decided to launch a formal appeal through the asylum and immigration tribunal system, a route open to all EU citizens applying for the EUSS.
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