What’s the future for Polish nannies in London after Brexit?

• How to become a nanny in London after Brexit?

• What will happen to Polish nannies after Brexit? 

The UK immigration law is going to change from 1st of January 2021 according to the latest information. The new law will have an impact on nannies from Poland especially those wanting to come from Poland and work in the UK next year. 

Demand for Polish speaking nannies in recent years increased and other bilingual and multilingual nannies in London is also high. 

This is because especially in London many children grow up in bilingual families who are often looking for native nannies to support raise their children in that language, learn about new culture, different way of life, to be open minded and be exposed to second language from their early years. 

Many studies suggest that its easiest to learn languages in your younger years. 

Children that are taught a second language before the age of 10 are more likely to achieve fluency in later years. 

Since there is a higher demand for Polish speaking nannies and nannies from the EU in general we wrote this article to help answer some of the most frequently asked questions about current and future immigration rules for Polish nannies and EU nannies in the UK.  

Can my Polish nanny still work for us after Brexit? 

Some parents might be worried about their nannies immigration status after Brexit if they haven’t got a British citizenship. 

How will the new rules impact nannies from Poland and other nannies from the EU? 

- Polish nannies who lived in the UK for more than 5 years: 

So far EU citizens have been able to live and work in the UK without any restrictions thanks to freedom of movement, which will end on the 31st of December 2020. The rights and status of the EU citizens will remain the same until then. 

People who have continuously lived in the UK for the past 5 years or more can apply for settled status. Once they have a settled status they may also apply for the British citizenship. All of these people can live and work in the UK indefinitely. 

- Polish nannies who lived in the UK for less than 5 years on December 31st: 

EU citizens and families who lived in the UK for less than 5 years on December 31, 2020 may apply for a pre settled status. They can continue to live in Britain until they reach the five years, then apply to change their pre-settled to settled status. 

- Polish nannies intending to seek work in the UK after 1st of January 2021:

From 1st of January 2021 the freedom of movement will end and the proposed points based immigration system will be introduced. EU nationals will have to apply for a visa to come to work, live or study in the UK. 

Will nannies need a visa to come and work in the UK after Brexit?

Under the new scheme, from 1st of January 2021 nannies will have to apply for a visa to come and work in the UK and they will need to get 70 points to get one. The new points based immigration system will take affect from 1st of January 2021. 

What is new points based immigration system and how to get to 70 points?

Points will be given based on: job offer, job at appropriate skill level, ability to speak English, educational attainment and salary.

Appicants will have to earn at least £25,600 but those earning as little as £22,000 will still be able to enter although they will need a significant number of points in other areas to compensate for their lower salary so they can also gain extra points for better qualifications or an offer of a job in which UK has a shortage, even if they don’t earn as much money. 

Other frequently asked questions: 

Do I need a qualification to work as a nanny in London after Brexit? 

You will need to apply for a visa and get 70 points to be able to come and work in the UK. It is not required to have a qualification however certain qualifications could help applicants get more points for example English language certificate or childcare certification and qualified teachers would get extra points. 

The applicant will also need to speak English and has a job offer at appropriate skill level. The rest of the points can be collected from salary of over £25,600. 

Am I allowed to travel while I work in London after Brexit? 

People who have a visa will be able to stay or travel for work or holiday. 

As soon as we have more information about how the points based immigration system work we will provide more guidance. 

Other relevant article:

Can nannies from the EU apply for a visa to work in the UK after Brexit?