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Will you support our EU citizens and their family members who need your digital help?

UK VISAS AND IMMIGRATION ASSISTED DIGITAL SERVICE

We need your help to provide digital assistance to our EU citizens and their family members… and we will pay you to do so!

When the UK leaves the EU on the 31st of October 2019, the EU Settlement Scheme application process for resident EU citizens and their family members – to obtain the status they will need to continue to live and work in the UK after the end of the planned implementation period, will be fully open.

We Are Digital – the UK’s leading digital inclusion education provider will be providing Assisted Digital support for the scheme. Some of you will already be familiar with the UK Visas & Immigration Assisted Digital support that we have been delivering since January 2018. However we need to significantly increase the number of delivery partners and local centres which is why we are reaching out to you!

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Assisted Digital support for the EU Settlement Scheme is an extension of support across the UK Visa & Immigration Assisted Digital service. By expressing your interest, you will be available to deliver – and be paid for – both services. Further information is available on our facts page below

Did you know?

  • 3.8m EU citizens currently live in the UK.

 

  • 10% may need Assisted Digital help when applying for an EU “Settled Status” visa.

 

  • That means a significant number need your support.
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Application Process

Read the Facts

Facts for providing AD

Learn more about providing Assisted Digital and read our FAQ
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Get Involved

Interested in getting involved?

Express an interest or contact us here for more information
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We Are Digital, the UK’s leading digital and financial inclusion education provider, has been asked by the Home Office to provide Assisted Digital support for the new EU Settled Status application process.

 

Assisted Digital is the process by which a citizen may need help with an online digital process (such as completing a form online), that they may not be able to complete themselves.

We are Digital has delivered AD support on behalf of the Home Office since September 2017

We act as first point of contact and “triage” all the inbound calls from visa applicants. If applicable, we then provide support through one of three delivery mechanisms in conjunction with our partner networks.

  • Over the phone support
  • Face-to-face support in a local centre
  • In-home tutor visit

A percentage of callers who are ineligible (seeking immigration advice) get signposted to various other sources of support.

Due to the upcoming EU settled status process, we would like to significantly increase our network of face-to-face support across the UK. This support would be for both aspects of the project with the principle remaining the same, supporting an applicant with AD needs through the process, without providing immigration advice.

PROJECT INSIGHT
  • Over 3 million EU citizens and their family members currently live in the UK. They will need to apply for status under the EU Settlement Scheme, in order to continue living in the UK after 31 December 2020
  • Estimates are that up to 10 percent of EU citizens in the UK are vulnerable or at-risk, and
    around 150,000 of those individuals may need Assisted Digital help, nationally.
  • The EU Settlement Scheme will open fully by March 2019 and the deadline for applying will be 30 June 2021.
  • We have developed a detailed model estimating volumes (nationwide) that indicate potential demand in each area.

 

The application process is quick and straightforward, and assistance is easy to deliver.

Once an applicant has successfully passed through triage, we then follow the below steps:

  • Book the applicant in with yourselves in a pre-agreed time slot
  • We communicate confirmation of appointment to both parties (you and the applicant) along with a unique identifier
  • In our communications with you, we will detail the applicants needs and how best to assist
  • Upon completing the process, the applicant must submit an online survey
  • Payment is then processed out to you, based on survey completion
  • Payment cannot be issued without a completed survey

Finer details of how each process will work will follow in training.

From a local centre perspective – it is likely that the EU settlement scheme will present you with greater demand for face to face assistance than current UKVI AD.

The government expects the duration of session in centers will be shorter than the existing model, as the process is simpler than a visa application.

Group sessions are something being discussed with the government at present, with suitability being considered. If you have a centre able to cope with these, we would be very interested to hear back.

If staffing such places poses resourcing issues, we could also staff the venue for you.

A simple online application form will be available at Gov.UK, along with a downloadable app for verifying the applicant’s identity on Android devices. There are three simple stages to the application form:

1. Proof of identity
2. Proof of residence in the UK
3. Answering questions relating to a criminality check

 

Applicants who struggle with this, will be directed to us and put through the previously mentioned triage process.

For each session you complete, WAD will provide a payment.

Full training will be provided by WAD in the form of a simple video that details the end to end process. This video will be no longer than one hour and can be shared amongst staff and local branches.

Training packs will be provided to all centres. They will include full details on set up and delivery, detailed FAQ’s and how to share learning outcomes on our website so we can all learn from experience and improve our service.

For the settlement scheme, it’s anticipated most support will take up to 45 min, for other visa’s it could be up to 90min.

  • £25.00 – 45 minutes
  • £33.33 – 60 minutes
  • £50.00 – 90 minutes
  • We will pay you to deliver that support!
  • This could mean additional revenue for our partners across the UK!
  • You will receive payment for every applicant you support
    – No limit to the number of centres on board in any local authority area
    – Volunteers can provide support (subject to WAD background screenings)
    – Use your space, or staff, or both – if not at full capacity
    – Raises awareness of the variety of services you offer locally and puts you in a strong position to offer these types of projects in the future with We Are Digital – With all government departments increasingly moving services and applications online
    – There is no better time to be part of We Are Digital’s unique “hub and spoke” delivery model (central triage plus on the ground network delivery) for future opportunities

But we have to act fast!

 

We now have a nationwide coverage of over 300 centres; however there are still gaps in our network in certain areas.  If you have partners that you may work with in other areas please direct them to our dedication webpage https://www.we-are-digital.co.uk/ukvi/ for further  information on how they can get involved; or they can contact us via centres@we-are-digital.co.uk

Gaps in the network:

Scotland

  • Scottish Borders
  • Inverness-shire
  • South Ayreshire
  • Perth & Kinross
  • Galloway & Dumfries
  • Paisley
  • Fife

Northern Ireland

  • County Tyrone
  • County Londonderry

Wales

  • Gwynedd
  • Powys

England

  • Teeside
  • North Yorkshire
  • West Yorkshire  (Wakefield/Leeds)
  • Derbyshire
  • Lincolnshire
  • Nottinghamshire
  • Norfolk
  • Wiltshire
  • Hampshire
  • North Devon
  • Dorset

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU!

For further information please read our FAQs

During the COVID 19 Pandemic We are Digital has changed its working practices to ensure the safety and well being of its Staff, Customers and Partners who support the business. We are in a fortunate position that we have been able to continue to support and help our customers by moving to a remote learning option in most cases. As the UK starts to relax the lockdown we are reviewing and planning how we phase a return to our normal business operations.

 

Staff

We will be introducing a phased return to the office for some of the team who will benefit from being back in an office environment. Strict social distancing measures will be in place and reviewed on a weekly basis to reflect any new guidance issued by the government or health advisors. These measures will include reduced workstations to enable the 2m rule; where the individual is able to work from home they will continue to do so. Hand sanitiser and anti bacterial wipes are available at every workstation and key touchpoints throughout the office. All meetings will be held using remote software unless this cannot be done in which case individuals will be asked to review the need for the meeting to take place.

 

Partners

We will work with our Trainer Network and Centre Networks to offer guidance and support on how best to plan for their return to normal operations. Where it is possible we will ask our partners to continue to deliver training content remotely. If a Partner has deemed that they are ready to conduct face to face training we will ask them to provide evidence of their risk assessments and statement to meet COVID 19 Secure guidelines. If there is a need for the training to take place face to face we will protect our partners by ensuring that the booking team have ascertained that the customer or anyone in their household is not currently showing symptoms of COVID 19 or haven’t been advised to self isolate following potential contact.







Silver Training has undergone a complete rebrand and will now be known as We Are Digital. Our services remain the same. We hope you enjoy navigating our new website!

FAQs

INFRASTRUCTURE

You will need computer and internet access to complete the application in full. There is a downloadable App that allows you to scan and upload your details. Devices will be sent out to centres to assist with this process and a guide on how to do this is detailed within each respective application. A device is not essential for completion of this process – support can still be given by the centre.  If there is no device present the applicant will need to post their documents to UKVI rather than scan them at the centre. The app is not currently available on Apple.

There is no need to install any additional software

Yes, privacy screens are recommended but this cannot be funded. Therefore, we would advise you make clear to applicants to be aware of shoulder surfers. We recommend discretion when talking in public – applicants will need to input payment details when going through the process. You will also need a scanning facility to enable the applicant to upload documentation

We are not able to answer this question as it’s unknown, we will work closely with the Home Office to identify likely peaks. We will however only send you applicants at the pre-agreed days and times of your choosing.

No, we only book as per your agreed days and times with us – in short, we book at your convenience 

No, we do however ask you to operate within your resource so as not to incur any additional costs.

TRAINING

WAD deliver webinars that cover the end to end process. The Home Office have assured us that the process for applying for the EU settled status is simple and easy to deliver. The webinars cover all aspects of the service, including the lower volume Visa renewals for non-EU residents. A recording of the webinar is also available as a permanent resource on our dedicated centres area website.

Yes – as above.

That is not an issue for you as a delivery centre, we are only providing assistance in using technology and filling in the forms, not Immigration advice.

The EU Settled Status Scheme (at this juncture) runs until June 2021 – our preference would be you sign for this duration, if at any point you wish to scale up or down your agreed hours, that is something we can look at and amend accordingly.

No, provided you do not give immigration advice as a part of this work, if an applicant asks you for adice – you must direct them to https://www.gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser

In our communications out to applicants, we advise them to only seek immigration via the above link or a reputable solicitor. We also remind interested centres this is only about delivering assisted digital help. This will form a part of our quality assurance of the entire service.

Yes, they are two separate projects.

This will be covered in the training. Guidance can be found on Gov.uk

We do not have information on take up in different areas as there are so many variables. However, we have data on where there are concentrations of EU citizens. Where needed, we will source multiple venues in densely populated areas to meet demand.

This differs based on need. For example, the settled status applicant is anticipated to take up to 45 minutes. A standalone Visa is anticipated to take up to 90 minutes. When we confirm a booking with you, we will detail the anticipated duration. In exceptional cases a centre may contact We Are Digital to request an extension of the session. Please note that this must be done during the initial appointment.

The scheme went fully live in March 2019

PAYMENT

We will pay you quarterly. For the settlement scheme, it’s anticipated most support will be 45 min, for other visas it could be up to 90min.

  • £25.00 –  45 minutes
  • £33.33  – 60 minutes
  • £50.00  –  90 minutes

No, you can invoice all completions per month for the number of appointments that have been completed that month and for which a survey is completed.  You must include:

 

  • the applicants’ unique (ID) reference number
  • the length of the session
  • the date of the session. 

 

Please note that we cross check for completed surveys on receipt of the invoice and the completion of the survey does not automatically generate a payment. 

Yes, payment requires the completion of a survey at the end of your session. The applicant will have a unique ID which will need to be used in the survey. Payments are only made based on completed surveys.

 

Session Length – there are a couple of scenarios where the session that has been pre-booked is subject to change:

Scenario One

If an applicant attends with family or friends who also require help, when the appointment had been pre-booked for that one applicant only, it is not automatic that you will receive payment for additional applicants supported. You must contact the call centre at the start of the session to gain authorisation for any additional applicants; if this does not happen this will result in payment for one applicant only on completion of their survey despite the number of applicants you may have assisted.

Scenario Two

If during the session it becomes apparent that you cannot help the applicant in the allotted time, you must contact the us during the session to notify us of this and gain authorisation. Failure to do so may result in the centre only being paid for the original time allotted.

No this is expressly forbidden; the service is free to the applicant.

The Home Office is paying for this service through We Are Digital as a prime contractor