Many people dream of immigrating to the European Union (EU), but many do not yet understand the EU. The EU evolved from the European Community, starting with 6 initial member states and has now grown to 28. On July 1, 2013, Croatia officially became the 28th member state of the EU. There are only 26 Schengen countries, of which 22 countries overlap, possessing dual status in both the EU and Schengen. Among them, the UK, Ireland, Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria, and Croatia are all EU countries, while Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland are only Schengen visa countries and not EU members.
EU Temporary Resident
According to the laws of any EU member state, by obtaining the temporary resident status of that country (usually valid for 1 to 2 years, renewable upon expiration), you are an EU temporary resident. This does not include people who have obtained temporary residence status with a duration of less than one year.
Once you become a temporary resident of any EU member state, you are an EU temporary resident. Becoming an EU temporary resident does not mean that you have the right to settle long-term in other EU member states.
Ways to become an EU temporary resident:
All EU member states have their own temporary residence laws for foreigners. Usually, foreign nationals from non-EU member states can apply for temporary residence status according to relevant policies.
What is an EU Permanent Resident?
The EU law itself does not have the concept of EU PR. As long as you become a permanent resident of any EU member state, you possess rights similar to those of an EU citizen. You can settle, live, study, and work in any EU member state, rather than just being able to temporarily reside for 3 months for commercial or travel purposes. And when you work long-term in any EU member state, you can enjoy the benefits of that country.
What is EC Long Term Residence?
This is an immigration legal system arrangement at the EU level stipulated by the 2003 immigration law of the European Union (at that time it was not called EU, but EC) aimed at promoting the free movement and work of foreign residents from non-EU countries in the EU zone.
The law stipulates that citizens of non-EU member states, if they possess legal temporary residence status in any EU member state and have resided in that country for five years, can apply for EU long-term residence status.
EU Permanent Resident VS EU Long Term Residence
There is almost no difference in rights within the EU zone for both. The difference only lies in the different legal bases for their application. The former is applied for according to the laws of a specific EU member state, obtaining the permanent residence status of that country, but is also regarded as an EU permanent resident at the same time. The latter is applied for according to the provisions of the EU's 2003 immigration law. In addition, the application conditions for the two are different. For the former, because countries have their own regulations on granting permanent residence to foreigners, they are not the same between countries. For the latter, the application conditions are uniformly executed according to the provisions of the EU law guidelines.
What is an EU Citizen?
Obtaining the citizenship of any EU member state makes you an EU citizen. You can settle, work, study, and live in any EU member state and enjoy all the benefits of the citizens of the country where you reside and work.