Nationality and residency requirements for EMA
To be eligible for Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) in Northern Ireland, you must meet the residence and nationality rules set out for the scheme. Find out what evidence you will need to send for your specific circumstances.
Qualifying for EMA
If you decide to stay on at school or go to a further education college in Northern Ireland, you may be able to get the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) if you:
- are a UK national; or
- are an Irish Citizen; or
- have settled status; or
- have ‘pre-settled’ status under the EU Settlement Scheme; and
have been living in the UK, Gibraltar, EEA or Switzerland for the last three years and meet all other eligibility criteria for the EMA Scheme.
If you have been granted certain types of leave to remain in the UK by the Home Office and meet all other eligibility criteria, you will normally be eligible for EMA. For more details on your specific type of leave contact the Education Maintenance Allowance helpline.
Similarly, EMA may be available to certain non-UK family members, children of Swiss nationals, children of Turkish workers, or frontier workers under specific circumstances. For more details or if you think this may apply to you contact the Education Maintenance Allowance helpline.
You will not be eligible for EMA if you are an asylum seeker.
Evidence of nationality and residency
For information on the evidence of nationality and residence that you will need to send in support of your application for EMA, please refer to the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) Nationality and Residency Evidence guidance document within the Education Maintenance Allowance application forms and guidance notes page.