It would help to say where you are currently and what countries your passports belong to and when you have to be in the UK.

 

Re: Info Family Member (non-EEA) of an EEA Family Permit for

Since you are both in Italy at the moment, financial proof needs to be from Italy in the form of bank statements and/or employment information. There is no minimum balance to show or an amount to prove. What the Home Office is after here is that if they do give you a permit, you will not be depending on UK public funds as these are alloted only to those who need it most. Before I came here from the US, I only gave as evidence my employment information, some bank statements in both names. No employment offer from here. Yet I was given the FMRS."

Yes you can apply before going to the UK. In addition to the employment contract, you can also submit photocopies of your airfare booking/tickets. You are better off traveling together, as what my wife (Eu citizen) and I did when we came here from the US.

Yes you need to translate this, as well as any other non-English document that you have because the Home Office will only deal and understand English language documents. Preferably have this translated by an official transaltor or any government certified translator, and you should be fine.

 

Hi.
I can tell you that You will wait only few hours, if there are will be no problems with documents. I did it in Warsaw and it took just 4 hours.
Just small advise - try to bring as more documents as possible, pictures with you and your wife together etc.

 

how it take few hours? we just applied it take 10-15 days to get reply

 

Time taken to obtain an EEA family permit from a UK diplomatic mission, eg. Embassy, High Commission, or Consulate, depends entirely on your country of residence. Some can be issued virtually immediately on a 'walk-in basis'. Others can take a little longer, but even those that now have to applied for through a 3rd party agency, acting on as a 'post office' under contract to the UK government, are issued fairly quickly as EU law requires them be given priority, and issued without delay. As long as the correct information is given, there is usually no problem, and in my experience, those handling the applications have a little bit more discretion in dealing with them. Meaning that as long as the entitlement is obvious, applications won't be rejected because your information or documents were a bit scanty.
If you want to now about any particular country waiting times, each month, the waiting time statistics for the previous month can be found on the website of the UK Border Agency.
For information, My wife applied online in China on 3rd December 2013, had to then make personal visit for finger and eye print, and received EEA permit by courier on 13th December.

 

Hi all,

I am filling in an online application form for my wife when I came across the field asking me for my EEA National Registration Certificate number. I had no clue what that was. I know now and I also now that it might take a while to get one. I saw some older posts and it seems like the EEA National Registration Certificate number was not a must-to-provide information. My question is, is it required now as a MUST, or is it still an optional field. In the application it seemed as if it was a compulsory field. Hope it is not! Please help.

Thank you and best regards

 

If you expect a reply, you need to provide some more details. We can't guess them!
For example, What is your citizenship, where are you located at present, and if not in your country, what is your status there? Same details for your wife. Will your wife travel to the UK alone, or together with you?
Only then can we advise what YOUR WIFE needs! SHE is the applicant, and It is her that is being asked for information.
The online application is simpler than the paper application because it is interactive to a degree. Meaning what you are asked can depend on what you have already entered. In fact, it is fairly simple, and if your wife is entitled to a Family Permit, not much 'evidence' is required. The nuisance is that if the application has to be made through a 3rd party such as UKVisas, which is increasingly the case, your wife will still have to personally attend the nearest visa application centre for fingerprinting, submission of documents etc. In my family members' experience, Family permits have always been issued within a week.
There are very few countries where UK diplomatic missions still accept visa, or EU/EEA applications directly, and the plan is to soon eliminate them too.
By the way, if you are not a legal resident in an EU/EEA country that issues residence cards, you won't have one, will you?
Post what I have asked, and I will reply.

 

Hi joneeboy74 and thanks for your reply.

I am from Spain born and raised from a Libyan father and Spanish mother. Then moved to Libya for some years, so I also have a Libyan passport. I have been in the UK since 2010 January, did an Msc and I am still in the UK at the moment doing a PhD, so I am a full time student. I always use my Spanish ID/passport to go in and out, but I also show my Libyan one if I will be coming from Libya. My wife is a full time student as well and she is from Libya where she is based at the moment. I have been asked for the EEA National Registration Certificate number on the online application but I dont have one. I need to fill out the EEA_1_Registration_Certificate form to apply fot it. Also, since I am a fulltime student, I have an income fo £10,000 per year which I think might be an issue also. The plan is for me to go back to Libya in Aug and then we will be travelling together to the UK. My questions are as follow:

1- Regarding the EEA National Registration Certificate number, can I just put "I do not have one"? If I do, will the application be rejected based on that?

2- Giving my dual nationality, how much time would it take to apply and process my application of a EEA National Registration Certificate?

3- Is there a finincal threshold that I need to meet? If yes, what is that threshold?

4- If you think she is not eligible to have a family permit, what other visa can she probably apply to so we could be together at least for some months.

Thanks a lot in advance! Looking forward to your reply.

 

Hi,
First let me make one thing clear. When you enter or leave the UK or any other EU/EEA country, and most other countries, you should only present your Spanish passport and not show your Libyan passport at all, even if you are just travelling to or from Libya. It is not only necessary, but in these times might attract unwanted attention. Of course, the opposite is true if you are entering Libya!
Next, let me remind you that it will be your wife, not you, who will be making application to come to the UK, so she will be completing any application and submitting it.
Now, your questions.
1. You are a Spanish citizen. You are free to come and go, to holiday, work, study, set up a business or do anything else legal in the UK, just as a UK citizen is. You do not need an EEA registration certificate at all and never will. If you look at the EEA1 application form, it states this at the top. In fact, as it states, there may sometimes be an advantage in having one, just to prove to others such as potential employers, that you are legally in the UK. (That is only because most ordinary people in the UK are not aware of EU law!). I'm Irish in the UK, with a Chinese wife and I don't have a Registration Certificate.
As far as I remember, the question about Registration Certificate does not require an answer, if the sponsors ID is an EEA passport.
2. So that deals with your question 2 also, but just for the record, the UK is required under EU law, to issue an EEA Registration Certificate within 20 days of receiving a valid application, and it seems it does.
2. There is no particular financial threshold, but you would be expected to show that either you can pay for her ticket, etc, accommodate and support your wife for the period that she is here, either from income or savings, or that she has the means to support herself.( for example, she may have savings of her own). In practise, what you should do is to write a 'support' letter to the Entry Clearance Officer, British Embassy in Libya that you can email or send to your wife, saying that you are inviting her to join you in the UK, and that she will be sharing your existing (rented?)accommodation and that you will be meeting all her expenses while she is here. Or something similar. You should also send her some proof of your income(or savings) such as bank accounts going back a few months ( not more than 6!).
Also say in the letter, who will be paying for her ticket. The reason I ma saying 'send to her' is that you don't have to wait until August to apply. A Family permit has a 6 months validity for entry to the UK, and once your wife is here, it does not matter if it runs out. She can also go out and back in again during its validity.
4. Last, your wife is definitely entitled to a Family Permit, and I expect it will be simple for her to get it.
Now, a couple of other remarks. Your wife is a student. You did not say how long she will be coming to the UK for. The application asks that. I suggest you put down about 2 months. It does not really matter, but that way, you won't need to have a lot of money available.
Also, In your letter, which need not be long, or very formal, just mention where and when you were married, and that you keep in touch by, email, phone etc.
About the Family Permit application form. Have a look here.
https://www.gov.uk/family-permit
and then here
http://213.225.136.89/countries/libya/fees/?langname=UK English
Of course, there are no fees for Family Permit, but there are links to useful information on the above page.
Here is the link to the new UK visa handling company in Libya. Family permit handling is the same, without the fees!
http://www.ge2ly.tpcontact.co.uk

Now, here is my tip for you. This is what I did for my wife's FP last time.
I decided to make a 'dummy ' Family permit application, so I could either make my wife's later, or advise her exactly what to put in it. I used a fictitious name, but entered similar data that would be applicable to my wife. I found that the online version is somewhat different to the paper version! There is an interactive element with the online version. Depending on what you enter, some questions that are on the paper version will not be asked online. I won't be specific, each case can be different, but for example, if at the beginning the applicant says she does not have children, further questions about children will not be asked. So online application is easier!
I actually printed out some of the pages I did, then scanned them and emailed them to my wife!
Good luck with the application. Any more questions, just ask. I will only tell you what I definitely know to be correct.

 

Hi joneeboy74,

I cannot express my gratitude for what you are doing and the useful information and guidance you are providing. I am honestly so happy to receive your help which makes me more willing to help other people who I dont even know. Thank you so much.

Having said that, I have a couple of more questions regarding the application form. Mostly, I am refering to the section where they ask all sort of questions regarding when we first met and how often we meet since then. We first met in January 2014, at her parents house, then met her again in the same month just before my returning to the UK. I am busy with my PhD as I am involved in europian projects and had to go to France for a month, then come to the UK again. I was in a daily contact with her either on phone or internet, and we have just had our marrige certificate issued in Libya. This is the point where cultural differences take place. According to Libyan law, a marriage certificate can be issued in my absense as long as there is somebody who represents me and my willings (my father in this case). I have done it that way as I can not have long holidays (more then few weeks) and the plan is to get her the permit, and then I will go back to Libya, have the weeding, then travel back to the UK. She is currently still living with her parents, and we probably wont see each other till just before the weeding day (in Aug). My fears lie on them thinking that we are having a marrige of convinience and refuse the application.I have put the questions that concern me the most with the asmwers. You will probably see what I am worried about.

- When did you first meet?
06 Jan 2014
-When did your relationship begin?
06 Jan 2014
-How often do you meet?
we didnt meet since 18 Jan 2014
-When did you last see the EEA National?
18 Jan 2014
-When did you marry or enter into a civil partnership?
25 Apr 2014

I am afraid they would think that my wife is contradicting herself by saying that we last met in Jan but got married in Apr. Shall I go back to Libya at least for few days to change the facts? The last thing I wanna do is to put some incorrect information and say that we met in Apr and that I was there, but I wasnt and they might have their ways to know that. I think I should just make a quick jump to Libya, help her finish the application and change the facts, and then return. How do you feel about this and what would you advice me to do?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Regards

 

I have a bit of work to do right now, but leave it with me for a bit while I look into a couple of things. I will try to answer you by tomorrow.
I do understand your situation, but don't worry about it. It is not unusual, and your application will be processed by the British embassy in Libya whose visa staff will be aware of local customs.
You know, there is actually no requirement for you to fill out a form to get apply for a Family Permit. It is just a convenience for the UK government,...and us, to a lesser degree.
The first time my wife applied, I told her what to write, and I asked her to write NOT APPLICABLE across about half of the pages. I then wrote a letter to the Senior Entry Clearance Officer stating I had told my wife not to answer questions that are not required under EU law. She still got her permit within 10days! I'm not suggesting you do that. Its just to let you know that the UK does have to comply with EU law, so is not likely to act unreasonably. The main reason those questions are there is due to the activities of many some West Africans and many from the Indian sub-continent. Don't worry! I'll get back to you.

 

Ok, Thanks a lot.

 

Hi again
I have looked through all that you wrote, and must say, that until you told me, I was not aware that you were not yet married, so my earlier answers were concerned with clearing up problems completing a non-EEA spouse application, assuming marriage had already taken place. However, your new information probably makes things easier for you, not harder.
I don't know how long you plan to stay in Libya, b/after marriage, but my suggestion is that your wife applies for her Family Permit in Libya, immediately after marriage. There is nothing unusual in that. Many people around the world do it, and it has certain advantages, not the least is that you will both be 'in country' and available for interview, in the very unlikely event that the Embassy wants you to appear personally. Another advantage is that problems with dates will no longer be there.
Get the idea out of your head that you may be suspected of arranging a 'marriage of convenience'. What you want to do is perfectly legitimate. You will be showing that you met someone through friends/family or whatever, became close, stayed in frequent contact after your return to UK, agreed to marry, have just been married and now want her to come back with you to UK for a couple of months honeymoon/holiday together. I am sure that as long as you provide the necessary between you, there will be no problem getting the Family Permit quickly while you are there. Maximum a couple of weeks at the outside. Only problem cases, often involving relatives other than spouse, usually take longer.
You have plenty of time to get together whatever paperwork you need, and of course, you will have proof of marriage. Your wife to be is a student. I suggest she gets some proof, and that she will be returning to Libya to study(if that is so.). Same for you. If you have paid advance fees in the UK, the receipt for them is a good item to show. You can put such details in a simple letter of support, addressed to the Embassy, as I mentioned in an earlier post, and include it with your submitted papers supporting the application. as far as finance is concerned, you can submit some bank statements if you have funds. Even a few hundred pounds is enough if you are stating that in the UK you will are stay together in your existing rented accommodation. She can also submit bank statements if she has funds.
Basically, what you will be doing is answering in advance, any questions that the Embassy entry clearance officer could have. That is, you are legally married in accordance with Libyan law, you are an EU citizen studying in the UK, and between the two of you, there are enough funds to buy a return ticket to the UK for your wife, and for her to stay there for the period you state. Even though you might state she is returning to Libya at the end of her visit, legally she does not have to. Her family permit will be valid for 6 months from date of issue, and she could apply for a residence permit while here, if she wanted to.
Other points.
1. She should have travel insurance covering the period she will be in UK. You may want to state that in your support letter.
2. If she wants to, your wife will be free to work in the UK without restriction.
3.If you have an email record, or a Skype or similar internet record, printing out a bit of that might be useful to prove your contact. I set it for submission for my wife's 1st Family permit, but for later ones, where it asks how we keep in contact, I just wrote phone, email, SMS, internet VOIP in the answer space.
4. There is a question on the form asking about travel date. asked my wife to put a request in the 'other information' space at the end of the application, asking for the Family Permit not to start until the exact date of the flight she was booking. The reason was that it would allow my wife to come here again for a later visit, without having to apply for a new family permit. The Embassy did as requested. She was here last January and February, and will arrive back here on July 10th for a 2 month stay, 4 days before her Family Permit expires.
Good luck with yours.

 

Hi joneeboy74,

Very useful infomation and advise. Again, thanks a lot. You have literally made my day, and probably months .

Take care

 

Glad I could be of some help. You take care too, and apart from your marriage , enjoy yourself in Libya. Its a long, long time since I was there! Later, may be when you get back, hopefully with your wife, you can post how you got on.

 

Thanks, eventhough I havent been brougt up in Libya, it is one of those places that I enjoy the most in all sort if senses. I will definitely let you know how things went on my return, not to worry about that. Take care!