if you have an EEA dependent visa you will be flexible to change jobs, being able to work anywhere then without having to apply for another work permit.

If you prove that you lived 2 years or more (living together, not only having a relationship for 2 years) you qualify for the visa.
I am non-EU citizen and my partner is EU. We are same-sex partner and I got the visa anyway, even we are not married.

 

I was told by the British Embassy in Paris that for the EEA Family Permit, you have to have a VERY GOOD reason not to be married to your partner, ie. you are a same-sex couple and cannot legally get married. My partner and I have been together for two and half years and we were told if we wanted to bring him in as my spouse, we would have to get married, seeing as there was no valid reason why we couln't, co-habitation or engagement isn't enough.

 

You are better protected with an EEA Permit as against a Work Permit. If your company goes bankrupt or loose your job and the girlfriend says shes had enough of you , then you are suckered.

Moreso with a WorkPermit you are restricted and only tied to one company. Most employers don't want the hustle of applying for a Work Permit and in this respect you are more likely to be passed over in job applications. Whereas if you had unrestricted rights to work, the focus of a potential employer is only on your ability and not your eligibility.

Moreso with an EEA Permit and after living with your girlfriend/wife for more than 3yrs, you cannot be kicked out of the UK should the relationship come to an end.

I will suggest you go for the EEA Permit and forever not to have to bother with Immigration for the next 5yrs. What you need to do is just to trade in your Work Permit for an EEA Permit at the IND. It will also give you more leverage when it comes to negotiating a pay rise with your employer knowing that you can walk away to a competitor company without any immigration restriction!

 

I was told a categoric no when I asked about this - hence I'm going over to the US in October to marry my partner! However, that was applying for a Family Permit from a British Embassy abroad - maybe the Home Office have a different view. It's worth checking out - I would phone the IND www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk to check.

 

Phone the Home Office. get the number from another sticky here and call them in the morning, shortly after 9am, so you don't have to wait that long in the queu, as daytime phonecalls here are expensive. Try to write down what you want to ask so you don't forget once you are actually connected to a caseworker. Remember as well to write down their name, for future reference.

Good luck!