I recieved a visa for 5 years - more than I expected (I thought I would only get 2 years)

It is such a relief to travel. I normally have about 1-2 trips a month for business - I can get back to my normal life now!

 

Congratulations DEL1978 on your successful application. It only goes to show due diligence and research pay off. It's standard for Home Office to issue residence cards (not ILRs) with a 5 year duration. Mine is 5 years as well.

 

I am currently not married, but I applied as a family member in a "durable relationship" with the EU citizen (you have to prove you have been living together in a relationship similar to marriage for at least 2 years)

I had an unmarried partner visa for 2 years - which I applied for and recieved in Germany - at that point I had to show that we had a "durable relationship" for at least 2 years and that my partner was "present and settled" in the UK.

After that visa expired, normally, I should have applied under the SET(M) for indefinate leave, but due to recent changes in the legal requirements, (that I was not aware of when I applied under SET(M)), I could only get indefinate leave after my partner had applied for the EEA1 and gotten that visa. So, I did not meet all SET(M) requirements, and they suggested that I apply under EEA2 instead.

So, to answer your question, you do not need to have an "unmarried partner" visa before you can apply for EEA2 - I am just a special case.

On applying for EEA2, I had to prove that I was in a "durable relationship" for 2 years (again), so I provided 20+ documents from different reliable UK sources from the past 2 years. I organized them per source, so it was clear to see I had over 5 different sources from all of our addresses over the past few years and that through that time we were always together.

I showed bills in both of our names, council tax, nhs, water bill, electricity bill, gas bill - all in both of our names over the past 2 years...If I didn't have our names together, I provided different sources that had either his or my name on it at the same address.

Just a note: Even if you are married - I think that would be useful to show all of the documents above, to prove that you are not a "marriage of convenience"...from reading the different sources, it seems that is what causes most applications to be rejected..

I hope that helps!

 

Waiting time for residence card

So, I applied on 21 August 2006 for my residence card, I received the letter from the Home Office on 23 August that they received it and will be processing the application.
For months I saw on their website that they are still processing applications posted in August. I waited a long and gruelling time, couldn't travel anywhere for Christmas, etc.

So then on 7 February I received a flyer in the post that I have to sign for a delivery at the post office, but should allow 48 hours before going there. The next day I went to the post office and received my Residence Card. So the total waiting time was 5 months and 1 week.

The name of the game is Patience. It will come, you just need to be patient.

 

Re: Waiting time for residence card

Congratulations RayG on your results. That's why they say... patience is a virtue!

 

Hello all

I am also waiting ages for my EEA Unmarried Partners Visa. I am South African and my partner is Slovak. We have been together for 2 1/2 years now.

I originally applied in August 2006 and got a response back after 8 weeks ( 2 months ). It was refused because the caseworker only looked at one piece of evidence rather than the entire file!

My lawyer suggested we gather some more documentation and file for a re-consideration.

I am now still awaiting the decision ( 6 months since original application , 4 months since filed for re-consideration )

Has anyone else had this experience and if so , how long does the reconsideration take ?

Thanks for all your input here.

I would appreciate any responses.

Cheers

IAn

 

Dear All

I ve just wanted to let you know my experience with the processing times for residence card for non EEA applications ,
I ve applied for my residence card on 26th of January 2007 and received my passport back with residence card on 02nd of february 2007 amazingly it took home office 5 days to process my application,what i found out that if your application for EEA1 EEA2 are considered in Croydon rather then Sheffield it will take much longer time to process,some reason mine ended up in sheffield

good luck

 

Thats great Hakan

I suppose mines in Croydon.

Anyways , I guess I will be patient and wait to see what happens in next two months

Cheers

 

I just wanted to refer everyone to a "sticky" article about best practices for applying for the EEA 1/2/3/4 that is really useful, plus I just added a list of the documentation that I used for my EEA2 form as a guide for future applicants.

Here is the link:
http://www.easyexpat.com/forums/ftopic_11904.htm

 

Ready to give up! Help please! EEA2 forever waiting

Hi all...

Its a frustrating process thats for sure, and if i had to be honest is getting beyond the effort put in to suffer this ordeal! Even more so when somehow a lucky few get theirs processed in 5 days (by Sheffield... congrats! i envy your situation for sure!), or a month, 6 weeks etc and others are left stranded for close to or even over 6 months...

Ive tried everything (that i know of...) primarily faxing Euro Support weekly with every legitimate reason under the sun in an attempt to expedite the application, but get nothing, and when i follow up with a call to the telephone enquiry line, all you get is that the fax has been recieved on such and such date, and has been forwarded to the appropriate department (euro support), to which the call handler can offer no further assistance, only to recommend further faxes. In all ive faxed the office on over 10-12 occassions, the last of which i also sent to the complains department. Recieved a nice letter to say they have forward to correct department, and the problem will be looked at within 4 weeks... not the application though...

A little background... My fiance is an EEA citizen, Norwegian, and applied successfully for a Residence Document (EEA1) and was granted indefinite leave to remain. I was initially in the UK on a 2 year working holiday permit (which only allows 12mths of work), at the end of this period, I returned to Australia, submitted the VAF1 form to the British High Commission (in Canberra, Australia) and promptly received back (within a week) a 6 month Family Permit. Sweet i thought... I then returned to the UK with the family permit, and thought i would pop down to croydon and trade my 6mth for a 5yr... but only if it were anywhere remotely close to that simple!!! Then figured out the deal and submitted EEA2 application for a Residence Card (sent Special Delivery on 30 Oct 2006)

We are unmarried as yet, but as mentioned have been together for 4 years and have lived together for most of it so more than adequately qualify there also. We have plenty of documentation, our application was 2.5kgs of documents which covered everthing from tenancy agreements, bank statements, wage slips, employment contracts, photos etc etc etc… its ALL there, so qualifying is not at all the issue. Everything was layout out perfectly, cover letter, indexed and categorised documents in sectioned folders... so i thought i was a simple straight forward application given id already been granted EEA permit (6 mth one) by British High Commission back in Canberra...

Since the submission... we then have had passports returned twice (to enable travel) and on second occassion was advised not to return and my travel schedule would require constant returning of docs...

Went out of UK over Xmas, passport lost!!! (a string of unfortunate events), and have to get emergency passport which of course does not have visa contained... upon re-entry am 'checked' by immigration and they see my application is processing so i am granted 60 days entry (this expires in 10 days time!) I have since recovered my old passport via Aus embasy so no have the old visa in hand, but not in a valid passport... Of course have faxed the IND with all this info and copies of documents etc.

The problem I am running into is that employers aren’t keen to taken me on given me only having in real terms a 6 month permit to work and reside in the UK, and the promise of the 5 years I will get once processed is often not enough as there is no hard evidence or guarantee for the employer to support this. Therefore I want to get my Residence Card asap (rather that months down the track) so that I can gain suitable employment sooner rather than later... running out of £ just doing crappy temp jobs for measly wage. Of course i have outlined the predicament formally (on multiple occassions) with details and supporting documentation to the home office, but no response or acknowledgement recieved... other faxes have outlines legitimate requirement for return of important documents contained in the application, -- no response recieved... and numerous others...


My lessons learned or advice to other couples just starting out/arriving, would be to submit the EEA1 and EEA2 applications together... most items ive read seem to indicate this makes the process around 6 weeks, rather than 6 months... ill be studying hard on the best approach when i comes time for our EEA3/EEA4 applications... that if i survive this country that long!

So for now im still in limbo land... unemployed, but very employable with offers awaiting a little pink and blue sticker in my passport to give the employer assurance of my long term value to the organisation... of course they dont generally formailse this as their reason, but informally say that they can proceed with my application without long term guarantee of my eligibility to work and live in the UK... The website is still on September, and i am very end of October, so that means a minimum of a month, probably more, which overuns both my EEA 6mth permit and the recent 60 day entry permit... where to turn next? im open to ideas as im at a loss at this stage!!!!

So to all the struggling/waiting couples looking at their letter box each day, or the lucky ones who bypassed the que by freak of nature, and of course the experts amongst us.... please, please.... can anyone offer a last ditch plan to get my app through! I would greatly appreciate any assistance you can offer!

Feel free to PM me or continue the forum! Look forward to hearing anyones success stories on strategies to combat the inadequate and incompetent services offered by the Home Office...

Regards,
Andrew!

 

Oops...

Damn that was a long post... its covers pretty much everthing ive done! Hope I didnt overwhelm you or put you to sleep reading it!!!

Look forward to discussing everyones methods and means of getting the job done!

Regards,
Andrew

 

what are my chances for and Indefinite Leave to remain?

Hi All,

I have sent my application on the 21st of May and have already received a reply confirming the receipt of my application. The question is: What are my chances?
I have made an application using the EEA4. My partner and I have been together for 5 years and 4 months...
With my application, I have sent my two passport photos, our passports, my partner's residence card (with a no time limit stamp on it) and my P60s for the following years: 2002-03; 2003-04; 2004-05; 2005-06 and some 5 wage slips from my current job, which proves I have been here working and paying the $@8&6/ taxes... hehehehe. We are in a same sex relationship and we have not registered for civil partnership.
So, the question again... What are my chances?
Does anyone think this is a straightforward application?
Thanks in advance!

 

Received info from Home Office : Unmarried Partner Visa

Hello All

I had a glimmer of hope today as the Home Office wrote me a letter asking for additional info for the last 6 months that me and my partner have been together.

I have more than what is required by them so we should be able to get this now upon re-submission.


Anyways , pray and hold thumbs for us please.

Everyone else who is waiting here :

I recommend patience as KEY! I have waited 7 months since application , I nagged them every week by phoning in and asking about the status.So it does pay to wait.

GOOD LUCK to all of you in similar situations.

Cheers

Ian

 

Hi Ian,

When did you apply exactly?
I applied on 10th of January and still waiting...

 

If you look earlier in this sticky , I applied in September 2006.

It got turned down and I re-applied in November 2006.

So , I have waited 7 months since second application

They are currently dealing with applications made in December 2006.

Thanks

Ian

 

delays with eea3/eea4 applications

Hi everyone ,
applied 9months ago using eea3 and eea4 but still nothing!(they sent me a confirmation letter a month after i applied) anyone with more luck this year of 2009??????????

 

im from canada and me and my husband are trying to get my eea2 i got my certificate of application 2 months after applying for eea2 residence card ive been waiting about a total of 12 months in the uk , and im not sure what to do at this point , should i bother them about it, or just wait it out.. i dont want them to think im impatien and dont wish to anger them, but the document did say it would be done in 6months. should i get a solicitor?
or do you think its normal to wait this long?

 

what would happen if you retrieve the passport not for travelling purposes but for work issues, in uk? I had a problem today i had booked a cscs card test and they didn't allow to take the test because i didn't have a passport, then i phoned HO and asked for the passport to be sent to me because i need for this test, they agreed to send to me to do this test and send it back again to them when i have it done. Will this create a problem for my application of EEA2 and it's nearly 5 months when we send it, me and my wife are very worry about it.

Please Help

 

miri5, don't worry about getting the passport back, this does not delay application at all. They don't need your passport to process the application, when you request it back, they make a copy and they send you a letter asking to send the passport back when the application is processed (i.e. hen they are ready to stick residence card into it).

Marusu, you are waiting for 12 months and don't want to anger them? you should have sent a complaint right after 6 months have passed as they are putting your application into backlog everytime someone else threatens them with laws and courts.