Hi all,
I thought this might be interesting for some other readers here:
One of the questions that pop up from time to time is whether it is possible to apply for a residence card with a certified copy of a passport instead of submitting the original(s). I asked the Home Office about this myself a while back and they very clearly stated that this was not an option. But as so often, things *can* be different from what the HO says... ;-)
I just met up with some friends of mine - she is German, her husband is American. Because he works in Berlin (and basically commuted from the UK to Berlin once a week for quite some time last year) and she travels a lot, they decided to submit his EEA2 application without their passports. All they sent was copies - not even certified. After a short while, they received a certificate of application - and then nothing happened. In other words, the application went into the dust-collecting stage just as any other application would have done.
10 days ago, they were contacted by the HO and basically asked to resubmit more or less their whole application again. But the difference was that they were given a direct contact number of a case worker - and he agreed to have their application processed within a week (because both of them again had to travel). In the end, it was a bit of a close shave because of course things took two days longer than the caseworker had promised, but he now has his residence card.
So don't believe everything the HO tells you over the phone - it's worth trying to make up your own rules with them... ;-)
Sebastian

 

Well - the COA is more or less meaningless in itself anyway, isn't it? It does not change the status of the non-EEA spouse, as their legal status does not depend on any kind of administrative formality having been fulfilled. On the other hand, it of course isn't worthless because employers might want to see it. But that's just because many employers don't seem to be fully aware of EEA rights. And the certificate of application certainly fulfills that purpose in most cases, regardless of whether the application was complete or not. ;-)
Sebastian