Correct. 2 is certainly the better option, unless you have to travel in the next 6 months.

Also if you apply for EEA1 and EEA2 together, the application should be processed within about 6 weeks.

The danger is that they may refuse you for some reason, and then you are stuck in India.

 

processing

You may be interested in the timeframes at the bottom of this page:

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/applyi ... unationals

They say you may have to wait for up to 6 months.

Mine took just on 1 month for an EEA2, but that's because I submitted it with an EEA1 application.

Timeframes are pretty random though, so don't be caught out. My FMRS (earlier this year) took the better part of 8 months to sort out.

Good luck!

 

Yes - but you can always ask for your passport(s) to be returned once you submitted your application. This does not affect the application process itself. And as thsths pointed out, joint EEA1 and EEA2 applications are said to be processed much quicker - so if you submit a joint application soon and immediately ask for your passport to be returned, you'll be able to travel for the rest of the year and return to the UK without trouble.
Sebastian

 

Getting your passport back during visa processing

sebhoff is correct about getting your passports back - I did that when I applied for my FMRS. However, you will only be able to enter the UK to live/work up until the period your current visa is valid. I was advised that if I applied for another family permit from abroad to re-enter, that it will most likely cancel the onshore visa application (as you can only have one on the go at any time).

 

Re: Getting your passport back during visa processing

Mhm - I guess that's another one of these cases where the UK authorities deliberately make it difficult to see what your rights and options are... European Law (Directive 2004/38/EC) is absolutely clear on this: You *are* allowed to leave the UK and re-enter it as often as you want. If you are a visa-national, the UK has to issue you with a visa at no cost and as quickly as possible. Even if you don't have a visa and can prove that you have the right to enter the UK (which you *have* by definition as a spouse of a qualified EU citizen) with the help of other documents, they cannot refuse you entry. (Whether they will try to, is of course another question.)
Your right to be in the UK (or to enter it?) does not depend on having fulfilled administrative procedures, and I can't see how an application for a second Family Permit would cancel an ongoing EEA2 application (which is *not* a visa-application but simply an application for a document that confirms the rights you have anyway...).

This here is an interesting read: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/frattini/doc/guide_2004_38_ec_en.pdf - check out Chapter 6.

Hope this helps.
Sebastian

 

Rights

Yep, that all sounds right. I am conservative by nature and didn't want to risk it, given I received that advice. I'm so conservative that I even got a fresh passport for my EEA2 visa because I didn't want to have to go through the application process again to get the visa transferred to a new passport (if I need to get one over the next 5 years).

I have to say that advice from the Home Office on these sorts of matters is sketchy at the best of times!! Ringing them is like talking to a brick wall most of the time.

 

Guys thanks a lot for the replies, it has helped me enormously.

The first thing I am doing tomorrow morning is applying for EEA1 - for my wife and EEA-2 for me , together.

This website is great

love

 

EEA 2 Card application with EEA 1

Hi,

I wanted to find out if Anand or anyone else had any success with applying for an EEA1 and EEA2 combined? If so, how long did it take and did you send in both applications to the Liverpool office? I noticed the EEA 1 shows a Liverpool application address whereas the EEA 2 shows a London/Croyden address.

I am a US Citizen and my Danish (EEA/EU resident) husband and I relocated here to Manchester UK in January 2008. He lived in the US for 5 years on a US Visa and we met/married and have been together for 3 years. He has a fulltime job, but I have been looking for work, but most employers have a problem with my EEA Family Permit only valid for 6 months. Thus, wanting to apply for my EEA 2 Residence Card.

Since my husband's job requires travel and needing his passport, I'd hate to submit it and then he has to travel on sudden notice. Sometimes he only has 2 days notice of a business trip.

So, before going through this process, I'm wondering if we should go through the same process. Send in applications jointly for an EEA 1 and EEA 2, requesting our passports back right away. We would also like to travel together as well thus wanting our passports.

Can anyone give me clarification or their experience so I have a clearer understanding of this? Any help would be useful!

Thanks...I'm glad forums like this exist! Cheers!