EEA4 and passports

My wife is about to submit an EEA4 application for permanent residence (lived in the UK for 5+ years and married to an Italian citizen). When we applied for her EEA "residence card" five years ago we submitted certified copies of our passports, rather than the originals, and explained in our cover letter that we would send the originals when they needed them. About six months later, the Home Office asked us for our passports and my wife's visa was granted soon afterwards.

Is it still possible to submit certified copies rather than original documents? My wife needs to travel for work and can't be without a passport for six months or longer.

Thanks,

Marco

Submit originals and ask for your passport back.

86ti wrote:Submit originals and ask for your passport back.

We would really prefer to send certified copies, since we both travel regularly. Is it a possibility? It worked 5 years ago, but I'm not sure if the rules have changed.

Please, actually read this webpage! Farther to the top you'll see that originals are required.

86ti wrote:Please, actually read this webpage! Farther to the top you'll see that originals are required.

That's what the website used to say back in 2005, but they had no problems with us sending certified copies at the beginning. Of course we did have to send the original passports at the end.

Most likely they won't even accept the application due to a policy change last year. There was a report here recently that an application was denied exactly for that reason.