Non EEU and EU member moving to Ireland

Lynette · Post by **Lynette** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 8:52 am

Hi Yankeegirl,
You are really such an inspiration on this Board and I am so glad to have met you. Once arriving in Belfast, if I were to immediately start the process of applying for my Residence Card (i.e EEA2) and my husband completed the Application for an EEA1. Surely we would be given proof of our process in motion, from the relevant authorities. If an employer had to see this evidence, I think they would realise that we as a married couple are here to stay. Even a copy of a Rental Agreement should convince them. What is your take on this ? By the way â€¦ as a South African, do I need a Visa to enter UK/Belfast ? I know I donâ€™t need one for the Republic of Ireland.
Many thanks again for all your replies and assistance ï

yankeegirl · Post by **yankeegirl** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 2:56 pm

As a South African, you don't need a visa to enter the UK (including Northern Ireland).

Now, on to the family permit. I just had a read through and found this.

Your family members will need to get an EEA family permit if they would normally need a visa to travel to the UK or if they are coming to live with you in the UK permanently.

http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Front ... 068382#Q13

So, since you are planning on living here, you really should get a family permit.

I'm not sure about the processing times in south Africa, but the application would be free, so no visa fees to worry about!

Silvina · Post by **Silvina** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 7:01 pm

kazana wrote:Hi Lynette,

I've got some good news for you:
I'm German, and my wife is South African. We had absolutely no problem moving to Ireland together (the Republic that is). We even got here without a job, visum or whatever - neither of us.
Since I'm an EU national, my wife was able to get an unlimited work visa without much hassle. Sure, we had to get it at the GNIB (g..something national immigration board), but that was no problem at all.
Only thing is, that as South African you need to renew your working visa every year, and that can be quite frustrating, sitting in the waiting room every time again.

Other than that, though, they can't refuse your right to seek employment as long as you're married to an EU citizen.

Usually, there's no need to worry about it. As long as both of you can afford the stay until you find a job, you'll be perfectly fine. As I've said before, we moved to Dublin with nothing but some money, our passports and our marriage certificate and we're both settled in Dubs now.

I can imagine that Northern Ireland has some more restrictive rules, especially since neither of you have an UK residency permit by default, unlike the laws governing EU countries, where no EU citizen (and his/her spouse) may be refused to stay.

Either way, good luck to both of you, and if you need any more information or assistance, don't hesitate to contact us through this board.

Greetz,

Brendon

Hi Kazana, I am about to move to Ireland next month as well. I am Italian and my husband is Argentinian, we have been living in Spain for four years now and I have called diferent Garda stations to know what he had to do in order to work there, I am pregnant and he has a real good job offer in Cork. I wonder, when did you make the papers for your wife? Was it a Dublin? I called Dublin and they said exactly the same thing you say, but in Cork they talked about the EU1....

I really would like to know exaclty where and when did you do it in order to have a clearer idea.

All the best

Silvina

Lynette · Post by **Lynette** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 1:14 pm

Hello Yankeegirl,
Take a look at this website. I think you will find the Visa Fees interesting ! I thought this EEA Family Permit was â€œfreeâ€

archigabe · Post by **archigabe** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 2:04 pm

VFS is a private contractor who sometimes don't have a clue on visa issues. I suggest you contact the BHC directly to clarify and to inform VFS.I also suggest you post your question in the UK immigration forum for help from people experienced in UK immigration issues.

http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Front ... 068382#Q10
http://www.britishhighcommission.gov.uk ... 0510038495
http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pag ... 3618507963

yankeegirl · Post by **yankeegirl** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 2:34 pm

I agree with archigabe. Contact the BHC directly. All EU applications are to be free of charge.

Have a look here inder family member of an EEA national.
http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Front ... 6977150007

germancarlos · Post by **germancarlos** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 8:03 pm

Hi, I am new in this forum....but I've been reading all that yankeegirl and archigable have written and is fantastic. My wife and son are Italian, I am Uruguayan (Uruguay, no offence if you have never heard of it). In fact I have been readind quite a lot about the EEA family permit, which in my country in the British Embassy website appears free of charge, and what you have been telling confirms my reserch. I am no crazy, thank you. When I keep telling my wife that there is an open door she replies me 'yes love, continue your inquieres'. But, this time I am nearer.
Yankeegirl, could you tell me how much cash is needed when arriving in UK?. The required amount for the immigration authorities. I mean, what is the minimum level you should take to the UK. Does they take comfort if you have, for example, enough money to live 3 months in case that you don't get a job as soon as you arrive there?
If you have any recommendation as to where it would be good to live, I would appreciate your opinion. I have been thinking about Guildford or maybe Mole Valley. The unemployment rate there is one of the lowest in all the UK. And I think that it is a quite familiar enviroment.....Sorry, maybe I am out of the point.....
Thank you.
German.

archigabe · Post by **archigabe** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:09 pm

Carlos, thanks for the appreciation. I think you would get more informed opinions in the U.K immigration section.Try posting here...
http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewforum.php?f=3

Lynette · Post by **Lynette** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 12:55 pm

Hello Yankeegirl,
I received an email from the SA VFS Office. The EEA Family Permit is free in SA, although it is not clearly stated on their web site. I have another question : If both my husband and I were earning an annual salary of 25 000 Pounds each, are we taxed separately or as a married couple, where our salaries are combined ? Apparently there are â€œTaxable Bandsâ€

archigabe · Post by **archigabe** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 1:13 pm

I think you can choose to be taxed individually or as combined for married couple tax credits.

yankeegirl · Post by **yankeegirl** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 2:44 pm

Hiya Lynette,

I don't think food items are taxed here, unless eating out at a restaurant.

To get an idea of costs for groceries, try checking out the various online stores like www.tesco.com or www.sainsburys.co.uk

Lynette · Post by **Lynette** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 7:36 am

Hello Yankeegirl
Many thanks for your reply. Can you refer me to any useful websites which give me a general idea of the costs of living in Northern Ireland i.e. bus/rail fares, rental, tax on food if this is so & other items which are taxed like cleaning materials etc. I sent an email to Sainsbury enquiring about this but have received no reply. Are there any other Boards which chat about living in Northern Ireland instead of the actual moving to NI as with the Immigration Board. It would appear that the cost of living is very much the same in the NI as in the Republic when you convert Pounds to Euros, except for income tax, which is a lot less in the Republic. Yankeegirl, do you work in the Republic ? You mentioned crossing the border often in one of your previous postings.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Lynette

yankeegirl · Post by **yankeegirl** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 8:22 am

I really don't have any idea about what things are taxed to be honest. For bus and rail prices, try www.translink.co.uk.

As far as rental prices, the only think I can think of is just to do a google search for estate agents in local areas (Belfast, Derry, Lisburn, Newry, etc).

I work part-time in NI. I visit Donegal quite often (10 min up the road for me) as I have friends there and I'm in Dublin at least a few times a year to visit the in-laws.

I don't know of any boards specific to Northern Ireland. You could try www.uk-yankee.com. It's geared for Americans living in the UK though there's a few non-Yanks lol), and there are a few of us on there from Northern Ireland. Lots of good general info that you could have a read through.

Sorry I wasn't more help.

Lynette · Post by **Lynette** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 7:52 am

Hi Yankeegirl and dsab85. I have been reading your earlier posts regarding Newry, NI. Can you tell me more about Newry! It sounds a lovely location i.e. cost of Rentals, transport to Belfast or Dublin by train, costs, time and distance. How does the currency factor work if you are living in Newry, but working in Dublin, where one is paid in Euros. Can one use both currencies in NI or Newry. If one had a bank account with the Bank of Ireland in the Republic, can one utilise their funds from NI or does a new bank account need to be open in NI with the bank's NI branch !

I look forward to hearing from you and appreciate all your assistance so far.
Kind regards
Lynette

Lynette · Post by **Lynette** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 12:37 pm

Hello Yankeegirl,
I found some lovely sites and pics on Newry, NI the other day. I still need some help with regards to how one would work with two different currencies. If my husband worked in Dublin North and earned in Euro and I worked in say Newry and earned in GBP are we able to hold one bank account in NI were say the Euros are converted on deposit. How does this work for you and others who live and work in two separate EU countries, so to speak.
Take care
Lynette

avjones · Post by **avjones** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 12:46 pm

Hi Lynette - for general consumer items, VAT (Value Added Tax) is included in the shown price. Some food items (luxuary, hot food, etc) are subject to VAT, most food isn't. Books and children's clothes aren't. But if you look at a supermarket website, the prices there will all show VAT if applicable.

yankeegirl · Post by **yankeegirl** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 12:47 pm

My husband and I both live and work in Northern Ireland. You might want to sent dsab85 a message to find out about the banking. I think there are one or two others doing the same (live in NI, but work in Dublin) but i can't remember off the top of my head.

Lynette · Post by **Lynette** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 1:20 pm

Hello dsab85,
I need some help with regards to how one would work with two different currencies. If my husband worked in Dublin North and earned in Euros and I worked in say Newry and earned in GBP are we able to hold one bank account in NI were say the Euros are converted on deposit. How does this work for you and others who live and work in two separate EU countries, so to speak.
Take care
Lynette

cantaro · Post by **cantaro** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 1:37 pm

Although it is possible to transfer money from one EU country to another at the same cost as a local transfer, most employers will refuse to pay your salary to a foreign bank account. Your only practical solution will be to open two bank accounts, one in ROI, another in NI, and transfer the money yourself. If the amounts are the same every week or month, you can issue a standing order to simplify matters.

archigabe · Post by **archigabe** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:26 am

Here's another interesting fact for you to compare the costs between the two countries. I recently checked out the price of the same car between Ireland and the UK...The same car costs 6000 euros more in Ireland...ie 12,000 Euros equivalent in the UK and 18,000 euros in Ireland.

dsab85 · Post by **dsab85** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 5:30 pm

I still have Bank Account in Dublin, where my salary gets paid in.

We also opened a Bank Account in NI, to which we now transfer money from the Irish Bank Account if needed. But we haven't done that for a while as we are currently living just of my wifes wages.

Bank Transfer between EU countries is fairly easy and quick. A transfer between Dublin and NI takes somewhere between 24 and 48 hours and costs me nothing (free banking with AIB).

I don't think many companies would be able or willing (tax resons for example) to pay into foreign accounts.

Lynette · Post by **Lynette** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:22 am

Hi archigabe,
I have been reading through all the postings on some of the forums for a while now and discussed the various replies with my husband, who is the EU member in my case. We are both planning to move to the Republic next year from South Africa. He mentioned a striking point. All the couples in my postings appeared to be newly married i.e. 2 maybe 3 years. It made no difference whether the couple had been living together before getting married. I know Ireland is rather traditional ! My husband and I have been married 10 years. Do you know of any other couple who has been married longer than 5 years on this Board ? Ireland may be using this EU1 fiasco against non-EU spouses as a delaying process to see whether young marriages are genuine ! Please understand I am just trying to make some kind of comparison here â€¦ I am not saying that newly married couples are the problem. I would love to hear your comments on this and anyone elseâ€™s out there, especially those who are from other non-EU countries but have been married a long time and can prove this with old bills, rental agreements etc â€¦.
Kind regards
Lynette

Lynette · Post by **Lynette** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:39 am

Hello dsab85,
Thank you for replying. It cleared up alot of questions my end

Just one more though, what is AIB (free banking) ?
Kind regards,
Lynette

yankeegirl · Post by **yankeegirl** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 11:25 am

AIB is the name of one of the banks in Ireland. It stands for Allied Irish Banks I think.

archigabe · Post by **archigabe** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 1:02 pm

Lynette wrote:Hi archigabe,
I have been reading through all the postings on some of the forums for a while now and discussed the various replies with my husband, who is the EU member in my case. We are both planning to move to the Republic next year from South Africa. He mentioned a striking point. All the couples in my postings appeared to be newly married i.e. 2 maybe 3 years. It made no difference whether the couple had been living together before getting married. I know Ireland is rather traditional ! My husband and I have been married 10 years. Do you know of any other couple who has been married longer than 5 years on this Board ? Ireland may be using this EU1 fiasco against non-EU spouses as a delaying process to see whether young marriages are genuine ! Please understand I am just trying to make some kind of comparison here â€¦ I am not saying that newly married couples are the problem. I would love to hear your comments on this and anyone elseâ€™s out there, especially those who are from other non-EU countries but have been married a long time and can prove this with old bills, rental agreements etc â€¦.
Kind regards
Lynette

You give the Irish government too much credit...this E.U1 fiasco is not a test on young couples to see if they are in genuine marriages.

We know a couple (British&South African) who have been married 15 years with 4 kids but still denied residency because they haven't lived in another E.u Country.As expected they are absolutely livid that the Irish government classifies their marriage to be also to be one of 'convenience'.

There's another poster called 'static' who are British/S.A, and they have been married for 10 years or so with 2 kids.She managed to get a spousal work permit even though they had been denied residency, so they are in a better position now.
http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewto ... 04&start=0

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Non EEU and EU member moving to Ireland

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