Advise on posting documents to INIS

Hello everyone!

I applied for EU Treaty Rights under the EU1A form on July 23rd. All supporting documents were submited via email because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, INIS contacted me last week asking me to post hard copies of the documents. I prepared these and they turned out to be about 310 sheets of paper.

I was wondering if anyone had any advice on the best way to organize these to be posted? As a general tip I know it's not appropiate to staple anything. But does anyone have any experience on the proper way to arrange everything?

Any comments are super appreciated. Thanks!

Just put everything in an A3 or A2 envelope. If you have those post-it index stickers, you can stick one out of each document, and put the name of the document on the sticker.

Wowza 310 pages! I'm doing mine now, I might have about half that. I'm curious if you're printing off things like photos, messages, etc.?

You mentioned no staples.. FYI, in the 'EU1A Explanatory Leaflet' it states the following:

"5. Photocopied pages of multiple-page documents should be stapled together."

littlerr wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 06, 2020 4:33 pm

Just put everything in an A3 or A2 envelope. If you have those post-it index stickers, you can stick one out of each document, and put the name of the document on the sticker.

Thank you for your quick response! I hadn't thought about the post-it index but it's a great idea, I'll use it.

Sweet-Tangerine wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 07, 2020 5:47 pm

Wowza 310 pages! I'm doing mine now, I might have about half that. I'm curious if you're printing off things like photos, messages, etc.?

You mentioned no staples.. FYI, in the 'EU1A Explanatory Leaflet' it states the following:

"5. Photocopied pages of multiple-page documents should be stapled together."

This is why I knew it was a good idea to ask. Thank you so much for pointing that out! I got that "no staples" tip from a US based forum while looking for advice on posting documents. But stapling definitely will make things easier to organize.

Yes, I created a document titled "Relationship History" with a timeline with dated photos and a few social media posts. It is not required but in our case we had no other way to prove that we have been in a relationship before we started living together, and also that we were still together but doing long distance during a year. We also enclosed some letters from family members so in our relationship history document we included family events and photos to prove that we are close.

That document alone was 50 pages, might have over done it but in my experience with INIS, when someone is making a decision based on what you give them, the more you explain and leave less to imagination, the better.

The rest of the documents were not that lengthy. But for example, our bank statements together were almost 80 pages (we included both accounts to prove we transfer each other constantly and that we share living expenses), evidence of travel and utility bills were about 30 pages each. So it all added up to this big pile.

Anyway apologies for the long response, but hopefully that makes sense. Good luck

Hi Ariadnelogy, we sent in our documents recently too and included relationship information. Ours was about 30 pages and we included all of our Instagram and FB photos for the exact same reason as you, the more we send, the less questions may for them to ask and the quicker the process is.

We made a folder with one main sheet being like a 'Table of Contents' and used post its for each of the set of documents. We felt it would be easier for the reader and didn't want to make it complicated for them either.

Best of luck with your process.

ariadnelogy wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 08, 2020 2:05 pm

littlerr wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 06, 2020 4:33 pm

Just put everything in an A3 or A2 envelope. If you have those post-it index stickers, you can stick one out of each document, and put the name of the document on the sticker.

Thank you for your quick response! I hadn't thought about the post-it index but it's a great idea, I'll use it.

That’s what I did for my naturalisation application and for my fiancee’s de facto partnership application.

Btw 300 pages sound like a LOT! I think for our de facto application there were around 100 pages and I thought they are too much... around 40 ish pages were the relationship history, like Facebook events embarrassing photos, flight/hotel bookings etc.

Oh I get you, that makes sense. I asked, because I'm actually doing photos and texts but digitally - putting them on a thumb drive and mailing it with the post - as suggested by another user on here!

bloomfield wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 08, 2020 3:25 pm

Hi Ariadnelogy, we sent in our documents recently too and included relationship information. Ours was about 30 pages and we included all of our Instagram and FB photos for the exact same reason as you, the more we send, the less questions may for them to ask and the quicker the process is.

We made a folder with one main sheet being like a 'Table of Contents' and used post its for each of the set of documents. We felt it would be easier for the reader and didn't want to make it complicated for them either.

Best of luck with your process.

Hi there!

Just wanted to thank you for the idea. I ended up using the post its as littlerr suggested but also included the sort of table of contents, assigned a number to each document and the number is what I put on the post its.

I saw in another post that you just submitted your application! For some reason the process for Irish nationals seems a lot more rigorous, so it's good you went an extra mile. Best of luck to you as well

littlerr wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 08, 2020 4:44 pm

ariadnelogy wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 08, 2020 2:05 pm

littlerr wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 06, 2020 4:33 pm

Just put everything in an A3 or A2 envelope. If you have those post-it index stickers, you can stick one out of each document, and put the name of the document on the sticker.

Thank you for your quick response! I hadn't thought about the post-it index but it's a great idea, I'll use it.

That’s what I did for my naturalisation application and for my fiancee’s de facto partnership application.

Btw 300 pages sound like a LOT! I think for our de facto application there were around 100 pages and I thought they are too much... around 40 ish pages were the relationship history, like Facebook events embarrassing photos, flight/hotel bookings etc.

There's definitely too many pages and I'm so so crossing my fingers they won't just hate me for it and reject everything. To be fair I already had a bad experience with INIS for providing only the mininum info they ask for my study visa. But it's reassuring to read that other people's relationship histories were very long documents as well haha. Thanks for the help!

Sweet-Tangerine wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 10, 2020 7:09 pm

Oh I get you, that makes sense. I asked, because I'm actually doing photos and texts but digitally - putting them on a thumb drive and mailing it with the post - as suggested by another user on here!

That actually might be a very good idea, since it's not a requirement but it would be available for the official to go through that if they think it's relevant to their decision. What I'm not sure of though is if they would be allowed to put in an external drive? Just thinking from a security perspective. In any case it's worth the shot

Never thought of that! Although the user who said they did this had no problems and got their application accepted. I guess I'll see what happens. Also, don't forget.. it specifically states to staple the pages of the application together, not just the documents. With the 'annexes' stapled at the back of the application!

Sweet-Tangerine wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 11, 2020 7:36 am

Hm ya who knows. The user who said they did this got their application accepted, though. I'll see what happens. Also don't forget.. it specifically states to staple the pages of the application together, not just the documents. With the 'annexes' stapled at the back of the application!

Where or which user posted this about the USB stick?? I have searched your posts and cannot find a reference to this specific point from anyone.

Actually she used a CD, but it's the same idea. I think CD's are mostly not in use any more, so I'm using a thumb-drive. You want to see the exact post?

"Hey!!! i applied for that visa last year and was successful, I sent a cd with folders separating year by year (ex:2012-2013, etc.) with pictures, stamps in Passports, screen shots of messages in facebook and pictures posted that show the dates we posted them, if you have bills that show the same address also Works and in general everything you think is relevant to prove that you have been together for a long time.

We didn’t send any joint bank account details as we don’t have one, or any property that belong to both of us.

My boyfriends also wrote a letter telling the story of our relationship and I did the same. That’s all we sent all was good."