COA info

Hi

I am getting married to my partner next week and was going to send my EEA 2 application then

I heard that it doesnt matter how long you were married but I understand the home office might think its suspicious but I have been with my partner for 2 years now so I have no problem proving the relationship

I am currently under a tier 1 visa till July next year and the reaason why I am applying now rather than later is because I am currently seeking a new role and I am finding it very difficult to find a job when employers think my visa will run out in 6-7 months

My question is, what does the COA say exactly and will it suffice to tell teh employers I am eligiable to work without a permit once I am married?

if the COA is only valid for 6 months then wont I be in the same situation I am in now even if i get it by January?

Hi

I am in a similar situation. My tier 1 visa expired on Oct 10, and I applied for a EEA2 on Oct 5. In reflection, I wished I could have applied for it months earlier because it was a barrier with one potential employer.

If you apply for a EEA2, your Tier 1 visa will be valid, even if expired, until you get an EEA2 response from immigration. There isn't a deadline on the COA. Depending on your situation, your COA will state whether you can work or not. I assume your COA will state that you can work.

JESSIES wrote:Hi

I am in a similar situation. My tier 1 visa expired on Oct 10, and I applied for a EEA2 on Oct 5. In reflection, I wished I could have applied for it months earlier because it was a barrier with one potential employer.

If you apply for a EEA2, your Tier 1 visa will be valid, even if expired, until you get an EEA2 response from immigration. There isn't a deadline on the COA. Depending on your situation, your COA will state whether you can work or not. I assume your COA will state that you can work.

Sorry to hear that, I am worried of that exact situation

do you know how long the COA says I am entitled to work for?

When I applied for the EEA2, I was offered 2 times on the same day, one full time, the other is a maternity cover.

I was 'offered' the full time job, but in the end their HR department would not sign off on it because the COA was not enough. The COA does not garantee that you will get your visa, its just an acknowledgement that you have applied. They said that 'no reputable company in the UK would accept someone based on a COA, because they could get in trouble if my EEA2 was declined and I did not tell them. They said my only option to work with a reputable firm was to go for a contract role. Lucky, my second job offer on the same day was a contract role (also with a very reputable firm).

Nonetheless, i do believe its possible to get a good job with a reputable firm with COA - but you need alot of perseverance!!!

your rights to work on your COA is until you get your response from Immigration

JESSIES wrote:your rights to work on your COA is until you get your response from Immigration

Is that what the COA will state?

I am not sure if everyone has the same statement, but mine says I can work, however, after 6 months from my application date, the employer should ask for proof of my RC as evidence of my eligibility to work.

I would assume that people in different situations would have different work rights on the their COA letter?

however, my solicitor told me that, hypothetically, the Visa took more than 6 months to process, then my expired tier 1 would still be valid so I would still legally be able to work until I get a response from immigration

Note: I got my solicitor to write a support letter, to support my COA letter. I find that my solicitors letter was more 'powerful' in convincing employers of my work status than the COA letter.

JESSIES wrote:I am not sure if everyone has the same statement, but mine says I can work, however, after 6 months from my application date, the employer should ask for proof of my RC as evidence of my eligibility to work.

I would assume that people in different situations would have different work rights on the their COA letter?

I see so technically the employers can not give you a years contract due tot he visa only a temp contract right till the 6 month are up?

Or the coa says I am allowed to work indefinitely but the employers need to ask for RC after 6 months?

the lenght of the contract is up to the employer to decide. I am on a 9 month contract, because I was able to convince my employer that I will definately get my EEA2 (I used my solicitor's letter as back up support)

the letter says that your employer should ask to see your RC after 6 months, but that's up to them. I doubt my employer will ask to me my RC though. They would have probably forgotten by then.

I hope I get my EEA2 soon because I need to travel for work in the first half of next year :(

my solicitors letter said that though she could not determine what Immigration's decision would be, she saw no reasons why I would not get the EEA2 visa. She then stated the legal reasonings of why I qualify.

JESSIES wrote:my solicitors letter said that though she could not determine what Immigration's decision would be, she saw no reasons why I would not get the EEA2 visa. She then stated the legal reasonings of why I qualify.

I hope your right I dont have any solicitor to go through but I guess I can get my future employers to call the home office hot line

Thanks for your help