Jap.wife joining Italian husband in the UK, which documents?

Hi everyone,

After months of searching what's better to do for my situation I finally decided to write in this forum so maybe I can get the answers I need

I'm Italian and I've been living and working in the UK for one year. My fiancee is Japanese and we will get married in Italy this year in October.
After the marriage we will come to live in the UK. I will continue to work, but we won't need a work permit for her as she won't work in the UK.

We seem to have understood what kind of papers we need to prepare for the marriage, but we're having problems in understanding what's the best way for my girlfriend to come and live in the UK once we get married.

We're not looking for a fiancee visa as before the marriage she is coming to England as a tourist, but after we get married she will need a visa for sure. Also, I think I've understood that she will be able to stay in the UK up to 2 years and then she will have to renew the stay permit.

Can anyone please explain to us what kind of papers we have to prepare? My girlfriend told me I also have to fill in a EEA1 form, but as a EU citizen I didn't think I needed to fill in any application.

Hope you can understand this situation and help us out, thank you very much!

paokun wrote:Hi everyone,

After months of searching what's better to do for my situation I finally decided to write in this forum so maybe I can get the answers I need

I'm Italian and I've been living and working in the UK for one year. My fiancee is Japanese and we will get married in Italy this year in October.
After the marriage we will come to live in the UK. I will continue to work, but we won't need a work permit for her as she won't work in the UK.

We seem to have understood what kind of papers we need to prepare for the marriage, but we're having problems in understanding what's the best way for my girlfriend to come and live in the UK once we get married.

We're not looking for a fiancee visa as before the marriage she is coming to England as a tourist, but after we get married she will need a visa for sure. Also, I think I've understood that she will be able to stay in the UK up to 2 years and then she will have to renew the stay permit.

Can anyone please explain to us what kind of papers we have to prepare? My girlfriend told me I also have to fill in a EEA1 form, but as a EU citizen I didn't think I needed to fill in any application.

Hope you can understand this situation and help us out, thank you very much!

your wife need to make EEAFP application form.
Family members who are not EEA or Swiss nationals
If your family members are not EEA or Swiss nationals and are coming to live with you permanently or on a long term basis they will need to apply for an EEA family permit before coming to the United Kingdom. The EEA family permit is similar to a visa and is issued by UKvisas. Your family members should make an application for an EEA family permit at their nearest British diplomatic post.

Employment
You and your family members can:

accept offers of work;
work (whether as an employee or in self-employment);
set up a business;
manage a company;
set up a local branch of a company.
You will not need to apply for a work permit. You should not be discriminated against by your employer because of your nationality in terms of conditions of employment, pay or working conditions.

As EEA National:
A registration certificate is a document issued to EEA nationals that confirms that person's right of residence under European law. You are not required to have a registration certificate to enter, live or work in the United Kingdom.

Hi, thanks for the quick reply.

So once we get married my girlfriend should apply for a EEAFP, but she's read somewhere that in order to apply for that, I should complete a EEA1 form. I don't know if this is correct or not, but if I have to then it's better for me to fill that in as soon as possible.

You don't need to apply for EEA1, if you don't want to. That will have no effect on your wifes EEA2 application.

But it seems that the EEA2 applications are dealt with quicker if you send in the EEA and EEA2 applications together (my own experience).

I see, thanks for your reply too! I'll fill in the EEA1 too, just to have everything dealt asap

The currect application form is now the VAF5 ... click here to download. Also read the Guidance Notes.

After the marriage has happened in Italy, the application should be made at the British Embassy in Rome.

John wrote:The currect application form is now the VAF5 ... click here to download. Also read the Guidance Notes.

After the marriage has happened in Italy, the application should be made at the British Embassy in Rome.

Thanks for the reply, hmm you mean that the previous replies were wrong? I thought we just had to deal with EEAs, now VAF came out..if it's not too much trouble could you explain what I have to fill in and what documents should be prepared by my fiancee? Thanks

Once you are married, your partner applies for the EEA family permit at the British embassy in Italy, using form VAF5. This is her entry clearance for the UK and it is valid for 6 months.

Once in the UK, she can make an application for the 5 year residence card as a family member of an EEA national using form EEA2. At that time, if you choose, you can also make an application for the registration certificate using form EEA1. It is optional for you to make the EEA1 application, but it seems that they process the EEA2 applications (which can take 6 months to process) more quickly if the EU spouse submits the EEA1 application at the same time.

yankeegirl wrote:Once you are married, your partner applies for the EEA family permit at the British embassy in Italy, using form VAF5. This is her entry clearance for the UK and it is valid for 6 months.

Once in the UK, she can make an application for the 5 year residence card as a family member of an EEA national using form EEA2. At that time, if you choose, you can also make an application for the registration certificate using form EEA1. It is optional for you to make the EEA1 application, but it seems that they process the EEA2 applications (which can take 6 months to process) more quickly if the EU spouse submits the EEA1 application at the same time.

Thanks yankeegirl!
Things are starting to get clearer