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EEA national wife PR card first or Naturalisation?

Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 12:52 pm
by dbdb
Hi All,
I would like to apply for Naturalisation and I need your advice on how to best progress this. I am an EEA national and have been in the UK since 2006. The requirement that I think I may have a problem with is Exercising the Treaty rights over the last 5 years as I was at University for four years and did not have the Comprehensive Insurance during that time. However, my husband (also EEA national) became a British Citizen recently and I am trying to find out if I can apply as a wife.
From the research that I did on the forum I believe there are different ways that I can use to apply:

1) Apply for the PR status card first as a EEA family member and then apply for British Citizenship
Some additional questions regarding this option:
- Did I have to be married to my husband for 5 years that he has been exercising his treaty rights? We have been together over that time but got married in 2012.
- Once I get the PR card I believe I don’t have to wait 12 months before I can apply for British Citizenship? Can you please confirm?
2) Apply for BC immediately and complete my husband’s details in section 2.4/2.5 regarding Exercising Treaty Rights as I automatically have the permanent residency status through being a family member of EEA national?
- Again did I have to be a wife for the period of 5 years?

If the two options are possible (?), I wonder if option one would be a bit quicker?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Kind regards
dbdb

Re: EEA national wife PR card first or Naturalisation?

Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 2:05 pm
by milan69
If applying as a spouse of BC you need to have ILR/PR.
Q5: I'm a EEA national/family member of EEA national. When can I apply for naturalisation?

Under EEA regulations, Permanent Residence status is obtained automatically after 5 years of exercising treaty rights. You need to hold PR status for 1 year to be eligible for naturalisation (unless you are married to a BC) so effectively you can apply after 6 years of residence in the UK. Having a PR Confirmation (following EEA3/EEA4 application) is optional and is not required in order to apply for naturalisation.