Applying for EEA2 when EEA1 is still in process
Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2014 10:01 pm
Hi guys
I am an Irish citizen working in the UK. I renounced British citizenship in April 2014 and have held an Irish passport since I was 16 years old. I started my job on the 8th of August 2014 after entering the UK on July 8th 2014. I applied for an EEA1 residence certificate on August 20th. I enclosed all the information that is required for an EEA1 application, e.g. proof of my employment, proof of residence in the UK and my Irish passport. The application was received by the Home Office on August 21st and an application receipt letter (dated 22nd August) was received to my address on August 28th. Payment was taken on August 28th (by cheque). My passport was returned at the start of September at my request. I called the Home Office to enquire on Monday 22nd September and was told that my application had last been looked at on Monday 15th September.
According to the European Regulations on free movement, this residence certificate should be issued 'immediately' and the Home Office website states that the processing time for postal application is about 20 working days. I called the EEA call centre yesterday and was told that it would take up to 6 months (the CSA obviously didn't know what he was talking about).
I don't know if this delay is something to do with the fact that I renounced British citizenship and they are now looking at this kind of application in more detail, but as EEA1 is, effectively, useless for me, I'm not too worried about it.
My civil partner will being returning to China next April for a 2 week and I hope that he will have EEA2 all sorted out before that. Therefore, my question is: will it be possible to have him apply for his EEA2 now whilst my EEA1 is still in process? I have proof of my employment (copies of electronic pay-slips, which can be linked to bank statements and a letter from my employer, dated August 2014), as well as proof of my partner's residence in the UK, his Chinese passport and my Irish passport.
Any ideas about this kind of situation? Should we go ahead and apply? Or get a solicitor involved? Or just wait?
Cheers
CC
I am an Irish citizen working in the UK. I renounced British citizenship in April 2014 and have held an Irish passport since I was 16 years old. I started my job on the 8th of August 2014 after entering the UK on July 8th 2014. I applied for an EEA1 residence certificate on August 20th. I enclosed all the information that is required for an EEA1 application, e.g. proof of my employment, proof of residence in the UK and my Irish passport. The application was received by the Home Office on August 21st and an application receipt letter (dated 22nd August) was received to my address on August 28th. Payment was taken on August 28th (by cheque). My passport was returned at the start of September at my request. I called the Home Office to enquire on Monday 22nd September and was told that my application had last been looked at on Monday 15th September.
According to the European Regulations on free movement, this residence certificate should be issued 'immediately' and the Home Office website states that the processing time for postal application is about 20 working days. I called the EEA call centre yesterday and was told that it would take up to 6 months (the CSA obviously didn't know what he was talking about).
I don't know if this delay is something to do with the fact that I renounced British citizenship and they are now looking at this kind of application in more detail, but as EEA1 is, effectively, useless for me, I'm not too worried about it.
My civil partner will being returning to China next April for a 2 week and I hope that he will have EEA2 all sorted out before that. Therefore, my question is: will it be possible to have him apply for his EEA2 now whilst my EEA1 is still in process? I have proof of my employment (copies of electronic pay-slips, which can be linked to bank statements and a letter from my employer, dated August 2014), as well as proof of my partner's residence in the UK, his Chinese passport and my Irish passport.
Any ideas about this kind of situation? Should we go ahead and apply? Or get a solicitor involved? Or just wait?
Cheers
CC