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Hello!

I will be traveling to the UK in two weeks on an EEA Family Permit and have a few interviews lined up already. I am worried that companies won't accept my EEA Family Permit as work authorization and I am looking for the fastest way to obtain an official work permit besides that. Should I apply for an EEA Residence Card and hope that the COA comes with right to work (I am unmarried partner to an EU student) or should I apply for pre-settled status? Anyone know what the approximate timeline for both options are?

Thanks!

Also, does the COA for pre-settled status come with right to work like the one for an EEA Residence Card does?

Anyone able to help with this?

maplesnow wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 04, 2019 3:06 am

I will be traveling to the UK in two weeks on an EEA Family Permit and have a few interviews lined up already.

Well done! Good luck.

I am worried that companies won't accept my EEA Family Permit as work authorization and I am looking for the fastest way to obtain an official work permit besides that.

I believe it can go either way.

Personally, I have found that most companies tend to trust you. If you say you have the right to work, then chances are they'll go ahead with the interview, and the job offer, before you even show them your passport, residence card, or work permit. Some never ask to see your documents after that. Some ask you to bring your documents on your first day of work. Some ask you to voluntarily self-report and bring your documents at random times if you are not an EU national. I'm talking reputable multinational companies.

But some other members of this forum report different experiences, so you might get a mix.

It is my understanding that an EEA Family permit legally allows you to work, but since for some reason it's not listed on the list of official documentation sanctioned by the Home Office, some companies seem to be skeptical, so seems like it depends on what kind of company you stumble across and that's a matter of luck.

Should I apply for an EEA Residence Card and hope that the COA comes with right to work (I am unmarried partner to an EU student)

You cannot apply for a Residence Card from outside the UK. You can -and should- apply as soon as you are living in the UK. It is my understanding that you could get a CoA with the right to work if you previously had a EEA Family Permit, even if unmarried.

or should I apply for pre-settled status?

You can also apply for Pre-Settled Status. You have to apply for pre-settled status in any case before December 2020, if you want to stay in the UK after June 2021 (if Brexit happens at all).

Anyone know what the approximate timeline for both options are?

Latest timelines for both are here and here.