Calculating 5 year period prioir ILR application

[elocin]

Hi guys,

I am hoping you will be able to help me here as I am getting a lot of conflicting information.

I am an unmarried, non EU partner to an EEA national. We have been in a long term relationship akin to marriage for 8 years.

I have been granted and lived in the UK on two UK entry clearance visa's as a family member to my partner. The validity period of these particular entry clearances are 6 months each. The first one dates 03/08/10 and the second one dates 22/02/11, after this one I then applied for a resident card, which I received with a validity from 21 September 2011 to 21 September 2016.

Do I start calculating my term of stay from the first entry clearance (03/08/10) or will the case worker just look at the resident card and that will decide my 5 year period, meaning I will only be able to apply in 2016?

Me - South African
Partner - Belgian exercising his treaty rights since 2009

I have contacted the UKBA and they have given me two opposing answers, so I am now uncertain when I will be able to submit an application for ILR?

Could you please be so kind as to advise me?

[Obie]

your queries appears to have been answered here.

Please desist from opening multiple posts.