Advice on sending EEA3+4 together

[andrej]

EEA Polish citizen with blue card Registration Certificate and non-EEA spouse with 5 year residency. Five year residency achieved AFTER blue card registration certificate granted. (Is there still need to provide WRS cards from before the blue card?)

We want to send our EEA3+4 applications together in July but it clearly states that applications should be sent to the same address with only difference being EEA3 or EEA4.

What I want to know is can we send both applications together in one envelope with the evidence, without separating them into EEA3 and EEA4 to one address... either EEA4 or EEA3 department and will they (HO) process them at the same time?

The same evidence is used to support both application and it is more important for the non-EU person to get PR than the EU citizen.

Dose it make any difference?

Also the new forms are asking for dates and days of absences from the UK.

We can only remember the holidays when we both travelled together outside EU because then the passports were stamped... but when the EU citizen was travelling alone through the EU there are no stamps or evidence of travell...

So HOW are we supposed to remember exact days (as the HO is asking) for all our holidays or absences if there is no inidcation of stamps in the EU passport? Can it be given as a rough estimate?

Does the absence really matter if it was WAY bellow the 6 months a year allowance?

Thanks

[Jambo]

It is OK to send the applications together in the same envelope. Just write EEA3/EEA4 on the envelope. They will process them together.

With regards to the absence dates, try to be as accurate as you can. I appreciate it is tricky to remember all the travel in five years. I'm also not convinced the HO can truly verify it (at least with regards to the EU national). However, it is also a good exercise if you plan to apply for naturalisation at a later stage (as you also require to list your absence in the five years before the application).

[boloney]

It is OK to send the applications together in the same envelope. Just write EEA3/EEA4 on the envelope. They will process them together.

With regards to the absence dates, try to be as accurate as you can. I appreciate it is tricky to remember all the travel in five years. I'm also not convinced the HO can truly verify it (at least with regards to the EU national). However, it is also a good exercise if you plan to apply for naturalisation at a later stage (as you also require to list your absence in the five years before the application).

check e-mail address, maybe you have all confirmations of the tickets you bought.

[fysicus]

As you know already, temporary absences up to six months per year do not affect the continuity of residence. It doesn't matter if it is for work or holiday. Under normal circumstances you don't even come close to this limit, so I wouldn't worry to much about it. Report at least the trips that are obvious (by stamps in your passport) plus the ones for which you can still retrieve the evidence, and leave the burden of proof to UKBA.

To me it looks like a deliberate attempt of intimidating applicants...

[andrej]

Report at least the trips that are obvious (by stamps in your passport) plus the ones for which you can still retrieve the evidence, and leave the burden of proof to UKBA.

Thank you. I don't think its their business where the EU citizen has been and for how long as long as they have employment history. They themselves do not stamp or mark EU passports, let alone ask any questions so what kind of control are they trying to be pretending to exert now?

To me it looks like a deliberate attempt of intimidating applicants...

I am not sure about previous applications but the new ones "June 2011" surely look thicker and longer... especially for the EU applicant (25 pages). Intimidation never works if individuals are utterly commited... LOL

[andrej]

It is OK to send the applications together in the same envelope. Just write EEA3/EEA4 on the envelope. They will process them together.

Thanks, I thought so.

I'm also not convinced the HO can truly verify it (at least with regards to the EU national).

Exactly my point, they keep no control over EU person's travel but then pretend that they need accurate information - even though they can see no break in employment history. I wish the employer would pay for up to 6 months holiday a year. I would certanly use it all up.

[andrej]

check e-mail address, maybe you have all confirmations of the tickets you bought.

Good idea but a lot of work. Maybe it is easier not to mention EU citizen travel within EU for up to 10 days maximum a year than lose time digging all that info. Then again maybe they have their own border log when they scan passports at the control? Then again, mind you, sometimes they NEVER check EU passports but simply wave the people through! Talk about ONE POLICY for all.