Unmarried Partner EEA Family Permit Application Refused

[buttercup81]

I lodged my application at VFS Global Bahrain branch on 20 January 2013. Yesterday, 29 January I received an SMS saying my passport is ready for collection. Today 30 January, I received my passport with a refusal letter and here's what is says:

You have applied for an EEA Family Permit as a person who in durable relationship with an EEA national. Your application has been considered in accordance with Regulation 8(5) of the Immigration (EEA) Regulations 2006 but you have not provided satisfactory evidence to prove that you are in a durable relationship

You state that you met your partner in Dubai and you began a relationship with him on 20 May 2010. You have provided a letter dated 15 January from your partner which states that you moved together to Bahrain to work for ************ for two years. As evidence of this, you have provided photographs, email exchanges, a letter from the bank which states you have held a joint account with them since 05 January 2011. However this document does not demonstrate that you have been living together as claimed. You have not provided any other evidence to show you have been residing together in Bahrain. Given this, I am not satisfied that you are in a durable relationship with an EEA National.


My partner and I lived in Bahrain together for 2 years. Our relationship started in Dubai back in may 2010 where we worked at the same company. On 09 December of 2010 he moved to Bahrain to accept a new job and I joined him on 07th January 2011. Again, both of us worked for the same company in Bahrain. In total, we have been together since the last 2 years and 9 months.

We lived together inside the company accommodation although we are not married. All our bills and apartment rental were paid for by the company so we do not have a tenancy agreement under our names. Although the company know that we are living together without being married, we cannot get a letter from them to certify because it is against the Islamic law.

Since he came here first in Bahrain, he opened his savings account on 05th January 2011. We decided to join our account later 2011 only. But of course since he is the principal holder where my account is joined the certificate states 05th January.

Here are the documents we have provided:

Invitation letter from my partner
Birth certificates
Passport of my partner stamped by the Dutch Embassy in Bahrain
My partner's employment contract in UK
Email exchanges between me and my partner which started 09 December
Email exchanges between me and my partner's parents
Skype history
Joint account statements and certificate (both statements reflect the same home address)
Travel Tickets
Credit card statements
Pictures (me with his family and him with my family)


I dont know what else they want. I am so disappointed and heart broken because the amount of time we spent to gather all the documents just went to waste. I dont know how else we can prove that we have been together for almost 3 years already.

I have a feeling that they refused me because of the joint account letter from the bank where it says the account was opened 05 January 2011 and I only came to join him 07th January.

We hope you can help us. Thank you in advance.

[Obie]

The decision seem unjustified, you should appeal.

[buttercup81]

The decision seem unjustified, you should appeal.

Hi Obie, I dont know how to prove that we live together in the same house other than our bank statements reflecting the same address. Our national ID card reflects our address but I didnt include it in the application. Do you think it will help? Its a national ID provided by the government and is a legal document.

I doubt that the company will issue me anything to prove our residency together here in Bahrain as it is not allowed for unmarried partners to be together in the same house. For us, although the company knew we are living together, it was unofficial.

[Obie]

The fact that Bahrain Law forbids unmarried partners from living together is a very weighty factor that will be taken into account when you lodge an appeal, or on consideration by an ECM.

[buttercup81]

The fact that Bahrain Law forbids unmarried partners from living together is a very weighty factor that will be taken into account when you lodge an appeal, or on consideration by an ECM.

Hi Obie,

I spoke to our HR and they told me that they will give me a certification if it will help with my application. I am thinking of lodging a new application from the Philippines when I go home for vacation in March or April. Do you think this is possible?

[Directive/2004/38/EC]

Do not waste your vacation time applying from the Philippines. The result will likely be no different than if you reapplied where you work, and they may take too long to process the application.

Have you gone on vacation or travelled together? Do you have records or any evidence of that?

Have you bought things together? Do you have records or any evidence of that?

Why have you been using Skype to communicate when you live together?

Can you provide letters from friends confirming that you have been living together since X?

Providing copies of your ID cards and anything else which shows your address is a great idea. Drivers licences? Swim club membership?

Does anyone else live in the house?

[buttercup81]

Dear Guru,

I am sorry it took me a while to respond to your questions. The whole refusal thing really exhausted me so I thought I'd need a break from all the immigration drama. I took a few weeks to clear my head and now I'm back to answer your questions.

We have traveled together to the Philippines and Thailand last May 2012, we also went to Oman twice in 2010

We bought each other gifts for Valentines Day and Birthdays online just recently which reflects both our names and address.

We only used skype at the time he went back to Holland for his annual vacation and when he went on emergency leave to Holland when his grandmother died. We are not used to not talking or seeing each other everyday so even if he only went away for a few days, we skype everyday

Our HR director provided me two separate letters (for me and my partner) confirming our address and our employment with the company. His parents also wrote a letter for us and what they know about lour relationship. I will ask my friends to write me a letter too if it will help

His driver's license is attached to his national ID card but the address in his driving license is the company address

Our internet provided agreed to issue us a billing statement from the last 2 years (I was jumping for joy when they confirmed it) under our names since I continued the subscription after my bf left in November

Nobody else lives in the house, it was only me and my partner as the accommodation is for "family" or "couples" only.

Lastly, we were able to secure a tenancy agreement under both our names for the apartment that we are going to rent in the UK. I hope this proves that we really want to live together.

Do you think I have a chance if I lodge my application for the second time?

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

If you don't try, you won't know. I would reapply with stronger evidence of durable relationship as you plan.