Non-Eu spouse+EU spouse want to reside & work in UK few

[Jolly]

Hello everyone

I am a non-EU national (would require a visa to visit the UK); my spouse is an EU, but not British, national. I have looked through much of the message board but would still like your advice on:

1. how to go about moving to the UK for a few years (we currently live in my home country) and getting residence and work permits?

2. Am I correct that the EU national can live and work in the UK without permit? And what do I need to live and work there? Based on research it seems we would need for me something called the EEA family permit, but I'm not yet all clear on how to get that (only when landed in UK, or in my own High Commission?) and what rights (re work and residence) it allows.

I have never visited the UK except in transit to Europe.

Very grateful for your advice.

[JAJ]

Hello everyone

I am a non-EU national (would require a visa to visit the UK); my spouse is an EU, but not British, national. I have looked through much of the message board but would still like your advice on:

1. how to go about moving to the UK for a few years (we currently live in my home country) and getting residence and work permits?

2. Am I correct that the EU national can live and work in the UK without permit? And what do I need to live and work there? Based on research it seems we would need for me something called the EEA family permit, but I'm not yet all clear on how to get that (only when landed in UK, or in my own High Commission?) and what rights (re work and residence) it allows.

I have never visited the UK except in transit to Europe.

Very grateful for your advice.

You need an EEA Family Permit in your passport before you can leave for the UK. http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk is the place to start.

Your partner does not need a visa. Out of interest, what EU nation is he from? And what's your nationality?

[Jolly]

Hello JAJ

Thanks for the reply. I neglected to state that I am from Guyana (a Commonwealth country) and my husband is German. He had been resident in Germany until four years ago. With your advice and what else I've got from this forum, we'll now proceed to our British High Comm here. I very much prefer to be informed about the various issues before I go there. This forum is very good - I've learned a lot from it on general issues, so thanks again.

[JAJ]

Hello JAJ
Thanks for the reply. I neglected to state that I am from Guyana (a Commonwealth country) and my husband is German.

A few other things you may need to know:

- you and your husband will both be eligible for permanent resident status (ILR) in the UK after 5 years.

- 1 year after getting ILR, you'll both be eligible to apply for British citizenship.

- Your husband could preserve his German citizenship upon becoming British by applying for permission in advance from the German authorities. As for you, I don't know what Guyana law says about dual citizenship, but maybe you'd want to become British anyway?

- As a Commonwealth citizen you have full voting rights once you are settled in the UK. So don't forget to register. Your husband will be able to vote in local and European elections only (until he becomes British).

- Do you plan to have children born in the UK?

[Jolly]

Thanks very much for this extra information. It's very helpful. At present I don't think we plan to settle there permanently (meaning for the rest of our lives) but it may well work out to several years. This means yes, according to our plans likely at least one child (that would be our first) could be born there. Guyana does allow dual citizenship, and also thanks for the tip about applying for permission for dual citizenship from Germany, as my husband (although he didn't yet find out for sure) had the idea that duality is likely to be disallowed.

[JAJ]

Thanks very much for this extra information. It's very helpful. At present I don't think we plan to settle there permanently (meaning for the rest of our lives) but it may well work out to several years.

If you plan to spend a substantial amount of time in the UK, then you may want to plan to get British citizenship.

This means yes, according to our plans likely at least one child (that would be our first) could be born there.

You need to know that the child won't automatically be British unless you have first obtain permanent residence (which you get after 5 years).

However, if you get permanent residence after the child is born, it can be immediately registered as a British citizen. No need to wait for parents to become citizens.

This child would also probably be a German citizen at birth.