Living temporarily separately (when in 5 year family permit)

[E-P]

Hey all and thank you already in advance for all the advices!


I am an EU citizen married with a woman from non-EU country. My wife has been in the UK now for 2.5 years, we have lived together etc. but recently we have come to an awkward situation.

I got a job from a city 2 hours drive away from where we lived together where as my wife got a place to study a masters degree in the city where we had a flat together. We still rented an accomodation together until recently when she moved to a shared house (we got a guarantee that she got her place to study so she moved to a cheaper accommodation) and I moved to a shared house in the other city where I got my job. Obviously we are still in a happy loving relationship and see in the weekends and holidays but we are not officially living together anymore, which I believe is not strictly speaking allowed under the family permit. However, there is an obious reason for it, her studies restricted her to move into the same city where I got my job. When she has finished her studies then we are going to move back together.

How should we manage this situation? We don't want to find ourselves in a place where we are told that the rules of the family permit has been neglected and her family permit is taken away or something.

I thought to ask advice here before making any further contacts. I would imagine that UK Border agency understands this type of situations. We have all the appropriate documents (my contract and her acceptance to the university) and bank statements to show that I am maintaining her.


Thank you for all the advices and help! I hope the explanation makes sense.

[too old]

Yes indeed your reply makes sense and according to me i hope i am not misguiding you its ok to do so or specifically your situation as it does allow you to liver away in case of pregnancy or studies issues etc. i hope rest of the folks will shed some more light on it.

[Obie]

You should be alright. Provided of course, your marriage is not one of convenience.

Also see PM (EEA – spouse –“residing with”) Turkey [2011] UKUT 89 (IAC)