Unmarried partner, EFM COA question

[lguimaraes]

[quote="kamoe"][/quote]

Hii Kamoe, congratulations for yor RC!! I wish you a lot of happiness from now, new life!

My case is very similar, I applied end of August (EEA-EFM form), and haven't heard anything yet form HO.
I've been with my partner for over 6 years, we sent bills, letters, photos, list of flights together, old e-tickets, prints from whatsapp, joint health insurance and many other docs. We just didn't have joint accounts and I also didn't send any support letter from friends, (the UK office does not require it) but when I applied in Ireland I had to provide 2 support letters from friends. BTW I had previous residence card of a extended family member in Ireland.
Well today is completing 6 months the HO received out application, they never asked for any other document, interview or came to our house. I still anxious it is such long time waiting...

Did you get COA with the right to work? my the Certificate of Application which came together with the biometrics request said as unmarried partner it does not give the right to COA, if you want I can send you by email my letter so you can have a look on this.

Follow my timeline
Sent/received: 14.08.15 / 17.08.15
Bio received/enrolled: 25.08.15

I requested the passport back on the 15.12.15 to travel to Brazil, despite brazilians are no required to have visa to enter in UK, I will return with my irish residence card next week.

Thank you

[kamoe]

Hii Kamoe, congratulations for yor RC!! I wish you a lot of happiness from now, new life!

Thanks!

My case is very similar, I applied end of August (EEA-EFM form), and haven't heard anything yet form HO.
I've been with my partner for over 6 years, we sent bills, letters, photos, list of flights together, old e-tickets, prints from whatsapp, joint health insurance and many other docs. We just didn't have joint accounts and I also didn't send any support letter from friends, (the UK office does not require it) but when I applied in Ireland I had to provide 2 support letters from friends.

Well that's the thing: for unmarried partners they say it's up to you to decide what documents to provide. I worked out that asking people to vouch for us + sending pictures was the best way to prove we are in a relationship, besides the fact that we have been sharing a house for 2+ years (which friends can do).

BTW I had previous residence card of a extended family member in Ireland.

If you sent that then you should be fine, that is pretty strong evidence.

Well today is completing 6 months the HO received out application, they never asked for any other document, interview or came to our house. I still anxious it is such long time waiting...

That's annoying, but I do not think you will wait for long now. I have no experience in this, but I believe you could start pestering them in different ways, as they HAVE to provide an answer within 6 months. There are plenty of posts about this in this forum.

Did you get COA with the right to work?

No, I got CoA with NO right to work, which was annoying.

I requested the passport back on the 15.12.15 to travel to Brazil, despite brazilians are no required to have visa to enter in UK, I will return with my irish residence card next week.

OK, when you say Ireland you mean the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland? I would say just enter on the strength of your Brazilian passport. I don't think an Irish (as in Republic of) residence card will grant you entry to the UK... What is your current status in the UK?

[noajthan]

Moved this question to its own topic to avoid jumbling & confusion with other member's post.

[lguimaraes]

I requested the passport back on the 15.12.15 to travel to Brazil, despite brazilians are no required to have visa to enter in UK, I will return with my irish residence card next week.

OK, when you say Ireland you mean the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland? I would say just enter on the strength of your Brazilian passport. I don't think an Irish (as in Republic of) residence card will grant you entry to the UK... What is your current status in the UK?

I have a residence card from the Republic of Ireland as an extended family member of an EU citizen (german)

From 6 April 2015, EEA Family Permits will no longer be required in circumstances where a valid residence card issued under Article 10 of the Directive is held by a non-EEA national accompanying or joining an EEA national exercising free movement rights in the United Kingdom.
In Case C-202/13 McCarthy the CJEU ruled last December that “Member States are, in principle, required to recognise a residence card issued under Article 10 of Directive 2004/38, for the purposes of entry into their territory without a visa”.
Non-EEA nationals who hold a valid, genuine residence card issued under Article 10 may present this document as evidence that they are exempt from the requirement to hold an EEA family permit in order to accompany their EEA national family member to the UK, or to join them.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... dence-card

Well, I will come back next week to UK and will try to call them to know about!!

[kamoe]

Yes, after I posted my previous reply I have seen other people's posts where they describe your same situation, being holders of Article 10 cards.

Now, be really careful, as it looks like the article 10 card alone does not guarantee you entry to the UK. It does seem like besides presenting your card, you need to demonstrate that you are the family member of your partner, which for unmarried partners becomes a little bit tricky:

3. Evidence you need to bring in addition to your residence card

In order to be admitted to the UK, we would expect to see the following in addition to your valid residence card:

your valid passport
evidence that you are the family member of an EEA national (for example, your marriage certificate or birth certificate)

I think, they might be nice and let you in with just your card, or they might be difficult and give you a hard time.

Is your partner traveling with you? And, on arrivals, will you have enough proof with you to show that you have been partners for 6 years? (bills, letters, pictures). Or proof that your partner is in the UK exercising treaty rights (payslips, letter from employer, university, etc.). Do note that they can pretty much ask you for the same documentation you sent in with your application for your RC.

I was pretty much in the same situation this January, when we travelled to Colombia (my country) and still had not received my RC, and only had a CoA, and being an unmarried partner I realised I might have fallen trough a crack. In the end I decided that the best thing to do was to apply for a UK Family Permit in Colombia (done in 3-4 days). I had about just the time to do it, so I did it. See all story here: http://www.immigrationboards.com/eea-ro ... l#p1306272

In my situation, it basically came down to choosing who I wanted to present the evidence of our partnership & eligibility (bills, letters, pictures, evidence of my partner exercising treaty rights) yet again, either:
a) to the UK consular section in Colombia on application for a Family Permit
b) to the immigration official on arrivals at Heathrow.

I preferred to have it all dealt with before I travelled.

Your situation seems easier as your are Brazilian and might be admitted on the strength of your passport, but do take into account point No. 3. above.

Do keep us posted. Hope it all goes well for you.

[lguimaraes]

kamoe

Hi so I won't fly direct to UK, I will fly to Ireland where I have my residence card and meet there my partner, we will spend 3 days to see some friends, collect some stuff. From Dublin we fly back to UK. Travelling with my partner is safer of course, but from Ireland to UK there is not immigration, so it won't be a problem. I flew more than 10 times between Ireland and UK without go through immigration. But I agree, flying direct from Brazil to UK could be a problem. I carry always our documentation to avoid any problem. And I will bring the article 10 printed.

I went once from Spain to Stansted, the immigration didn't ask much when they saw my irish residence card, but of course depends of the official from the immigration.

I keep you posted!! thank you very much!

[kamoe]

Oh yeah, in that case is easy. I also traveled a few times through Ireland with no passport control.

In fact, that's how I first came to the UK. I first spent a week in Ireland with friends, then came to the UK. As a result, there is no stamp on my passport to show my real entry date (only the date I entered Ireland)!

Anyway, hope it all goes well for you. Keep us posted.

[lguimaraes]

Keep us posted.

Hi Kamoe, thanks... yes I returned to UK via Ireland, because I have a valid Irish residence card. Anyway I am under the 'Article 10', which says that a residence card holder from another EU country has the right to enter in UK to join partner.

I could have travelled straight to UK from my country with my Irish residence card, but the immigration border could ask also for more documentation as evidence of our relationship. The problem is everything we have is in the HO since August.... yes it has been more than 6 months. (they promised to process within 6 months). Even having a previous EEA residence card. It is ridiculous this whole time....

Partners with previous residence card should be processed in a different way, in Ireland we were investigated for over 7 months in 2012, before I get my visa. Now it has been more than 6 months waiting here in UK again. This is very bad for my CV such long gaps!!

They didn't give me COA because we are unmarried partners, but I was informed last week that partners non-EU with previous residence card from another country has the full rights here, even to COA. I made a request to COA department last week to review it.

I called twice to the HO to know the status of my application but no one has called me to inform. first time they said 3 days. so far no info....

[lguimaraes]

hope it all goes well for you. Keep us posted.

Hi kamoe,

I got a call from the HO yesterday in return to my status request.... they just said, that it still being processed and I have to wait! Absolutely ridiculous, they ask not to make any contact for 6 months, and then give you this answer.

I think I go to find an MP

[lguimaraes]

Guys finally got my RC card today after 7 months waiting!!

EEA-EFM Unmarried Partners

10/8/2015 - App sent
14/8/2015 - App received
15/8/2015 - Fee taken
24/8/2015 - COA-NO-RIGHT TO WORK - 27/8/2015 Received
24/8/2015 - Biometric - Received 27/8/2015 - Enrolled 27/8/2015
>>> 6 months later
29/2/2015 - Called the HO asked for a status update - no reply!
04/3/2016 - Called againg to the HO and asked for an update
08/3/2016 - Received a call from HO with an "update" saying just 'continue waiting' no further info!!
10/3/2016 - Residence Card issued (HO Bristol Office)
14/3/2016 - Residence Card received in my Home

It was a big surprise, because I didn't received any letter from the HO saying a decision has been made and I didn't receive my supporting documents back yet

The RC came as a card with a chip on the back.

Best luck for all of you guys, thanks for everyone in this very important community and the moderators!