EEA family permit/residence: Positive experience (so far)

[vmtrisu]

Hi all,
I see a lot of posts here where people share their negative experiences about their EEA residence card application. Although I feel bad for people with negative experiences, I want to share my positive one to give some people hope.
EEA family permit process
Background about my case: I am Canadian and married to a person who holds passports from Canada and Malta, which is among the EEA countries.
1. I applied for my EEA family permit on May 2nd of 2016 and had to submit my passport for them to stick an entry permit into it. During this application process, I chose the one of the earliest appointments possible in Ottawa (the closest location to me) on May 20th 2016.
2. On May 19th 2016, you go do an office to give your biometrics. If I remember correctly, they capture your face, eyes and fingerprints.
3. On May 20th 2016, I receive an email saying that:
a. My application is being processed in New York
b. UK Visa and Immigration may contact me or my wife, which they did. My wife was on the phone with an officer for about 10 minutes asking personal questions about us (e.g. how/when we met, my pastime, my education/employment, etc.)
4. On May 27th 2016, I receive an email informing me that my application was successful.
5. I received my passport by mail shortly after. I can’t remember when exactly, but it was a reasonable timeline, given that New York was relatively close by.
6. With my EEA family permit, which is labelled as a UK entry clearance and valid from August 20th of 2016 to February 20th of 207, I entered the UK at Heathrow Airport on September 12th of 2017.
a. I was accompanied by my wife and at immigration, we even took the EUROPE line (instead of international line, which was much much longer).
b. We told the border agent that my wife was Maltese and I have a UK entry clearance in my passport. The border agent was quick and didn’t ask any further questions.
7. With a UK entry clearance, I was able to travel in and out of UK until February 20th 2017. When I did, there were no problems as long as I was in the International line at immigration.
8. With my Canadian passport, which contained my UK entry clearance, set to expire soon, I was obliged to renew my passport to be able to travel.
a. If you are eligible to fill the Adult Simplified Renewal Abroad Passport Application form, the Canadian passport office in the UK allows you to keep your passport for an extra fee. It cost me about CDN$120.
b. From that time until my UK entry clearance expired (February 20th of 2017), I was able to re-enter the UK by simply showing both my expired passport, which contained my UK entry clearance, and my new valid passport.

EEA residence card process
Here’s some background about my case: My wife and I jointly apply for residency in the UK. This means I receive a residence card and she gets a biometrics card.
1. On January 3rd of 2017, I sent my EEA residence card application to the UK Home Office, along with my expired passport, my current passport and my wife’s Maltese passport, via the UK Post Office using special delivery. This is for next day delivery and provides you with a tracking number. I received a confirmation of receipt via email on the same day.
a. Without my passports, I was not able to leave nor reenter the UK
b. My wife also has a Canadian passport. I was told by the Home Office that she is able to leave and come back to the UK. However, she obviously has to enter as a Canadian visitor through the International line and had to leave the UK within 6 months and then reenter with her Maltese passport. We just had to make sure that she receives her Maltese passport back within the 6 months (see more in the Certificate of Application section below)
2. On January 19th of 2017, I receive a letter through the mail instructing me to submit my biometrics information at the Post Office.
3. On January 20th of 2017, I go to the Post office where they took a picture of my face and fingerprints. The Post Office clerk processes the biometrics and sends it to the Home Office themselves. The clerk gives me a receipt of confirmation.
4. On January 23rd of 2017, my wife receives an email stating that her application is being processed and it may take up to six months to make a decision.
5. On January 31st of 2017, I receive a Certificate of Application through the mail, which says that the Home Office will make a decision within the next 6 months. This Certificate of Application allows me to:
a. Accept offers of employment in the UK or to continue employment in the UK, while my application is under consideration.
b. Request to get my passports and my wife’s Maltese passport back
6. On February 2nd of 2017, I request my passports and my wife’s passport back online (link provided with Certificate of Application, noting that it was work urgent work-related travel.
7. On February 10th of 2017, I receive my passports and my wife’s passport back through the mail. It required a signature.

Now the only thing left is to waiting for the decision on my residence. All has been very smooth so far and I hope that I will get a positive decision from the Home Office.