A1 Code: Recent experience

[a.s.b.o]

I think our recent experience of gaining A1 code for my wife, a Russian citizen, will be of use to fellow members.

I am an Irish national, higher education professional, with a full contract on my hands. I also hold a PR. We wanted to apply from Russia but were told it would take in excess of 3 months. So we flew to Paris using a Schengen visa, took a bus to London from Paris and obtained A1 at the UK entry.

Our experience was good. We were dealt with efficiently, professionally and extremely fast. In fact, the bus did not even have to wait. Upon presenting ourselves, I made an officer aware that we apply for a A1 stamp. There were a number of questions, as she went through our bundle of documents. The first one being "who told you about that". Our bundle consisted of:

1. A cover letter explaining why A1 and not EEA Family Permit (hint: time constraints)
2. My letter stating that my wife travels with me in order to reside in UK
3. My contract details and a few payslips
4. My PR and copy
5. Evidence of our dating (in excess of 4 years to indicate genuine nature of relations, even though it was not implied to be a marriage of convenience at any stage).

It appears that PR was a key document convincing to grant entry to my wife with little hassle. I could hear their discussion that "it proves that he is settled in UK" and that "it means that Brexit debate has no effect on him".

Overall, we were issued with a stamp "admitted under 2006 regulation" and a dated entry stamp. We were told that "we need to apply for EEA Family Permit within 6 months" but that we "could travel in but would need the same bundle of evidence presented upon re-entry".

All in all, we were very happy.

Another point of concern was boarding the bus and bus drivers potentially refusing to board us. Thankfully, only a Schengen visa was checked.

[Richard W]

"Truth has the advantage over fiction that it does not have to be plausible." There are a number of things that the Immigration Officers got wrong:

It appears that PR was a key document convincing to grant entry to my wife with little hassle. I could hear their discussion that "it proves that he is settled in UK" and that "it means that Brexit debate has no effect on him".

The PR document did two things. Firstly it made it unnecessary to check that you were either visiting or a qualified person, which they got right. Secondly, it probably showed that you weren't British.

Brexit, of course, might affect you. Incidentally, you lost your 'qualifying CTA entitlement' if you still had it; you are now settled in the UK only by virtue of being a permanent resident, though you can still restore your CTA entitlement by a trip to the Republic.

Overall, we were issued with a stamp "admitted under 2006 regulation" and a dated entry stamp.

The 2006 regulations were revoked in February! There seems to be a new stamp coming into use with no explicit 6 month limit.

We were told that "we need to apply for EEA Family Permit within 6 months" but that we "could travel in but would need the same bundle of evidence presented upon re-entry".

They should have said "EEA residence card". One can't apply for a family permit from the UK!

I commend you for public-spiritedly making your report.

[a.s.b.o]

Overall, we were issued with a stamp "admitted under 2006 regulation" and a dated entry stamp.

The 2006 regulations were revoked in February! There seems to be a new stamp coming into use with no explicit 6 month limit.

That I find difficult to agree on. It explicitly refers to 2006 regulations