EU1 form evidence prior to marriage requested

[Mike32]

Hi Everyone,

I am a Romanian currently living in Ireland. My husband is from Brazil. We met online 08.08 while he was here in Ireland finishing his English course. After one week of chatting, we met in person and since then we could not stay apart. Unfortunately, his stamp 2 was due to expire in 08.10. We immediately realized that our relationship could be at risk if he would have to leave back to Brazil. We both did not want a long-distance relationship, which in this case was a very long distance. Additionally, to just leave the job that I have in Ireland would have also been very risky from the financial point of view. We were basically discussing all kinds of possibilities of how to stay together and also what would have been for both of us advantageous carrier-wise to be able to support each other. He has 8 yrs previous experience in Finance and due to the fact he was taking a career break to improve his English, he was currently not bound to anything for the moment. The only solution we could see viable was to get married and try to stay together using the EU1 form. This was not an easy decision and discussed a lot prior to take this serious commitment to each other and all the risks involved. He did have the flight return ticket to Brazil planned for 14.09 which we decided to drop and also created a shock for his family finding out about us, our plans and the possibility of him not coming back home. We both agreed that we are doing a crazy thing, but we felt prepared for it and we got married in 11.09, in Denmark. We also decided to move together and making plans for our future together. We definitely do not regret the decision we took and we have been enjoying the best time of our lives. Due to the short time we had (we wanted to make sure we submit the EU1 form before his visa expiration so that he won't end up being illegal in Ireland) the last period was a quite intense gathering everything we needed for the application (lease agreement, joint utility bill, RTB letter....etc). We successfully submitted the EU1 application 5 days before the expiration of his stamp 2 visa. Two weeks later (19.10) we got two letters:
- one to present ourselves to the local garda and receive the temporary stamp 4 for six months - he got this today (22.10).
- 2nd letter in which we are asked to provide documentary evidence of our relationship prior to the marriage taking into account that the marriage took place in Denmark before a decision on the application will be taken. This evidence should contain: how, where and when we met, details of the engagement, when and where we commenced living together. This may include photographs with verifiable dates, evidence of joint travel, dated emails or text correspondence, previous letting agreements, utility bills and any other information we feel is pertinent for the application.

Did anyone encounter a similar situation in terms of being asked to provide extra evidence prior to marriage? As the time spend together prior to marriage was quite limited, this evidence is also limited. We definitely do not want to hide anything, but some of the things are very personal for us. No issue to include pictures, but for instance, one part of the evidence could include our Whatsapp conversation and could definitely show how our relationship developed. Would you advise to include everything? I somehow feel this a bit of an intrusion of our personal privacy.

Before deciding to get married we took the time so that he met my friends and I met his friends. We both received a warm support from both sides. We were even thinking to ask some of our friends to write a letter in which they could express their opinion about our relationship and come as support for the application. I was reading on a US-based website that these type of letters (affidavit) should contain a sworn signature. Would it be possible to do this in Ireland or a signed letter from our friends will suffice? I would appreciate if someone could have an advice on this.

We are concerned whether they will refuse the application based on a not long enough relationship prior to marriage, but how is this decided? Our feelings are definitely genuine to each other and we want to do whatever is legally possible to stay and build our future together in Ireland.

Thanks a million and looking forward to having the conversation started.

Lol...my husband is currently laughing like crazy about how much I wrote here. I hope you will have the patience to read as well.

[Caravel88]

Provide as much as you can provide, then add some more.

They need to be convinced that your marriage is real, that you got married because you wanted to be married, and it is not being used to receive permission to stay.

[Mike32]

Thanks Caravel88. We will try to make it as comprehensive and detailed as possible.