EUSS Family Permit moving to pre-settled

[JWaite]

Hello, Hope you all are well. Appreciate if you can assist me with this query. I would like to know what would be the next steps.

My non-EU spouse currently not in the UK has been granted an EUSS Family Permit valid for 6 months. She currently holds an EU permanent residence permit. She had resided in the UK previously on an UK EEA Residence permit prior to the pandemic in 2020. I have a pre-settled status. To get the EUSS Family permit she had submitted her biometrics at the UK Visa Centre and had to wait 10 weeks to get her passport returned with the Family Permit in it.

The rental agency to get her name on the lease or even to provide a certificate as a proof of address once she is in the UK, is asking for a share code be provided to them. They are adamant it has to be a share code and they cannot accept just to see the original family permit.

My questions are, if any of you on the forum have encountered similar cases, what would you advise:-

a) Can she apply ONLINE for an EUSS Pre-Settled status once she is in in the UK? As the guidance notes that I could see from the GOV site generally points to the paper format to be submitted within 3 months of being in the UK and resubmit by post her passport and corresponding documents that were used to obtain the EU FP initially unless she is provided with an unique number from the EUSS Resolution Centre and then only the process could be conducted online.

b) If it is a case of her proving identity which is not achievable through the EU EXIT App check as she is non-EU can we get to the Citizens Advice Bureau or the local Council resources to have this exercise conducted for us to satisfy UKVI and through that we can obtain the unique number?

c) If online submission is possible, then can she travel to and fro, to the EU whilst the UK EUSS status is being considered without jeopardising or delaying the process or she has to stay put in the UK until it is determined? Then the question would be how long could this take? The essential thing is that I can get her on the lease with the share code or obtain the certificate forming a proof of address to complete the relevant transactions where similar share code or status checks are not satisfied by showing the EU FP.

d) If paper format with the documents being resubmitted it appears a bit redundant as the UKVI already had her passport for a good 10 weeks already. So would calling the EU Resolution Centre directly be an avenue to explore so they could provide guidance as to how this process could flow?

Thanks for all your insights.

[alterhase58]

Not an expert on EUSS but once your wife has arrived in the UK she needs to apply for pre-settled status - the Family Permit's purpose is to facility entry to the UK and is only valid for 6 months. Once the application is submitted she will receive a certificate of application (COA) which can be used for travel. Citizen Advice or Councils cannot help with proving identity or residency - she needs pre-settled status which only UKVI deals with.