Waiting on EEA2 Residence card - can we go on overseas

[readyfreddy]

Hi,

I am an Irish citizen and my wife an australian. We also have two kids with both irish and australian passports. We arrived in the UK in Sept 2008 when my wife had a EEA family permit stamped on her Aussie passport.

Unfortunately the 6 month period has now elapsed and we had booked a weeks holiday in portugal in June. We contacted the Home office and they said that the waiting times for EEA2 residence cards is now between 7 and 9 months.

They have suggested that we contact the British embassey in portugal to confirm that my wife will be allowed back into the UK. Do we really need to do this? Will my wife be prevented from entering the UK if she is travellling with me just because the EEA family permit has expired?

Note we will also be travelling with two very young kids that have both aussie and irish passports.

[pdykid]

This may help you. But its always risk entering UK without FP.

Hi everyone,

I think there were a few messages back on this topic about reentering the UK with an expired Family Permit, including one message stating that he/she had a very hard time getting back in. So I thought I'd share my experiences.

I came back across the border yesterday with my (unmarried) EEA partner after a short holiday abroad. My FP expired in April, and RC application is under consideration. I made a feeble attempt to get the FP renewed at a British consulate abroad, knowing that this would be next to impossible to get done in two days.

I went back in at Heathrow armed with a file of documents proving my right to entry into the UK. I explained the situation (i.e., six months delay on RC application), and the border agent was extremely helpful. They asked for correspondence from the Home Office, and I gave them my CoA, and two recent letters responding to my complaints over excessive processing times. I had an entire file of correspondence, payslips, addressed mail etc etc with me, but they were not interested; only interested in Home Office correspondence. The agent actually suggested next time I come back in, DON'T bring the huge scary file, just bring the letters.

My passport was stamped with a 'single entry' valid for 6 months. I have to travel twice again in the next few weeks, including one trip without my partner. Two separate border agents assured me that with the existing stamp, explanation and letters from Home Office, I should have no problem reentering the UK with an expired Family Permit and RC application in process.

I cannot begin to express the intense relief that I felt being let past the barrier. I honestly thought I'd be spending the next couple of weeks somewhere on 'the continent' waiting for a new family permit.

So, it is possible to reenter with an expired FP. But, best to do it armed with recent documents from HO, and preferably, with your partner.