EU Citizens getting ILR

[tt]

It was indicated earlier here that a EU Citizen can come to the UK, reside without a Resident Permit, then after 4 years residence, apply for ILR (and the Resident Permit at or around the same time) - (the new 8 (out of 10) EU Member States having to do a 1 year Work Program thing first before doing the 4 years residence).

However, isn't it that a EU Citizen actually needs to have 4 years residence WITH A RESIDENCE PERMIT before they are entitled to ILR?

So 3 years residence, then getting a Residence Permit, would mean the EU Citizen needs another 4 years? Or not?

And what of the new EU Directive 2004/38/EC http://europa.eu.int/comm/justice_home/ ... ent_en.htm in force/coming into force by 30 April 2006 (this year), whereby Residence Permits are/will be dropped for EU Citizens. Will EU Citizens be able to reside in the UK 4 years without any formal documentation, and then apply for ILR (can they do this now, in any case?), or is the UK introducing some form of registration scheme, as allowed for under the EU Directive?;

Thanks!

[Moderator edit (John) : Directive number above corrected from 2004/36/EC]

[tt]

The relevance of this is if, let's say, a Hungarian or a German (for that matter) wants to get British citizenship - assumption of course is, they will need the ILR first.

[tt]

I don't see the relevance of the Resident Permit for EU Citizens (which, in any case, disappears for EU Citizens by 30 April, 2006) when applying for permanent residence in the UK (ILR). [Worst case, you just apply for it same time as ILR, simply as a bureaucratic necessity]-

(You might need it for other reasons, eg, to allow dependents of yours to enter/stay in the UK, but that's a different isuue).

As a EU Citizen, (if necessary, having first completed the 1 year Work Regis Scheme if you are part of the new 8 EU States), you just hang around for 4 years, get ILR, hang around 1 more year, and then get British Citizenship. It couldn't be easier?

Or am I missing something?

[JAJ]

The EU Treaties do not oblige member states to offer *citizenship* to citizens of other member states.

So the UK can make whatever rules it likes in this respect.