Applying for EEA3 then BC vs. BC directly

[mike305]

I first arrived in the UK in October 2005 and have been a student since then. I'm an A8 national and so, as far as I understand, I have automatically acquired the PR status after exercising Treaty Rights for five years (in October 2010). Now, I would like to apply for the BC and am just wondering whether I should first ask for the document certifying my permanent residence (EEA3) or go directly for the BC (AN form).

Even if I get the PR certificate first, I would still have to provide the UKBA with all the documents covering the last six years of my residence in the UK unless I wait for another 12 months. On top of that, the whole procedure of applying for the PR and then the BC is likely to take a year or so. Therefore, it seems to me that in my case it makes more sense to apply for the BC directly as the confirmation of PR is not required for the EU nationals. So overall the latter route should save me from sending the same set of documents twice and waiting for additional couple of months.

I'm posting here to check with you if my reasoning is correct or maybe I overlooked something? Many thanks.

[fysicus]

Your reasoning is correct, as far as I can see, but first of all you should ask yourself the question: why should I apply for BC in the first place?

If you have your own compelling reason for that, I will not stop you but I do really not see the benefit for an EU citizen. I'm living in UK for almost 14 years now and never felt any urge to apply for BC.

Remember, you will still have a funny name (difficult to pronounce for the natives here) and the same place of birth, and a British passport will not exempt you from the discrimination caused by these two attributes.

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

I first arrived in the UK in October 2005 and have been a student since then. I'm an A8 national and so, as far as I understand, I have automatically acquired the PR status after exercising Treaty Rights for five years (in October 2010). Now, I would like to apply for the BC and am just wondering whether I should first ask for the document certifying my permanent residence (EEA3) or go directly for the BC (AN form).

Even if I get the PR certificate first, I would still have to provide the UKBA with all the documents covering the last six years of my residence in the UK unless I wait for another 12 months. On top of that, the whole procedure of applying for the PR and then the BC is likely to take a year or so. Therefore, it seems to me that in my case it makes more sense to apply for the BC directly as the confirmation of PR is not required for the EU nationals. So overall the latter route should save me from sending the same set of documents twice and waiting for additional couple of months.

I'm posting here to check with you if my reasoning is correct or maybe I overlooked something? Many thanks.

An advantage of applying for PR first is that it's free. It might flush out any unforeseen problems in your application. It should take more than a couple of weeks for that decision to be made.

[reda]

I first arrived in the UK in October 2005 and have been a student since then.

do you got csi covering all the period from 2005 till 2010?

[Jambo]

I first arrived in the UK in October 2005 and have been a student since then.

do you got csi covering all the period from 2005 till 2010?

Without CSI (health insurance) to cover your student years, your time as a student will not be counted as exercising treaty rights and application for PR confirmation and/or BC is likely to get refused.

You will be exempt from CSI if you have applied for a Residence Certificate as a student (although not required to do so). Alternatively, EHIC from your home country to cover those years can be considered as CSI.

[mike305]

Thank you everyone for your prompt replies.

first of all you should ask yourself the question: why should I apply for BC in the first place?

(...) I do really not see the benefit for an EU citizen.

From personal experience I can tell that it just makes life easier in certain circumstances.

An advantage of applying for PR first is that it's free. It might flush out any unforeseen problems in your application. It should take more than a couple of weeks for that decision to be made.

That's a good point. You actually made me realise that the PR application from the EU citizens are are dealt with faster than I initially thought. Just to be on the safe side, I'll probably start with EEA3 form then.

I first arrived in the UK in October 2005 and have been a student since then.

do you got csi covering all the period from 2005 till 2010?

Without CSI (health insurance) to cover your student years, your time as a student will not be counted as exercising treaty rights and application for PR confirmation and/or BC is likely to get refused.

You will be exempt from CSI if you have applied for a Residence Certificate as a student (although not required to do so). Alternatively, EHIC from your home country to cover those years can be considered as CSI.

I do have EHIC from my home country covering the period from 2005 until now.

[fysicus]

first of all you should ask yourself the question: why should I apply for BC in the first place?

(...) I do really not see the benefit for an EU citizen.

From personal experience I can tell that it just makes life easier in certain circumstances.

Just for my own enlightenment, could you give a few examples of such circumstances? I seem to have never encountered them in all those years.