Can I enter UK along with my wife?

[luisparis]

Hi,

We're having an issue I hadn't expected.

I'm a french citizen recently married to a chinese citizen. We live in Paris but I do quite a bit of business in London. Besides taking my wife on vacation there mid august, I'd NEED her to come along to a trade fair in London beginning of September.

We tried to obtain the "EEA family member permit" which I thought would be easy... but the first slot for an appointment at the UK embassy in Paris is on September 10th. After the fair than...

The embassy staff and the info on their website all point that we do need that permit for my spouse to enter the UK. Yet other regulations I read seem to indicate that as long as we show up together at the border with her french resident permit and our wedding certificate we should be allowed in the UK.

Could we then just try to travel together to the UK without this permit?

Thanks for all feedback
Luis

[Wanderer]

EEA Family Permit is for EU citizens living/working/studying in another EU state other than their own, doesn't seem to apply to ur situation.

[luisparis]

Yes, it seems I got a bit confused about the wording, I've just double checked the exact wording, and my wife to come to UK does need a visa, of the type : "Family Member of an EEA national" , or so the US embassy asks.

Otherwise the questions raised in the OP are still the same.

[Wanderer]

I've just double checked the exact wording, my wife to come to UK does need a visa, of the type : "Family Member of an EEA national" , or so I understood. What do you think she need?

I think that visa is for someone exercising a treaty right in UK ie non-UK EU citizen living/working/studying here, wanting to bring their famlly member to UK. I think ur wife needs to apply for a UK Visitor Visa at the Chinese embassy nearest to you.

[luisparis]

I'm very confused here, why would she go to the to the Chinese embassy in Paris to apply for a UK visa??

She definetely is entitled to the 'family member of an EEA national" visa which is granted free of charge, yet we won't get it done on time, hence the question about travelling without it, which seems in accordance with several EU directives about freedom of circulation with the EU

[yankeegirl]

EEA Family Permit is for EU citizens living/working/studying in another EU state other than their own, doesn't seem to apply to ur situation.

If I remember correctly, the EEA Family Permit is also used in the UK for non-EU spouses of EU citizens that are visa-required nationals who wish to visit the UK.

The following is from UKVisas...
Do my family members need an EEA family permit if they are coming to visit me in the UK?
Your family members will need to get an EEA family permit if they would normally need a visa to travel to the UK or if they are coming to live with you in the UK permanently. Family members who are not visa nationals do not need an EEA family permit to visit you if their visit will last less than six months.

According to the website, the family permit would be needed. Like the OP, I do seem to remember reading regulations that indicate otherwise, but I can't remember where I read that. Off to do a Google search now...hopefully someone else can clarify further in the meantime.

[luisparis]

Yankeegirl,

here's a link to another thread on this same forum with many sublinks on this topic:

http://immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=15545

I did email the citizen's signpost service to get their opinion, but anyway I'm flaggerblasted by the 2 months waiting list. I even tried the way of a paying visitor visa for business reason and we're getting similar appointments dates.

[Wanderer]

OK- I'm wrong here - I'm going to shut up! BTW I mean UK embassy not Chinese but even that info is wrong so I'll double shut up!

[VictoriaS]

THEORETICALLY a residents permit for one member state should be valid for travel to any other member state...that's an EU regulation. However, as it is a regulation, not a law, the UK have the power to ignore this...which they do.

It might be that a UK Embassy in another EU country would be willing to process the visa application, but you would have to call around. Again, they theoretically should, but may not.

Victoria

[JAJ]

I'm a french citizen recently married to a chinese citizen. We live in Paris but I do quite a bit of business in London. Besides taking my wife on vacation there mid august, I'd NEED her to come along to a trade fair in London beginning of September.

Probably won't resolve the short term issue, but have you looked into whether your wife can become a French citizen? She might lose her Chinese citizenship but then again, that may not be important.

[luisparis]

thanks all for your input, we're looking into several directions now including foreign embassies but only the swiss ones could fit our rather busy schedule and she'd need a swiss resident permit to apply.

Getting Missus a french passport would be the easiest way, and there seem to be ways to hold on the chinese nationality while doing so but we just got married, so she'll need to wait for a couple of years more.