EEA2 RC Application, after receiving EEA FP: some questions!

[wingsatmyfeet]

Hello and thank you to all in advance,

I am about to apply for my EEA Residence Card application from the UK.
My EEA National partner (French fiance) and I arrived in the UK together in June, having successfully received the EEA Family Permit.

We relocated to the UK due to an offer of (permanent, full-time) employment for my partner here in London.

I have had to return to Australia (my home country!) several times since June, thus waiting this long to apply for the EEA Residence Card (my EEA Family Permit expires on 9 December)...

So I have a few questions thus far and would really appreciate any assistance any of you have to offer:

i) Upon calling our estate agent here to attempt to obtain the original copy of our tenancy agreement here in London we were advised that they do not keep the originals but shred them (I confirmed via some online research that an agent/landlord/tenant is not technically required to keep a copy of the original agreement??). Consequently I asked them to write a letter on the agency's letterhead, confirming the date/commencement of our joint agreement, our address and the date/length of the agreement also (two years).
I will include this original letter (along with many, many other pieces of documentation required to support a "durable relationship" application, i.e. min. two years' cohabitation!)with the colour copy of our tenancy agreement. Will the colour photocopy of our joint tenancy agreement (with all requisite signatures: two tenants, landlord) suffice in this case accompanied by such a letter?? Has anyone else sent a copy in place of the agency not retaining the original??
ii) As an unmarried partner of an EEA National, I am currently confused about whether my Certificate of Application (COA), received upon applying for the EEA RC, will state whether I have the (continued) right to work or not?
I have been reading a lot of forums regarding this and other matters and I have read that given I am already considered as an extended family member (because of my successful EEA Family Permit application and the sort of documentation required to receive that, i.e. evidence of two years min. cohabitation and the fact that they already looked into a shorter version of our "case") that I should be able to continue working until I receive/do not receive my EEA Residence Card? What is the current understanding in this regard?

I really, really appreciate any advice regarding this application and my situation.

We received assistance from an Immigration agent/solicitor for the EEA Family Permit application given my partner's employer here in the UK offered to pay half of the fee.

We are currently opting to traverse the EEA RC route without legal assistance given our experience with the Family Permit and our understanding of the thoroughness that is required, without necessarily paying a relatively hefty fee for legal counsel/representation and the amount of research I have done thus far to ensure that our application is as thorough as possible upon submission.

Cheers eveybody!
Aussie in London waiting with bated breath...

[webbon]

(i) the letter from the agency should be sufficient; doesn't even matter that much if you're providing other evidence like bank statements etc. showing you two are living together
(ii) according to their internal instructions you should get a COA with the right to work as you've been issued a Family Permit:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ ... idance.pdf
complain if you don't

[wingsatmyfeet]

Hi Webbon,

Thank you very much for your swift reply...it is greatly appreciated!

I will read the link this morning.

I was planning on mentioning the fact that I am currently on an EEA Family Permit in my accompanying cover letter...
Regardless, is this the sort of thing they have on file upon entering my info into their system and/or something they initially look for in my passport?

Thank you again.

[wingsatmyfeet]

Hello,

Thank you for the link regarding the Certificates of Application: it put my mind somewhat at rest for the moment!

I would like to include a copy of our joint tenancy agreement with our application if I can.
Consequently I have asked the property management group - that owns our estate agency - whether they can stamp each page of the copied tenancy agreement (apparently our real estate agency doesn't have a stamp, which I find most odd indeed, but anyway)...

If the umbrella group does NOT have a stamp, I am yet uncertain as to whether to include the copied joint tenancy agreement with the application or not... Does anyone have any advice/feedback regarding this please?

Essentially I suppose I am seeking peace-of-mind regarding the possibility that:
> if we do NOT send our joint tenancy agreement with our application, is the agency letter deemed equivalent/as solid? and
> is the Home Office familiar with the possibility that some estate agencies do NOT keep original tenancy agreements? i.e. Will they consider this feasible (a copy of the tenancy agreement in place of the original if stamped on every page, with or without an accompanying estate agent letter)?

Also: with my EEA Family Permit application we were advised to send photocopies of everything included to save a potential delay in the return of our documents with/out the Permit.
**Should I also photocopy every piece of documentation included in my Residence Card application, and send it with the originals in my application?

Many thanks in advance again.
I am planning on sending it off ASAP; just waiting on a couple of last things...