EEA(PR) Permanent Residency Card Questions

[jozefx434]

I am applying for a permanent residence card in the UK as a polish national who has lived in the UK for 11 years, so I can apply for a British passport next. Below is the application I am using and questions I would greatly appreciate your help with

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... _03-16.pdf

1. I read on a forum that some people include a cover letter with their application, the application itself doesn't mention it at all, should I still attach one? What should it say? I own a house here, all of my family live in the UK, is that worth mentioning?

2. In order to prove my employment will p60s and p45s be enough, or should I include payslips as well, how many of them, will a few random ones do or should I include all of them (there are quite a few)?

3. How do I prove my continuous 5 year residency? It mentions bank statements, but what time period should I cover, printing 5 years worth of statements will be way too much I guess. I don't have any utility bills. Will the above p60s, p40s and payslips do?

4. What is the point 9.15 about? "Did you/your sponsor work for an uninterrupted period of 12 months in accordance with one or more of the documents mentioned in the table above?". I registered with WRS and after a year or so I sent off some other form and got a little blue book, is that what they ask about?

5. When do they send your passport back? Is it compulsory to sent it off, if I need to go abroad in the meantime can I get a verified/signed copy and send it instead?

Thank you very much.

[noajthan]

1. I read on a forum that some people include a cover letter with their application, the application itself doesn't mention it at all, should I still attach one? What should it say? I own a house here, all of my family live in the UK, is that worth mentioning?

2. In order to prove my employment will p60s and p45s be enough, or should I include payslips as well, how many of them, will a few random ones do or should I include all of them (there are quite a few)?

3. How do I prove my continuous 5 year residency? It mentions bank statements, but what time period should I cover, printing 5 years worth of statements will be way too much I guess. I don't have any utility bills. Will the above p60s, p40s and payslips do?

4. What is the point 9.15 about? "Did you/your sponsor work for an uninterrupted period of 12 months in accordance with one or more of the documents mentioned in the table above?". I registered with WRS and after a year or so I sent off some other form and got a little blue book, is that what they ask about?

5. When do they send your passport back? Is it compulsory to sent it off, if I need to go abroad in the meantime can I get a verified/signed copy and send it instead?

Thank you very much.

1) Not necessary unless some special circumstance to explain.

2) Yes, throw sample payslips in too; a few per year.
Don't give HO any 'wriggle room'.

3) If not married to BC, you need to hold PR status for 12 months - so you will need proof of at least 6 years residency.

Utility bills, council tax bills, voter registration, medical letters, housing/tenancy documents, driver's license all help prove residency in UK.

Absences need to have been within prescribed limits too.

4) If an A8 national working in UK before 2011, its essential to have proof of full and proper WRS registration: usually a WRS certificate - do you have one?

5) Send passport or EU id to prove id (not a copy);
after filing the application you may request return of such documents.

Note after confirmation of PR, next step is to apply for privilege of citizenship.

The holy grail of British passport comes later as a final step.

PS No need to use the latest, 'monster' PR form; you can use an earlier (simpler) version.

[ohara]

Have a look at this form instead, and if you feel comfortable, use it instead of the awful EEA(PR) form. It does the same job just with 70 less pages

1. Cover letter is not necessary except for explaining exceptional circumstances. EEA regulations are set in stone, and in regards to this application, UKVI will not care if you own a house in the UK.

2. P60 from each year as well as a couple of random pay slips. A letter from your employer on company headed paper is also a very good idea.

3. One months statement from each year will suffice (I did June for every year, wasn't too many sheets in the end). If you have council tax bills, send them too.

4. You will need to include proof of your WRS otherwise the period you worked without it will not count towards PR.

5. All of your documents will usually come back with the permanent residence card, in about 7-10 weeks. You can request it back if you need it urgently, but you should wait until at least 10 working days after they have received your application. You must send originals.

Be aware that you cannot simply apply for a British passport once you have your permanent residence card. You will need to become a British citizen first.

[jozefx434]

I submitted the application, payment got take from my card, got a confirmation email after 3-4 weeks. Could you please help with those 3 questions?

1) How long on average to get my passport back? Is there a way to request its return faster? If yes how do I contact them?

2) How long does it take on average to get the residence card? So I can apply for the citizenship / to be neutralised.

3) Is there a possibility to contact them to get an update on the process? How do I contact them?

Thank you very much.

[jozefx434]

4) Once I get a PR card, how many days a year can I spend a year outside of the UK, to still qualify for applying to naturalise as a British citizen?

Some sources state 90 days per year, other no more than 3 months in one single stretch, or 6 months in total

[noajthan]

4) Once I get a PR card, how many days a year can I spend a year outside of the UK, to still qualify for applying to naturalise as a British citizen?

Some sources state 90 days per year, other no more than 3 months in one single stretch, or 6 months in total

Check guidance, section 5:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... e_2016.pdf

[noajthan]

Posts merged.

No need for multiple posts.

[noajthan]

I submitted the application, payment got take from my card, got a confirmation email after 3-4 weeks. Could you please help with those 3 questions?

1) How long on average to get my passport back? Is there a way to request its return faster? If yes how do I contact them?

2) How long does it take on average to get the residence card? So I can apply for the citizenship / to be neutralised.

3) Is there a possibility to contact them to get an update on the process? How do I contact them?

Thank you very much.

1) HO aim is 10 days.
Record is 4 days; some take weeks.
Your mileage may vary.

2) Months.

3) Not very easily. Just sit tight and wait.

[ohara]

You definitely don't want to be neutralised!

EU regulations state that residence documentation (such as PRC/DCPR) should be provided within 6 months of application. Considering the Brexit vote, and the fact that a PRC/DCPR is a prerequisite requirement for British naturalisation, expect them to be flooded with these applications at the moment. You'll probably be waiting for most, if not all of that 6 months.

[jozefx434]

You definitely don't want to be neutralised!

Sorry would you care to explain why? Do you mean I don't want to apply for british citizenship until I have my permanent residency card?

[Casa]

You definitely don't want to be neutralised!

Sorry would you care to explain why? Do you mean I don't want to apply for british citizenship until I have my permanent residency card?

Neuter = a medical procedure performed by a veterinary surgeon on animals

Neutralise = do in, knock off, liquidate, neutralize, waste

Naturalise = admit (a foreigner) to the citizenship of a country

[jozefx434]

Ha! Thanks a lot for the explanation!

Another thing that came to my mind when you wrote "EU regulations state that residence documentation (such as PRC/DCPR) should be provided within 6 months of application."

Does that mean I could apply to be naturalised as a british citizen before I have my permanent residency card and send it to them once I have it after 2-4 months - in order to save time?

[ohara]

Does that mean I could apply to be naturalised as a british citizen before I have my permanent residency card and send it to them once I have it after 2-4 months - in order to save time?

No, because they won't approve your naturalisation application if you don't send a PRC/DCPR with it.

There are no short cuts to this