Blue registration certificate is doing my Croatian head in

[lemmeseeyouwalk]

Hi everyone!

First things first, thanks to you all for your relentless support you're showing everyone here!

I've moved to Manchester in January 2014, and am married to a German citizen. When I was applying for a National Insurance number all I needed as a proof of right to work (being exempt from authorisation), all I needed was my passport, my husband's passport and our marriage certificate.

I got a job later on, and the company I worked for asked for the marriage certificate, along with our passports, this was enough and I got the job. Since then I have also been on JSA and Housing Benefit, and again my right to work was never disputed as I have been deemed as having the same right as German citizens, meaning full access and all that.

I know that there's a blue registration certificate that I could apply for, but this certificate is no way compulsory for me (as per Home Office), and seeing how I'm never in London, nor have I ever needed the blue registration certificate in the last 4 year, I never applied for it.

Now here comes the fun part: I've been offered a job in a bank, and they've required me to possess the blue registration certificate. Seeing as I don't have it, I've told them to cancel my application. I've told them I don't need it, and that in the last 4 years employers, DWP, local council and everybody else only ever wanted the marriage certificate / passport combo, and this was enough for everybody.

The bank has also contacted the Home Office who have told them that I indeed do not need the blue registration certificate, but the bank as an employer needs me to have it.

So what's this now? A catch 22? If I don't need it, but the employer does, then I obviously do need it all of a sudden.

Have I worked illegally the last 4 years since I didn't have the blue registration certificate, nor was I ever asked by anyone until recently?

If anyone can shed some light on this, I'd really appreciate it. I'm planning to apply for permanent residence in 2019, and then naturalise in 2020, and I wouldn't want any trouble :\

Thanks in advance!

[lemmeseeyouwalk]

Just bumping this one as I'm still interested in an opinion, but I understand it's a bit of a minefield and there aren't that many Croatians in the UK anyway, so these questions don't really pop up

[thsths]

That is an interesting case. You have two claims for a right to work, as a Croatian national (but you would need to apply for a purple registration certificate, it seems), and as the family member of an EEA national. For the later you will usually be asked for a registration certificate, although it is technically not required.

I am not sure whether it is legal to ask for the registration certificate, but it is quite common. So if you want the job, you could just apply. it does take some time, but there is a process of using the application certificate to proof your right to work, and HR should know about that.

[thsths]

PS: I would recommend applying for one of the options. It is not required, but it does make naturalisation easier.

[lemmeseeyouwalk]

Thank you for the reply!

The purple route is nonsense for me because it's made for people who aren't exempt (which isn't me), plus I would need a sponsor or whatnot. Blue route is much easier, even if not compulsory in any way. I never needed it, hence never applying for it (I registered everywhere with just my passport and the marriage certificate, and it was accepted by everyone). Not to mention that it seems like these restrictions might be lifted in June anyway, so I can just wait and see what happens.

However, I had no idea that it's possible to use the application certificate to prove my right to work, but the bank which offered me the job had no idea about it. All they offered me was to pay for a super premium service in which someone would take my biometric info and documents, and I would get my certificate within 48 hours. The cost? A measly £11000. Naturally, I laughed at it and told them there is no way I'm paying that much money for something I don't even need, not to mention that I think this "super premium service" wouldn't apply to me anyway.

Had they offered me to use the application certificate as a proof, I would have said yes. But maybe it's better I don't deal with a bank which doesn't know these things

Good to know it exists though, so I can use it if there's an issue with a future employer, assuming the restrictions don't get lifted this June.

Thanks again, your reply was very informative!