EEA EFM - social media logs

[apanskov]

Hi.

We are applying for an EEA EFM residence card application as durable partners, and one of the requirements is:
"Evidence of how you have kept in contact with each other during periods in which you have not
lived together – for example, letters, printouts of emails or contact via social media, mobile
phone bills showing you have contacted each other, printouts of Skype (or similar) logs, etc "

In the guidance document it also states that:
"If you wish to send any documents that are not in English or Welsh, you must get the document
translated by a qualified professional translator"

Myself and my durable partner speak/chat in a foreign language, and hence have the following questions:
1. Does a social media chat log count as a "document" in this case and hence needs to be translated? They are merely a bunch of screenshots. The message contents are in a foreign language.
2. The guidance document explicitly states "evidence of HOW you have kept in contact". My understanding is they want to see that we spoke with each other during times apart. We have printed out chat logs where all the dates are clearly visible in English, but the message contents are in another language. Do they actually want to understand the content of the messages, or just see the fact that we communicated?
3. If anyone who applied for an (EFM) or (FM) residence card included chats in a foreign language - could you please share the outcome?

We included 9 pages of screenshots, and received a price tag between £270-460 for translating & certifying those. I am very upset paying such a sum for something I could do myself in a couple of hours, especially if its not actually needed.

Thank you very much for reading.

[kamoe]

We are applying for an EEA EFM residence card application as durable partners

First and foremost: How do you qualify as durable partners? Just being long-distance boyfriend/girlfriend or gay couple is not enough. You need to have lived together for at least two years while sharing proven financial responisbilities (joint bank account, joint bills, joint rent or mortgage, joint care of a child, for example). Yet you seem to suggest you are mostly living appart? Be mindful that this might mean you do not qualify as durable partners.

We included 9 pages of screenshots

If you do qualify as durable partner then the the periods while you have lived apart are surely not that long. Just be selective and reduce your evidence to the most relevant dialogs. 9 pages is way too much, select the 5 conversations (screenshots of a few lines is enough) that are most representative, that are well spread over the period that you lived appart, and put them all in one or two pages. You do not want to overload the caseworker with redundant evidence.

[MYRA4U]

@Kamoe is right for the two years period but they are also some consideration.
I quote HM" If you did not live together for any part of the 2-year period, tell us the reasons for this and whether you stayed in contact with each other during this time, and provide any relevant supporting evidence.
Evidence of how you have kept in contact with each other during periods in which you have not
lived together – for example, letters, printouts of emails or contact via social media, mobile
phone bills showing you have contacted each other, printouts of Skype (or similar) logs, etc
Any other relevant evidence.
In conclusion, i have seen people you never lived together, never got any joint bills or joint account or anything joint, but still got their durable partner application approved because they have other evidences to support their case.
It is upon the applicant to provide a convincing evidence as every case is considered on individual merits.

[kamoe]

In conclusion, i have seen people you never lived together, never got any joint bills or joint account or anything joint, but still got their durable partner application approved because they have other evidences to support their case.

Would you mind sharing what that evidence was? If they were unmaried and had no proof of joint financial commitments, I would be extremely surprised they got this approved unless they had a child together, or a similar unquestionable reason at the same level of commitment. In other words, extremely unlikely and definitely not the average case.

It is upon the applicant to provide a convincing evidence as every case is considered on individual merits.

Absolutely. But if they want to get their applicaiton approved, and to answer the OP's original quesion, I would focus on the substance of how their relaitonship is 'akin to marriage' (how they shared financial commitments, or a responsibility at the level of a child). Not on 9 pages of social media interactions (Again, 1 or 2 pages might support the application, but 9 is way too much.)

Showing a joint bill is stronger than showing a screenshot of a chat window where they discuss how they will pay the bill.

[apanskov]

First and foremost: How do you qualify as durable partners? Just being long-distance boyfriend/girlfriend or gay couple is not enough. You need to have lived together for at least two years while sharing proven financial responisbilities (joint bank account, joint bills, joint rent or mortgage, joint care of a child, for example). Yet you seem to suggest you are mostly living appart? Be mindful that this might mean you do not qualify as durable partners.

Sorry, I should have mentioned - we live together for more than 4 years with all the relevant responsibilities (except having a child). The chat logs I am asking about relate to times when we were apart (my GF had a number of trips alone to see her family)

[kamoe]

Sorry, I should have mentioned - we live together for more than 4 years with all the relevant responsibilities (except having a child). The chat logs I am asking about relate to times when we were apart (my GF had a number of trips alone to see her family)

In that case looks like you are eligible. How long was she absent for? Were these sporadic visits of a few days every now and again, or her actually relocating semi-permanently to see her family for a few months? If the former, then that does not count as you having lived apart!

[apanskov]

Sorry, I should have mentioned - we live together for more than 4 years with all the relevant responsibilities (except having a child). The chat logs I am asking about relate to times when we were apart (my GF had a number of trips alone to see her family)

In that case looks like you are eligible. How long was she absent for? Are these are sporadic visits of a few days every now and again, or her actually relocating semi-permanently to see her family for a few months? If the former, then that does not count as you having lived apart!

In the past 2 years she did quite a number of trips, mostly 1-2 weeks, but during the summer she usually travels for 1-2 months. Either way, we already submitted the application with chat logs for ALL absences (to be on the safe side), but the question remains if we should follow-up with the same logs translated and certified?

We will be mailing them another cover letter either way very soon, as in the confirmation email from the Home Office they did a typo in her name! They advised to mail a cover letter and point out the mistake on the home office EEA phone line.

[kamoe]

In the past 2 years she did quite a number of trips, mostly 1-2 weeks, but during the summer she usually travels for 1-2 months. Either way, we already submitted the application with chat logs for ALL absences (to be on the safe side), but the question remains if we should follow-up with the same logs translated and certified?

Generally speaking, if asked: "What is your permanent address", would she say something different than your address? If the answer is no, then you guys have not lived apart at all.

As an example for comparison, you are considered a UK resident as long as you spend more than 6 months in the UK in any fiscal year. So following that logic, you can claim her not spending more than 6 months away from you means you guys have not lived apart. Specially if all her official correspondence is sent to your address. Thus any social media communication while you have "lived appart" is just unecessary.

Don't waste your time and money in translating anything.

We will be mailing them another cover letter either way very soon, as in the confirmation email from the Home Office they did a typo in her name! They advised to mail a cover letter and point out the mistake on the home office EEA phone line.

On the other hand, yes, this is important, make sure this is corrected.

[apanskov]

In the past 2 years she did quite a number of trips, mostly 1-2 weeks, but during the summer she usually travels for 1-2 months. Either way, we already submitted the application with chat logs for ALL absences (to be on the safe side), but the question remains if we should follow-up with the same logs translated and certified?

Generally speaking, if asked: "What is your permanent address", would she say something different than your address? If the answer is no, then you guys have not lived apart at all.

As an example for comparison, you are considered a UK resident as long as you spend more than 6 months in the UK in any fiscal year. So following that logic, you can claim her not spending more than 6 months away from you means you guys have not lived apart. Specially if all her official correspondence is sent to your address. Thus any social media communication while you have "lived appart" is just unecessary.

Don't waste your time and money in translating anything.

We will be mailing them another cover letter either way very soon, as in the confirmation email from the Home Office they did a typo in her name! They advised to mail a cover letter and point out the mistake on the home office EEA phone line.

On the other hand, yes, this is important, make sure this is corrected.

Yep, all tenancies and addresses/correspondences are to the UK to our address, where we lived together. House tenancies also continued during times she visited family. And she has more than 6 month residence per calendar year in the UK (I travel even less often). I get your point now; we were also puzzled if this situation is what they were looking for or not, so included all chats as a precautionary measure.

Either way, as I previously mentioned, we have already submitted these logs to the HO. Following your logic, there is no point following up with a certified translation of the chats then, as they won't even be considering these chats as a requirement?

[kamoe]

Following your logic, there is no point following up with a certified translation of the chats then, as they won't even be considering these chats as a requirement?

Correct.

[MYRA4U]

In conclusion, i have seen people you never lived together, never got any joint bills or joint account or anything joint, but still got their durable partner application approved because they have other evidences to support their case.

Would you mind sharing what that evidence was? If they were unmaried and had no proof of joint financial commitments, I would be extremely surprised they got this approved unless they had a child together, or a similar unquestionable reason at the same level of commitment. In other words, extremely unlikely and definitely not the average case.

It is upon the applicant to provide a convincing evidence as every case is considered on individual merits.

Absolutely. But if they want to get their applicaiton approved, and to answer the OP's original quesion, I would focus on the substance of how their relaitonship is 'akin to marriage' (how they shared financial commitments, or a responsibility at the level of a child). Not on 9 pages of social media interactions (Again, 1 or 2 pages might support the application, but 9 is way too much.)

Showing a joint bill is stronger than showing a screenshot of a chat window where they discuss how they will pay the bill.

I have just confirmed from the applicant himself. So he told me he made his application in 2016 December.
He confirmed there were unmarried partner indeed, never lived together, had no joint utility or bank account, and as well no child involved when he made his application, but they have known each other, kept good contacts for 3years plus prior to making the EEA FM application.
He selected important Viber Chats of about 10 pages, romantic and normal photos in different countries and as well as group/family photos in different countries, they wrote city and dates on each photos. Flight and hotels tickets showing both names, both in ASIA, EUROPE AND AMERICA.
Among others were hug bank transactions to his partner account in Belgium, he constantly transfer money to the partner account possibly to help him pay some of his personal bills, even the money he gives to friends goes through the partner, hahah.
A copy of his work contract in China, cover letter from both couple explaining their situation.

I agree showing joint bills, financial commitment as well as a child responsibility makes their case stronger, but again their are considerations.