eea2 wait

[sharmarina]

OmarA, could you please share your waiting times between sending complaints to Solvit and MP and getting reply, how long(since when and how many times) you have been complaining to HO?
Sorry , I am getting very impatient in waiting for some reply from ANYONE and just don,t know what counts as normal.
Thank you!!!
P.S. I also would like to know anwer to your question about Shenigan visas...
Skiesowner, the number to call is 08450105200 or 01516725626 be patient end you'll get through at some point

[petra]

First of all about the waiting time.
we sent our application on 1st July initially but was retuned twice in a row for Evidence of treaty rights.. however the last time we sent application were on 1st of august, Received COA on 11th August and then Received all our passports on 26th August. So the whole process took less then 2 months.
I guess we were lucky as I can see people here are waiting for over 11months.. and really feel sorry for them.

About the Schengen visa.
The last time I did research was..
Czech is part of Schengen visa now.
So if we were to drive to Czech from UK via France Germany etc then noneea member only need visa from Czech as it was our final Destination and do not need visa to France and Germany. However if the Final destination was going to be France then Need Visa from France embassy.

HTH

[skiesowner]

Hiiiiii I am so happy, I applied the 28/07 and today I received my letter with both passports and my endorsment.....It was issued the 04/08 IT MEANS IT TOOK JUST 5 TO WORK IT OUT...namely I am Tunisian my wife Polish and had already the EEA1....

[kuka]

I'm so happy for both skiesowner, petra and aspecialy for OmarA! Congrats guys!

However still do not understand why people who applied this year jul,aug has their RC already, It's NOT FAIR!!!!

Maybe there is a point to withdraw old application and apply again, maybe it will be faster then?

[OmarA]

Family members of an European Union citizen (excepting French national)

The foreign spouse of a EU national (except French national) may enter France without visa if they are holding:

* a valid travel document;
* a valid UK residence permit with the endorsement "family member of EEA national" (this endorsment is compulsory to be visa exempted) ;
* and if they are joining or travelling with the EU national.

However if you do not satisfy the above conditions, you will need to apply for a visa to travel to France (for instance if your residency is not explicit or if you are travelling to France for business).

Note that children and parents of EU Nationals still require visas to travel to France.(I dont understand this bit either?) It’s also the case for the spouses of British citizens as their residence permit does not bear the endorsment " family member of EEA national" as required by the art 10 of the European Council/Parliament Directive 2004/38 CE.

You can read further on:
http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/Family-mem ... opean.html
******************************************************

So this means that my wife does not require a visa when traveling to France or other Schengen countries with me?

Could someone translate the last bit which starts with: Note children and parents of EU...etc. ( My French English is not so well )

I will make another post later one about our whole story with the Home Office. Its not clear to me why some of you did get their permit so quick?

[OmarA]

Hiiiiii I am so happy, I applied the 28/07 and today I received my letter with both passports and my endorsment.....It was issued the 04/08 IT MEANS IT TOOK JUST 5 TO WORK IT OUT...namely I am Tunisian my wife Polish and had already the EEA1....

I am very happy for you! It might have been the fact that your wife already had EEA1 which why it did speed things up for you. Mabrook.

petra@ Im happy for you too.

Are you British Citizen? and your partner non EU? Or are you EU Citizen?

[kuka]

Hiiiiii I am so happy, I applied the 28/07 and today I received my letter with both passports and my endorsment.....It was issued the 04/08 IT MEANS IT TOOK JUST 5 TO WORK IT OUT...namely I am Tunisian my wife Polish and had already the EEA1....

I am very happy for you! It might have been the fact that your wife already had EEA1 which why it did speed things up for you. Mabrook.

petra@ Im happy for you too.

Are you British Citizen? and your partner non EU? Or are you EU Citizen?

I had mine EEA1 when we have sent my husband's EEA2 application in October 2008 and as you can see we are still waiting...
I don't think it affects the application.

[skiesowner]

Hiiiiii I am so happy, I applied the 28/07 and today I received my letter with both passports and my endorsment.....It was issued the 04/08 IT MEANS IT TOOK JUST 5 TO WORK IT OUT...namely I am Tunisian my wife Polish and had already the EEA1....

I am very happy for you! It might have been the fact that your wife already had EEA1 which why it did speed things up for you. Mabrook.

petra@ Im happy for you too.

Are you British Citizen? and your partner non EU? Or are you EU Citizen?

before applying for my EEA2 we booked in Croydon for my wife EEA1 resident card that she had in 4 hours (you book by phone and appointments are in the range of 3 weeks) then I applied..I was supposed to receive my COA but I received my passport

[sharmarina]

unbelievable ! Tears on my eyes... I am excessively typing letters and checking my e-mail in hope for responce, every spare minute and all for nothing... Almost 13 months... I do not get it... Not fair!
Sorry, for being selfish- congrats you, guys, truly happy for you !

[kuka]

unbelievable ! Tears on my eyes... I am excessively typing letters and checking my e-mail in hope for responce, every spare minute and all for nothing... Almost 13 months... I do not get it... Not fair!
Sorry, for being selfish- congrats you, guys, truly happy for you !

Totally agree with you sharmarina! It's so cruel.... no energy left in me to fight...

[aussiegirl]

The only people who have the answer to the Schengen question must be those that have experienced it for themselves. I'm a non-visa national so I can move freely in the EU - I don't know the situation for others, although I have a Colombian friend who is resident in the UK (EEA2) and still needs a Schengen visa to go to mainland Europe.

I just copied the following from Wikipedia (OK is not the most definitive guide out there but it seems well referenced):

"Third-country nationals who are holders of a residence title of a Schengen state may freely enter into and stay in any other Schengen state for a period of up to three months....

The right of entry without additional visa was extended to the non-EEA family members of EEA nationals exercising their treaty right of free movement who hold a valid residence card or residence permit of their EEA host country and wish to visit any other EEA member state for a short stay up to 90 days.[57][58][59] This is implied in Directive 2004/38/EC, Article 5(2) provided that they travel together with the EEA national or join their spouse/partner at a later date (Article 6(2)).

Several member countries (as at December 2008), however, do not follow the Directive in this respect[60][61] [62] to the effect that non-EEA family members living in non-Schengen EU countries may still face difficulties (denial of boarding the vessel by the transport company, denial to enter by border police) when travelling to certain Schengen countries with their residence permit alone."

[sharmarina]

Totally agree with you sharmarina! It's so cruel.... no energy left in me to fight...[/quote]
Yes! That's the feeling! Exhausted ... Like that thing when you keep repeating one word again and again for a long time it loosing it's sense ; same here... Just want to wake up one morning, open my eyes and forget about this nightmare, free from this burden... So, big question is- when? , God, when it's going to happen!?

[sharmarina]

I think not to get confused in all guidelines and what applies to you personal circumstances or not... it is best to call to your own embassy and speak in person to representative about current conditions on sheneghan visas (or embassy of country you are going to )

[skiesowner]

I think that the key is to consider the person who will check your application as an absolute ignorant, I mean I applied with all the docs they need, well divided and well presented in the sense that he will have every thing underhand and all answers out with no mess namely I had no problems before with immigration rules...that's it....anyway I am so sorry for all the rest of you guys and wish you good luck

[kuka]

little update:

Phoned today 2 times to HO regarding my husband's EEA2 application.
First time answered indian lady and she was not very helpful, the same stuff about case worker.
But second time answered nice guy, who was very helpful and really tried to help me and explain the situation, from whom I found out that the application was with caseworker since 6th August and that now average waiting times for EEA2 are 10-13month(!!!!!)
Also he looked through our application and asured me that there is no problem with it ad all our documentation are in order and correct! Thanks for that a least!
So we have to wait again....no choice...but wait

[sharmarina]

we too sent all the required documents in proper order and presentation... The only thing is I don,t have EEA1 myself, but in the start of this whole process I been reassured that it's ok and won't affect my husbands application.
Kuka, I've also recieved answers and explanations like this- but I doesn't matter... first it was up to 8 months ,then 8-10, then 10-12...and so on... Once it's actually with caseworker it should take 2-3 weeks to process... Mine is still in the q awaiting for caseworker but allocated to a caseworkers team.. So if it is with caseworker, you might get good news any time soon...! Just keep ringing them.

[aussiegirl]

Good luck all of you - persistence pays, and luck as well. I think processing times are just luck. That's all. I don't believe that anyone who sent their application in 2008 got it back within 2-3 weeks, no matter how thorough they were or what country they are from. There's just a huge backlog and they're trying to improve the average waiting time by rapidly processing new applications.

Sharmarina - have you heard back from your MP yet? If not, you should ring the office or even go down there and ask to see their immigration caseworker in person and explain the desperate state of the situation. I believe the UKBA has a legal obligation to respond to MP enquiries within a set period. This is your best chance to get things sped up. Ringing the hotline does no good at all and will not speed up the process one minute in 99% of cases (it worked for me, but it was a slightly different reason why that worked as I was about to lose my job and/or be kicked out of the country). If you fax them or post a letter, it will be put on your file and referred to as official correspondence. If you email or phone, it will not and there will be no record of your complaint.

[skiesowner]

guys try to check the number of the department that is dealing with ur application...mine was department 7 and if I remember well it is a new one dealing with new applications

[kuka]

we too sent all the required documents in proper order and presentation... The only thing is I don,t have EEA1 myself, but in the start of this whole process I been reassured that it's ok and won't affect my husbands application.
Kuka, I've also recieved answers and explanations like this- but I doesn't matter... first it was up to 8 months ,then 8-10, then 10-12...and so on... Once it's actually with caseworker it should take 2-3 weeks to process... Mine is still in the q awaiting for caseworker but allocated to a caseworkers team.. So if it is with caseworker, you might get good news any time soon...! Just keep ringing them.

Thank you sharmarina, hopefuly it won't be no longer. And you are right they can tell you anything just to get rid of you! So, I hope there is the light in the end of tunnel for all of us!

[sharmarina]

still waiting for light to appear ...
Aussiegirl -you are star! Thanks for all you advice, wishing you all the best, fantastic wedding and happy married (and general) life! Altought IWould like to live in Australia rather then Uk.
my Mp is on hollyday till september(which is soon YEY! ) and holding public surgeries every first full weekend of the monts- oh, I'll be there... but right now I have to leave this tension asside, and concentrate on getting my daughter ready for school!
My latest news are- sent today recorded letters to liverpool and NWSCU :..
Tried to call, but no luck anyway, and no time to hang on the phone for 2 hours...

[sensiblejunglist]

Submitted a joint EEA1 and EEA2 application last december, still awaiting some sort of response. So far just a CoA, nothing else.

1. I wrote to our local MP 3 weeks ago and received a standard letter saying they'd received my request and would look into it. (update: just today 28 Aug received a response from H.O. to my MP saying "I can confrim that we received the application of XXX. It is currently awating consideration and notification fo the result will be sent as soon as possible. Unfortunately I cannot give an accurate indication as to when this will be, as due to a number of extenuating circumstances, we are experiencing delays in this area. While I appreciate this is frustrating for your constituent I can ssure you that we are undertaking a series of remedial actions which ill ensure we are operating within service standards from end of November 2009"

2. Have emailed and posted weekly letters to the UKBA for 3 weeks now (politely but firmly stating that they are dragging over 6 months and thus breaching EU law). No response.

3. Emailed Solvit 3 weeks ago, their French office replied saying they had passed the case to the UK Solvit branch. No news since.

4. Wrote to several MEPs, one whose caseworker replied saying tthe below (edited):

"The problem of getting the kind of documentation you refer to seems to be becoming more commonplace. Even though it would appear to be a matter of European legislation it is in fact a matter for national governments how they resource this work and how quickly they respond to such requests. In general your 8 London MEPs represent you in the European Parliament. They scrutinise proposed European laws and the budget of the European Union, and provide oversight of its other decision-making bodies. In contrast your XXXXX local MP represents you in the House of Commons. The House of Commons is responsible for making laws in the UK and for overall scrutiny of all aspects of government. This includes overseeing the work of the Home Office and immigration matters. I think in your case XXXXX as your local MP is the best elected representative to assist you with your problems."

So... the wait continues..

ps. when the H.O. goes on about "taking remedial actions to solve the delay" do they really just mean they will finally hire enough staff to handle applications properly?

[splitz]

Hi guys,
Im german passport holder my wife is south-african,
she is applying for eea2, its 6 months now, I have a letter but can someone please tell me where to email complaints to? as our 6 months from sending in the application has expired, so Im all complaints ready to fire, When we sent our application off they said 6 months , so they are breaking their own procedures,

As for the shengan ,we are stuck aswell, would really like to travel but no one can tell as what to do,She can gain re-entry to the UK if she travels with me, gives customs her COA or travels with the marriage certificate, but no on can tell us if she needs a shengan to gain entry into the EU,?

PLease help

[george21]

i recieved my residence permit on thursday, thanks to everyone who replied my message in my time of need. My applicaton took just over two months. am very happy

[sharmarina]

another season is over.... And still no news from HO...
Congrats to George21 -another lucky case...
Splitz, did you complain ? Do you still need an address where to write?

[pdykid]

Hi guys,
Im german passport holder my wife is south-african,
she is applying for eea2, its 6 months now, I have a letter but can someone please tell me where to email complaints to? as our 6 months from sending in the application has expired, so Im all complaints ready to fire, When we sent our application off they said 6 months , so they are breaking their own procedures,

As for the shengan ,we are stuck aswell, would really like to travel but no one can tell as what to do,She can gain re-entry to the UK if she travels with me, gives customs her COA or travels with the marriage certificate, but no on can tell us if she needs a shengan to gain entry into the EU,?

PLease help

Email Complaints to: NWCSU@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk