EEA FP finally granted! how to proceed with the paperwork?

[katka1311]

First of all I would like to thank you very much to all of you for your advices, insights, and suggestions which I found very very helpful through the past couple of months while applying for the family permit for my non EEA husband, here in India.

After 4 months of trying, denying, again reapplying, we just get an approval from the British High Commision in India, and I have to say, that without the help of all of you/ especially 86ti/ this would not happen.
What really made the difference in our second application, I quess was the cover letter, which I wrote as a support letter for my husband refering to particular regulations in the Immigration law. Looks like we finally made the B.H.C. understand why they did not have a right to refuse us, and I am very very happy about that.

However, as we have a permit in our hands now, we are planning to relocate to the Uk in the next couple of weeks. Browsing throught the forums and the net I have some questions regarding the next step after arriving to the UK, where we both will actively look for a job. My questions are:
1. Can my husband work right away based on the EEA FP, is it enough to show the employer, or does he have to wait until I the EEA national find a job, register with WRS, get a NIN?
2. If he can work right away, and he does find a job first, should he apply for the Residence Card form EEA2(?) and I can do the same, so I can bypass the 12 months waiting time while registering with WRS? in this case I would have to apply for EEA1 and him EEA2? or just include him on my EEA1 form?
3. if we both find a job in the first six months, and I do have to register with WRS, /I am from an A8 state/, I get a NIN, I wait for the 12 months than I apply for the Residence card/EEA1/, does he have to apply for the Family member residence stamp during these first 12 months of my employment..if yes, which form?
4. Does my husband, if finds an employment should apply for NIN? where to get the form?
5. What happens, if things do not work out, and his FP expires and none of us will have a job still ? Can he extend his FP?
6. How about health care, he is a non EEA national, is he eligable for public health care like the EU nationals?
7. We are travelling to the UK also with our 2 year old daughter. However I am planning to bring her home to Slovakia/ to my mother/ at least for the first couple of weeks. My question is. After entering the UK, all together, can I just go to Slovakia, for a week and leave my Non EEA husband in UK..would he be still legal in the Uk not having a job yet, even if I left just for a couple days?
8. If we wrote on our application that all 3 of us are travelling together, but we would go to Slovakia first to "drop" our daughter and then proceed to the UK without her, would it matter?

[craftynick]

Sorry i cant help with most of these answers but i do know that your husband will be able to work immediately on arrival with his FP though you will need to apply for a national insurance number as soon as you get here. They will give you a letter when you apply & most employers will accept this until the actual number is issued. Not sure about other parts of UK but it took about 2 weeks for my husband's number to be issued.

He will also be entitled to free medical treatment as soon as he arrives.

Hope this helps.

[katka1311]

I have to apply for the NIN after I will find employment? is that correct? and which one first..the Workers Register Scheme /since I am form an A8 states/, or the NIN?

[86ti]

Congratulations on your success! Good to hear that the BHC finally came to the right conclusion.

As far as I know there is no requirement to have a NINO to be able to work though some employers may think so. You will get it from a dedicated jobcentre. They will ask for proof of your job searching. A confirmation from an employer having received an application may be enough.

To be considered a job seeker you will have to apply actively for jobs and keep all proof of it. Also make sure to register your unemployment with the job centre. If you can't find a job your only option may be to become self-sufficient. Unfortunately, this would also require you to take out a private health insurance plan for the whole family.

[jumpingzombie]

I'll try to answer based on my experiences...

1.As an EEA FP holder, your husband certainly has a right to work in the UK.But the thing is, some employers aren't willing to employ people having visa that's going to be expired only 6months later...

2.Your husband needs to apply for the family member residence stamp at first, while you need to register for the worker registration scheme unless you're going to be self-employed.
When you complete 12months to be registered in WRS, you can apply for the registration certificate by EEA1 form, and then your husband can apply for the resident card by EEA2 form. You can send both of the forms as a combined application in an envelope.

3.You need to register in WRS unless you're self employed, as you're from one of the A8countries. I think it's required to complete 12months being registered in WRS to apply for a registration certificate(again except self-employed).
Your husband's EEA FP is valid for 6month, so it's definitely going to be expired while you exercise Treaty rights in the UK.So, your husband needs a family member residence stamp by the form FMRS to cover rest of the period after his EEA FP is expired.

4. It's not obligation to get a NIN, but some employers require to have it. My case was that I called the job center, and they sent me the form, I filled it in and sent it back, then I received a letter saying my NIN. A genuine plastic NIN card was sent sometime later.

5.I'm not sure about this question,but I think the EEA FP isn't extendable as it's entry clearance??

6.He can register to a GP, as long as he lives in the UK.

7.As he's an EEA FP holder, it's legal to stay in the UK even if you,an EEA citizen spouse isn't in the country such a short time. Both of you just need to live together as a married couple.

8. Personaly, I don't see any problems that you and your husband don't bring your daughter back to the UK.... It's not the UKBA's business, is it??

[86ti]

No, the EEA FP is not extendable. The idea is to pply for either the FRMS or the RC (depending on situation). Neither are obligatory but good to have.

[katka1311]

so my I guess the first thing to do after arriving to the UK, is register at the closest Jobcenter. Is that correct? after registering with them they will also take care of my NIN number, and probably my husbands number is..can HE get a NIN, if he is on family permit? and one thing...I 've been reading a story of a couple, who after getting their FP approved find it quiet diffucult to find a job for the husband, who has been "walking around" with his passport and trying to prove to the potential employers his proof that he is eligible to work. now, if the FP is valid for this 6 months, how do we prove them, that he has a right to work even after the FP is expired...what should our argument be...should we really just carry also a print out of the Immiration law? what is the best way to explain this?
and one more thing..I heard it is quiet difficult to open a bank account, to register at the doctor, etc without the "proof of address" so how do we that? thank you so much for your help, once again.
And yeah, I understand now, that after me finding a job, I will register with WRS get a card from them , and after recieving all this toward the expiration date of my husbands FP we will apply for the FMRS. I just hope he will be able to find a job till then.

[katka1311]

about our daughter..we definetly want her to be with us, just at the beginning we thought would be easier if she would stay with my mom in Slovakia...I would travel back to slovakia rihgt after arriving with my husband to the UK, would leave my husband in UK for a week, or just couple days, and bring my daughter home, then come back again..the point is here I guess that we have to enter together with my husband, and since he does not have a Slovakian visa/ however I will try to get it for him before we go/ if that does not happen we cannot stop in Slovakia first and then go to England even if it would be easier.

[jumpingzombie]

I guess the first thing to do after arriving to the UK, is register at the closest Jobcenter. Is that correct?

You can look for jobs without NIN, or while you apply and wait for it as well.

can HE get a NIN, if he is on family permit?

Yes,he can. I'm an EEA FP holder and I've got a NIN.
When I called the job center, they asked me what type of visa I had, then I answered as it was EEA FP. After that, they sent me the form for NIN to my address.

I 've been reading a story of a couple, who after getting their FP approved find it quiet diffucult to find a job for the husband, who has been "walking around" with his passport and trying to prove to the potential employers his proof that he is eligible to work. now, if the FP is valid for this 6 months, how do we prove them, that he has a right to work even after the FP is expired...what should our argument be...should we really just carry also a print out of the Immiration law? what is the best way to explain this?

Actualy, it seems that's how it is to look for jobs for EEA FP holders...
Usually, employers ask job seekers about their visa status unless they're EEA citizens. Then, even if employers know EEA FP holders are eligible to work, they aren't willing to employ the FP holders when they recognise their visa is going to be expired in the near future.

I joined my husband last December,and started looking for jobs in January. I wanted to find a full time job, but when I mentioned about my visa, an employer said they'd been recruiting people having automatical right to work in the UK or the ones having a resident card already. I explained that I was a potential resident card holder, but it didn't work
It's written that EEA citizens and their families have the right to work in the UK here, http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/eucit ... s/#header4, but it's up to employers if they understand it...

I heard it is quiet difficult to open a bank account, to register at the doctor, etc without the "proof of address" so how do we that?

Yes, it's defficult to prove a living address just after moving in to a new place...
As you're one on the EEA citizens, you don't need to prove your address to open a bank account in Lloyds bank, at least. You just need to prove your nationarity. I'm not sure how it's like in other banks, but infomation about proof of ID in Lloyds bank is written here.
http://www.lloydstsb.com/stand_alone/proof_id.asp

Usually, we can show bills(except mobile bill) or bank statements from another bank to prove our address to open a bank account. They don't accept the tenancy agreement, although it's acceptable to register to the GP

[katka1311]

thank you jumpingzombie for the useful info, I just checked the website of the bank, it might come handy in the future...