CAN EEA1 CERTIFICATE BE BACKDATED?????

[Rozen]

I wonder if anyone can shed some light on this....

My Belgian friend relocated from Belgium to the UK in May last year, and has been working here in England ever since, on a full time basis. She never applied for an EEA1 certificate when she arrived last year (as it is not compulsory), but is thinking of doing so now, as proof that she has been exercising her Treaty rights in the UK.

The initial EEA1 certificate lasts for five years, before she can apply for the EEA3 for permanent residency. Her dilemma is this.... Will her EEA1 certificate be backdated to the May 2006 when she actually began working in the UK (she has the work contracts and all the documents to prove this), or will the 5 year clock start ticking from the time she applies?

[Docterror]

The initial EEA1 certificate lasts for five years, before she can apply for the EEA3 for permanent residency

Not necessarily. If your friend intends to exercise the treaty rights indefinitely, the Registration Certificate(EEA1) will not have an expiry date.

The Registration Certificate will not be back-dated to May 2006 but ask her to keep all the documents that she has been exercising her treaty rights since May 2006 as the clock started ticking for the 5 year needed for her Permanent Residency back then and not when her Registration Certificate gets issued.