Hi asian_atheart,
Yes, I am so relieved now as with the RC, it will be much easier for me to find a job here. It was really a long process since the beginning when I applied for EEA1 and EEA2.
Me and my partner were together for more than 5 years when I applied for EEA1 and EEA2. We lived together from time to time, but not really a long length since we both lived in different cities. So, when I applied for EEA1, I provided a bunch of documents to proof our "akin to marriage" relationship.
I arrived in the UK last year in October and I applied for the EEA2 in Feb this year. So basically my EEA1 expired one month after I received my COA. Even though I have HKSAR passport, as I am living in the UK now without returning to HK, I do need a visa if I want to come back to the UK while travelling somewhere else. Otherwise I am supposed to be not allowed to live in the UK with only my passport. Therefore it was a problem for me once when I came back from Paris. But after being stuck at the immigration of 30 minutes, finally they allowed me to come back and warned me not leaving the UK again. On the other hand, I did leave for few more times but it was with my partner and every time was by plane, apparently it wasn't a problem anymore while travelling with my partner even with my expired EEA1.
For the applying for EEA2, again, I gathered a lot of documents to send to the HO. I also put a Table of Content for the HO to read in order to be more organised, and show what documents can be retained by the HO, what documents have to be returned to me. I think you must be organised in order to help the officers to read your documents more easily.
Here is the list of things I provided to the HO:
1. Personal details
- my passport and ID copies and photos
2. My sponsor (which is my partner)
- my partner's passport and ID copies and photos
3. Immigration history and previous documentation
- a list of locations a travelled in the previous years which can be shown in my passport
4. Proof of our durable relationship
- Common bank account: this is the joint account I had with my partner both in Hong Kong and in the UK. Y
- Common address: although we did not live together for a long period of time, we did live together here and there for few months. So, we got all the letters or bills with either both of our names or separately.
- Photographs: this is a big part of the relationship proof. I provided the photos since we met, which is more than 5 years. All the places we have been to together, I included. It is to show we have been travelling together a lot of time or spending a lot of time together at the same time. They are all the print outs from my computer, or the photos I put on Facebook, or somewhere else. Ideally if you can show photos from every month, it would be good.
- Evident how we kept in contact with each other: I provided all the proofs showing our contacts, such as phone call record, emails, whatsapp, facebook message, Gmail hangout, SMS, Skype. All means I used I put them there. For some of the applications such as Skype or Whatspp, I did not really show the conversation, I use some apps to show the statistics how frequent our communication was. Again, it was based on monthly record.
- Testimonial letters from families and friends about our relationship: we asked our parents and our friends to write us letters and proof that we have meet long time ago and always been a lovely couple.
- Flight / train tickets on travelling: for all our travels, I tried to find the tickets that we took together to proof that we always tavel together as a couple
- Post card, gift card, birthday card, valentine's card, wedding invitation card/ thank you card, even certificated: all the cards that someone sent to us, or we offer to each other, I sent them to the HO.
5. Sponsor is an EEA national worker
- my partner's employment contract and letter from the employer
- my partner's payslip
- my partner's bank statements
6. Other evidence not listed above (the above are listed according to what was being mentioned when you do the application. I don't know if it is changed now)
- My cover letter proving how much commitment I have with my partner
- My partner's cover letter proving how much commitment he has with me
- My profile including CV, study history, work history, TB certificate
- My partner's profile including CV, study history, work history
- Me and my partner's saving together
- Me and my partner's insurance coverage in the UK
All the above documents, if I have the original copy such as the post cards/bank statements, I would send both original copy and photo copy. If I don't have, such as photos from my computer, then I just print them out and sent them.
I hope the above info can help some of you for your future applications. Good luck for your journey guys!
asian_atheart wrote:Hi London2015Feb!
Congratulations on your RC! you must be so relieved! Can you share a bit about the length of your relationship and what supporting documents you sent? As the unmarried partner route comes under more scrutiny I'm sure those planning to apply would love to hear from other's experiences.
Also you mentioned in your post that you travelled with your expired EEA1?? Do you mean Family Permit? If you hold a Hong Kong SAR Passport I'm guessing you are considered as a non Visa national for UK and Schengen countries so it should not have affected travel in any case.
Regards
London2015Feb wrote:Hi everyone,
I finally got my RC today. Can't tell how much I am excited now.
Thanks everyone's contribution in this forum. I really think it helps a lot the others during this long waiting time.
Sending EEA(EFM) form: 16 Feb 2015
Received by Home office: 17 Feb 2015
Application fee deducted from my bank account: 19 Feb 2015
COA received: 24 Feb 2015 (dated 21 Feb 2015)
RC received: 2 Jul 2015 (dated: 30 Jun 2015)
I did not request my passport back but I did sent an empty envelope with stamp together with my application. Then then HO send me back my passport in end of Feb or beginning or Mar. So I got back my passport even I did not request it. After that, I did travel with my passport with my EEA1 expired. When I was travelling alone, I had problem at the immigration at Eurostar in Paris. But when I travelled with my partner, there was never a problem.
Myself: Hong Kong Chinese
My partner: French
EEA2 type: Unmarried Partner
Do stay positive everyone and your application in Feb and Mar will arrive soon.