Comprehensive sickness insurance cover (CSI) !!!! NEED HELP

[fasi2530]

Hello Everyone

I got many information from this website and you all guise doing fantastic job. my question is regarding (Comprehensive sickness insurance cover)

what it is ? I am Non -EEA national going to apply for EEA FM RC in coming month. being a family member of and EU/EEA national do I still need to pay for this Insurance? do my wife (EEA National) also need to pay this CSI ? if yes

RC is for 5 years VISA do I have to pay for 5 years CSI ?

how much is for 1 month and from where do I have to pay for this CSI and get the CSI letter to submit with EEA FM application.

please guide me as I do not about this matter.

many thanks in advance

[noajthan]

Hello Everyone

I got many information from this website and you all guise doing fantastic job. my question is regarding (Comprehensive sickness insurance cover)

what it is ? I am Non -EEA national going to apply for EEA FM RC in coming month. being a family member of and EU/EEA national do I still need to pay for this Insurance? do my wife (EEA National) also need to pay this CSI ? if yes

RC is for 5 years VISA do I have to pay for 5 years CSI ?

how much is for 1 month and from where do I have to pay for this CSI and get the CSI letter to submit with EEA FM application.

please guide me as I do not about this matter.

many thanks in advance

If an EEA national exercising treaty rights in UK is doing so as a student or as a self-sufficient person then they (and dependent family member/s) need to have CSI in place.

A student in UK just for study (& planning to return home at the end of the course) may be able to use an EHIC card from their home country.
Otherwise a CSI policy would be required.

Various commercial providers offer CSI; it's just a case of googling & shopping around.
I do not require CSI & so cannot comment on the merits of these providers & their CSI policies.

if you do need CSI then be aware it cannot be back-dated.
Any period in UK when CSI was required but the person did not have CSI means that time in UK will not be counted towards obtaining PR.

So if your spouse is a student or self-sufficient person you both need CSI in place.
However if your spouse is a worker or self-employed (or jobseeker) then CSI is not required.

[fasi2530]

Hello Everyone

I got many information from this website and you all guise doing fantastic job. my question is regarding (Comprehensive sickness insurance cover)

what it is ? I am Non -EEA national going to apply for EEA FM RC in coming month. being a family member of and EU/EEA national do I still need to pay for this Insurance? do my wife (EEA National) also need to pay this CSI ? if yes

RC is for 5 years VISA do I have to pay for 5 years CSI ?

how much is for 1 month and from where do I have to pay for this CSI and get the CSI letter to submit with EEA FM application.

please guide me as I do not about this matter.

many thanks in advance

If an EEA national exercising treaty rights in UK is doing so as a student or as a self-sufficient person then they (and dependent family member/s) need to have CSI in place.

A student in UK just for study (& planning to return home at the end of the course) may be able to use an EHIC card from their home country.
Otherwise a CSI policy would be required.

Various commercial providers offer CSI; it's just a case of googling & shopping around.
I do not require CSI & so cannot comment on the merits of these providers & their CSI policies.

if you do need CSI then be aware it cannot be back-dated.
Any period in UK when CSI was required but the person did not have CSI means that time in UK will not be counted towards obtaining PR.

So if your spouse is a student or self-sufficient person you both need CSI in place.
However if your spouse is a worker or self-employed (or jobseeker) then CSI is not required.

Hi Noajthan

many many thanks for the brief reply its really help. I came on 6th on Septmeber 2015. me and my wife looking for work we are not self employed. perhaps we are self sufficient but not for long time so we have to apply for jobs and we are still looking. so you mean to say if me and my wife doing job then we should taking payslips to show in visa application. ?

I was confuse on Qualified Person is that person should be a graduate or Masters in his qualification? what are the qualified means here in EEA FM application.

please help us with your knowledge. many thanks in advance

[noajthan]

...

Hi Noajthan

many many thanks for the brief reply its really help. I came on 6th on Septmeber 2015. me and my wife looking for work we are not self employed. perhaps we are self sufficient but not for long time so we have to apply for jobs and we are still looking. so you mean to say if me and my wife doing job then we should taking payslips to show in visa application. ?

I was confuse on Qualified Person is that person should be a graduate or Masters in his qualification? what are the qualified means here in EEA FM application.

please help us with your knowledge. many thanks in advance

fasi,

Welcome to the UK.

In this context qualified person does not mean a degree holder.

Under EU rules, it is simply a person (EEA national) who is in UK exercising treaty rights.
That means someone in one of the following categories:
a worker or self-employed or jobseeker or student or self-sufficient person.

In your case, your wife as the EEA national is the qualified person.

Whichever category your wife is in you have to make sure you keep the evidence.
You will need this documentary evidence for RC & permanent residence (PR) applications (etc) later on.

You can only achieve settled status (PR) in UK by exercising treaty rights as a qualified person continuously for 5 years.
That means being any combination of:
a worker or self-employed or jobseeker (or student or self-sufficient person).

If your wife is looking for work at the moment then the category is jobseeker.
(As you are dependnt it doesn't matter what you are doing).

A jobseeker is ok (for up to 6 months I believe).
(CSI is not required).
Suggest register with the Job Centre; also keep copies of all application letters, letters about interviews & letters about job offers.

If employed (a worker), keep a copy of job contract, payslips, tax documents, (P60 etc).

Good luck.

[noajthan]

P.S. In the above explanation, I mean your wife can achieve PR by exercising treaty rights for 5 years.

Don't worry, you can achieve PR too - as the dependent family member of an EEA national (your wife) who is exercising her treaty rights.

So both of you could have settled status in around 5 years if you stay in the UK.

[fasi2530]

...

Hi Noajthan

many many thanks for the brief reply its really help. I came on 6th on Septmeber 2015. me and my wife looking for work we are not self employed. perhaps we are self sufficient but not for long time so we have to apply for jobs and we are still looking. so you mean to say if me and my wife doing job then we should taking payslips to show in visa application. ?

I was confuse on Qualified Person is that person should be a graduate or Masters in his qualification? what are the qualified means here in EEA FM application.

please help us with your knowledge. many thanks in advance

fasi,

Welcome to the UK.

In this context qualified person does not mean a degree holder.

Under EU rules, it is simply a person (EEA national) who is in UK exercising treaty rights.
That means someone in one of the following categories:
a worker or self-employed or jobseeker or student or self-sufficient person.

In your case, your wife as the EEA national is the qualified person.

Whichever category your wife is in you have to make sure you keep the evidence.
You will need this documentary evidence for RC & permanent residence (PR) applications (etc) later on.

You can only achieve settled status (PR) in UK by exercising treaty rights as a qualified person continuously for 5 years.
That means being any combination of:
a worker or self-employed or jobseeker (or student or self-sufficient person).

If your wife is looking for work at the moment then the category is jobseeker.
(As you are dependnt it doesn't matter what you are doing).

A jobseeker is ok (for up to 6 months I believe).
(CSI is not required).
Suggest register with the Job Centre; also keep copies of all application letters, letters about interviews & letters about job offers.

If employed (a worker), keep a copy of job contract, payslips, tax documents, (P60 etc).

Good luck.

Hi Noajthan

many thanks for this information its really help me allot and I hope other people will get help with this post.

now some more questions.

my wife just applied for NI and she got the reference number but NI will take 3 4 weeks as they said.
she is going to meet her mother as she is not well in USA so she will come back on 15th of October and then after she will start her job. sois that gonna effect on my EEA FM RC application.

and when she start working then after how many days we can apply for the RC FM as we have almost every thing ready except this Salary receipt which we will get after when she came back.

many thanks in advance .

[noajthan]

...

Hi Noajthan

many thanks for this information its really help me allot and I hope other people will get help with this post.

now some more questions.

my wife just applied for NI and she got the reference number but NI will take 3 4 weeks as they said.
she is going to meet her mother as she is not well in USA so she will come back on 15th of October and then after she will start her job. sois that gonna effect on my EEA FM RC application.

and when she start working then after how many days we can apply for the RC FM as we have almost every thing ready except this Salary receipt which we will get after when she came back.

many thanks in advance .

My understanding is short trips abroad by an EEA national are acceptable.
For example, absences up to 6 months do not stop the clock ticking away towards acquiring PR.

To be prudent make sure you have some papers & letters to show your wife was job-seeking before she leaves UK.

In any case, as you have just arrived in UK, you have a 3 months period of grace before your sponsor (spouse) has to be exercising treaty rights.
But if you do use this time as a grace period then it won't count towards PR.

As your wife is your sponsor let's see what other members advise about any impact on your stay in UK.

The RC is ofcourse for you (& your wife doesn't really need a residence certificate).
If you entered on a family permit that should be valid for 6 months.

So you can apply for RC when you are ready, once all documents are ready.
Note: They do take time to be processed (weeks/months) so, although you don't have to do it the very week your wife returns, it's probably advisable the sooner the better;

You can track timelines in another thread in the forum too.

[salmuzeey]

Hey There

Can you please advice me on my case: Do I aso need a CSI-I am a student in the Uk however I also work part tym-? Should i get a CSI for both me and my wife to be on the safest side or just submit my payslips...we have been married since May but will apply for the family permit in Dec (ill go visit her and hopefully will travel back together)

[noajthan]

Hey There

Can you please advice me on my case: Do I aso need a CSI-I am a student in the Uk however I also work part tym-? Should i get a CSI for both me and my wife to be on the safest side or just submit my payslips...we have been married since May but will apply for the family permit in Dec (ill go visit her and hopefully will travel back together)

In principle, an EEA national exercising treaty rights in UK in the student category of qualified persons needs to hold a form of health insurance for themself & dependent/s.

However it depends on your precise circumstances.
CSI can be provided by insurance policy or EU-issued EHIC card (in some circumstances).

What is your nationality?
What is wife's nationality?
Is your spouse in UK? (it seems not)
How long have you been in UK?
What kind of course are you on?
How long do you intend to stay in UK ? (just for period of study, or longer-term?)
How significant is your part-time work - is it subsidiary to your studies or a major part of your week?

[salmuzeey]

Hey There

Can you please advice me on my case: Do I aso need a CSI-I am a student in the Uk however I also work part tym-? Should i get a CSI for both me and my wife to be on the safest side or just submit my payslips...we have been married since May but will apply for the family permit in Dec (ill go visit her and hopefully will travel back together)

In principle, an EEA national exercising treaty rights in UK in the student category of qualified persons needs to hold a form of health insurance for themself & dependent/s.

However it depends on your precise circumstances.
CSI can be provided by insurance policy or EU-issued EHIC card (in some circumstances).

What is your nationality?
What is wife's nationality?
Is your spouse in UK? (it seems not)
How long have you been in UK?
What kind of course are you on?
How long do you intend to stay in UK ? (just for period of study, or longer-term?)
How significant is your part-time work - is it subsidiary to your studies or a major part of your week?

Thank you so much for your quick response
Am Dutch and wife is Tanzania( she was on a student visa but left the UK in 2014)
I have been in the UK since 2010-came in to study
I am in full time education in my final yr now-Bsc
We havent decided yet-we dont mind leaving even if she doesn't have the PR it depends on me getting a proper job offer
I work 20hrs a week

Meanwhile i need to know if we both need a cover bearing in mind that i am a student as well as a part tym worker.Again thanks for your help really appreciate it

[secret.simon]

Part-time work should be sufficient to claim "exercising treaty rights" status. But remember, it is your part-time work (and any job-seeking) that will count for the purposes of exercising treaty rights, not your student status (which only counts if you have CSI).

So, when you apply for your PR card (that is optional), you will have to submit proof of having worked (part-time) or having sought work (job-seeking) for five continuous years. No breaks are allowed in the exercise of treaty rights. You can of course take holidays from work, but as your status is still that of being a worker, you are still exercising treaty rights.

So, if you have been here since 2010 and have been working here since 2010, you should be eligible for PR this year.

Your wife will qualify for PR after she has been in the UK for five continuous years with you exercising treaty rights. So, if she arrives in the UK in 2016, you must be working or seeking work between 2016 and 2021 and she must stay with you for that duration for her to get PR status.

[salmuzeey]

Part-time work should be sufficient to claim "exercising treaty rights" status. But remember, it is your part-time work (and any job-seeking) that will count for the purposes of exercising treaty rights, not your student status (which only counts if you have CSI).

So, when you apply for your PR card (that is optional), you will have to submit proof of having worked (part-time) or having sought work (job-seeking) for five continuous years. No breaks are allowed in the exercise of treaty rights. You can of course take holidays from work, but as your status is still that of being a worker, you are still exercising treaty rights.

So, if you have been here since 2010 and have been working here since 2010, you should be eligible for PR this year.

Your wife will qualify for PR after she has been in the UK for five continuous years with you exercising treaty rights. So, if she arrives in the UK in 2016, you must be working or seeking work between 2016 and 2021 and she must stay with you for that duration for her to get PR status.

Hey There

Thank you so much for your response.Kindly asking since i have been out of employment for the past 3 months-was staying with wifey at her home coutry-willl that affect my exercising of treaty right?(for obvious reason i wasnt on payroll).I have now resumed looking for job and soon will get into one-agency work-do u still advise when my wife log in her app in Dec i will be a qualified person being a worker bearing in mind the 3months gap or shud she just apply as a student's wife.Thank you again.

[noajthan]

Hey There

Thank you so much for your response.Kindly asking since i have been out of employment for the past 3 months-was staying with wifey at her home coutry-willl that affect my exercising of treaty right?(for obvious reason i wasnt on payroll).I have now resumed looking for job and soon will get into one-agency work-do u still advise when my wife log in her app in Dec i will be a qualified person being a worker bearing in mind the 3months gap or shud she just apply as a student's wife.Thank you again.

An absence of up to 6 months in one year does not interrupt your continuing residency on the basis of exercising treaty rights.

So a 3 months holiday is well within limits.
Note you were not 'unemployed' at this time you were on 'vacation'.

Regarding whether you are a 'student' or a 'worker', see this HO guidance which discusses the question of marginal work & Assessing whether the EEA national is a ‘worker’

Ref: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... s_v3_0.pdf
- see page 11 onwards

If you are now job-seeking you need to be registered as a job-seeker & logging all evidence of such job-seeking;
your aim should be a whole portfolio of comprehensive documentary evidence for every stage of your PR journey within UK.

For job-seeking that evidence could include application letters, interview-related letters, job offers & etc.

[secret.simon]

Note you were not 'unemployed' at this time you were on 'vacation'.

I disagree. I believe that you are allowed to take vacations in the sense of leave from work, so that you are still classified as a worker.

I am not entirely satisfied that a 3 month break between jobs or between two different exercises of treaty rights does not break exercise of treaty rights.

Having said that, other threads suggest that worker status persists six months beyond leaving work. So the OP should be fine. I am just disagreeing with noajthan's interpretation of "vacation".

[secret.simon]

This post in another thread may be relevant. I was not aware of it when I advised earlier about part-time work qualifying as "exercising treaty rights".

However, on more reading, that seems to be a specifically DWP rule that applies to specific benefits and may not apply to Home Office matters such as acquisition of PR.

[Petaltop]

...
If your wife is looking for work at the moment then the category is jobseeker.
(As you are dependnt it doesn't matter what you are doing).

A jobseeker is ok (for up to 6 months I believe).
(CSI is not required).
Suggest register with the Job Centre; also keep copies of all application letters, letters about interviews & letters about job offers.

Yes, 6 months only for jobseeker now and no right to reside in the UK as a jobseeker after that time for EU citizens unless they can prove they have a job offer and just about to start.

We can't claim jobseeker benefits for the first 3 months from the UK as we claim from out own EU country while we look for work in EEA. Not sure if they are now allowed to the use the NHS for free as the NHS check this using NIC payments? They might need to use their own EHICs to cover treatment for that 3 months?

2nd three months they can claim JSA for 3 months only and that JSA claim will give them NICs. No other UK benefits given anymore by UK since 2014.

But from March 2015 there is nothing for jobseekers arriving unless they are working in the UK, so no NICs either if they are looking for work. Not sure if this is just for the new replacement benefit Universal Credit?
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/eu-j ... sal-credit

[Petaltop]

Part-time work should be sufficient to claim "exercising treaty rights" status.

The UK brought in that worker qualified person must earn a MET (Minimum Earnings Threshold). They set that so they pay NICs, which needs minimum earnings of about £156 per week. If they don't earn that and aren't classed as a worker qualified person, then as a student qualified person wouldn't they need to buy a CSI to pay the NHS?
https://www.freemovement.org.uk/using-m ... ne-worker/

[secret.simon]

I can not seem to find the relevant regulations that introduce the MET.

But it seems to me that the MET is applicable only to the definitions of worker and job-seeker for the purposes of applying for benefits (i.e. only DWP related applications) and it likely does not apply to applications for PR and RC (Home Office related applications).

This Commons Library document seems to suggest that the only legal basis for the MET is a DWP internal circular that reinterprets EU law. I doubt that would be sufficient for Home Office purposes.

Ironically, the article that Petaltop cited is the same that I was going to cite as I came to exactly the opposite conclusion from the same article!!!

[noajthan]

Note you were not 'unemployed' at this time you were on 'vacation'.

Having said that, other threads suggest that worker status persists six months beyond leaving work. So the OP should be fine. I am just disagreeing with noajthan's interpretation of "vacation".

Fair enough.

My suggestion was to classify the time as 'vacation', if, for example, listing it in response to a question about absences from UK (& you have a choice over the terminology or categories used);
ie rather than categorising it explicitly as 'unemployed'.

[noajthan]

I can not seem to find the relevant regulations that introduce the MET.

But it seems to me that the MET is applicable only to the definitions of worker and job-seeker for the purposes of applying for benefits (i.e. only DWP related applications) and it likely does not apply to applications for PR and RC (Home Office related applications).

There seems to be a connection between MET & Immigration Regulations as explained by the champs at FreeMovement.

Ref: https://www.freemovement.org.uk/using-m ... ne-worker/

How will it affect EEA nationals?
The MET will affect EEA nationals in low paid work by limiting their entitlement to JSA(IB) to a maximum of six months due to the changes to the definition of a worker in reg.6 of the Immigration (European Economic Area) 2006 (inserted by SI 2013/3032, Sch 1, para 3) which provides:-

Only EEA nationals in receipt of JSA(IB) who have acquired the status of a worker and who have worked for more than 12 months can retain a right to reside here as a jobseeker for more than 6 months, so long as they are able to provide “compelling evidence” of seeking work and have a genuine chance of being engaged (Reg.6(7)).

Otherwise, EEA nationals in receipt of JSA(IB) may only retain jobseeker status for a maximum of 6 months.(Reg.6(4))

What is the policy aim behind the change?

The DWP Press release makes it clear that the policy behind the MET is aimed at EEA migrants who “claim to have been in work or self-employed in order to gain access to a wider range of benefits”

[noajthan]

Here is HMG viewpoint on this matter which is quite revealing:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mini ... introduced

[secret.simon]

I tend to agree with Rosebead in this thread. The MET, at the very least currently, applies only to DWP benefits, not Home Office applications.

All online information on the MET leads to the DWP. If the Home Office was implementing the new interpretation, we would have had the Home Office ministers fronting it, not DWP ministers.

I have not been able to find a single statutory instrument (SI) implementing this change. It is merely the DWP re-interpreting the definition of "worker" by means of an internal circular, which is the most official document relating to the MET that I could find online.

It is not in the Home Office interest to implement this new interpretation in any significant way. The key metric for the Home Office is net migration, which is not affected by reinterpreting the definition of worker (these migrants are already in the country), whereas the welfare budget claimed by EEA migrants is the visible metric of the DWP that is directly affected by this change.

[salmuzeey]

Thank you guys for all the information its indeed really helpful..i have decided to purchase CSI however my concern is should it cover us both...also we only have our traditional marriage cert which has been certfied by the ministry of foreign affairs(Tanzania) and we will notorised our cert at the Dutch Embassy aswell do will still need to submit a civil marriage cert? Again thank you all for the information cant thank u enough

[noajthan]

Thank you guys for all the information its indeed really helpful..i have decided to purchase CSI however my concern is should it cover us both...also we only have our traditional marriage cert which has been certfied by the ministry of foreign affairs(Tanzania) and we will notorised our cert at the Dutch Embassy aswell do will still need to submit a civil marriage cert? Again thank you all for the information cant thank u enough

CSI is required by the EEA national & all family members when EEA is exercising treaty rights in the category of student (or as a self-sufficient person).

[salmuzeey]

Thank you guys for all the information its indeed really helpful..i have decided to purchase CSI however my concern is should it cover us both...also we only have our traditional marriage cert which has been certfied by the ministry of foreign affairs(Tanzania) and we will notorised our cert at the Dutch Embassy aswell do will still need to submit a civil marriage cert? Again thank you all for the information cant thank u enough

CSI is required by the EEA national & all family members when EEA is exercising treaty rights in the category of student (or as a self-sufficient person).

Hey There

Thank you so much.Kindly asking since am now employed and earning jst above 153 per week i will not require any CSI right?( am sorry if am repeating myself)

Secondly my wife and I are planning to meet up in Spain what will be the best course of action i wil not be travelling with her so we are thinking she should apply for a schegen visa( will be in Spain for less than a week) will this create any sort of problem come Dec when she logs in her EEA family permit application?

I am really sorry if my questions sounds a bit stupid just being extremely cautious with the home office guys they might decide to reject the permit on absurd reasons