Excellent forum, lots of information indeed. Can I ask for your opinion in my case, which could be really straight forward.
I am an EU citizen, moved to work full time in the UK in Oct 2011. My wife, who is a non-EEA, joined my end of dec 2011 after we applied for a non-EEA family permit (not sure of the name, but it was valid for 6 months only).
In Feb 2012, we applied for the non-eea family member residency card (again, not sure of the name, but it is valid for 5 years and it is not really a card, it is a sticker on her passport). That was granted in May 2012.
We had our first child in July 2013. Child has the EU citizenship.
A couple of weeks ago (Mar 14, 2017), I applied for PR for all of us:
- - My self as a EU citizen employed full time ever since i arrived in Oct 2011
- My wife as a non-EEA family member, moved to the UK in Dec 2011 (as we can show on stamps on the passport)
- My child, who is a little over 3.5 years old (i realise from other post that this may have not been necessary).
- - I never received any confirmation of application, even though i could see payment taken by Euro,Liverpool on March 15, 2017. Is that normal? shall i try to contact them to check? Many people in this forum say they received some sort of acknowledgement within the first 2 weeks.
- I realise that my child can be registered as a british citizen as soon as I receive my PR (and cough up £1120 fees for MN1 application). Is this a good idea or shall I wait until I complete 1 year in PR, then I apply for all of us for british citizenship?
- For me (EU citizen), as a prerequisite for British Citizenship, i understand I need to have spent 5 years + 1 year in PR. Having a PR card helps for this 1 extra year. But I am correct in understanding that I can apply for British citizenship as early as Oct 2017, provided I receive the PR card before that date? Or do i have to have spent 1 year holding the PR card before applying? I am guessing Oct 2017 is correct, given that PR status is automatic, and a PR card is only there to confirm this status.
- For my wife (non-eea), again, as prerequisite for BC, she will also have to have spent 5 years +1 year in PR. Will she be able to apply as early as Dec 2017, provided she also receives the PR card before that date?
- what about be the best alternative to apply for BC?- - Register my child first, then I apply, then my wife.. all separately, and one after the other
- Register my child first, then my wife and I apply together
- We all apply together
- - Register my child first, then I apply, then my wife.. all separately, and one after the other