I'm an EU citizen living here for 9 years (5 years study, and working since [2.5 years full-time, 1 year paid PhD and teaching assistant]). I've been denied permanent residency recently on the basis that I didn't have comprehensive medical insurance for the period when I was a student. When I arrived here, I was informed that I had the same rights as UK citizens and can use NHS freely. My home country entered the EU only few years before I moved here so I don't even know whether an EHIC card was issued back then or not. I wasn't aware that I had to get the EHIC card after 2011, so I never had it from my home country. And even if I wanted to, I'm not qualified to get EHIC from my home country as I've never worked/lived there since I turned 18, and neither my parents (or in another EEA state) + dirty politics
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
1st question: is there any way I can get around this? Any way I can prove I wouldn't be able to get EHIC for that period [I wasn't financially in a place to get a private health insurance]?
2nd question: do I have to get permanent residency to be able to apply for citizenship? I'm not very clear as to what's the difference between indefinite leave to remain and permanent residency?
I'm so upset that after all these years I'm in this situation partly due to my lack of understanding of legal procedures. I've made this country my home, contributed and gained so much from this country and its people - so much more than my home country. So I'd really like to be able to officially call it home and feel like I belong to this community and with the friends that became my family.
Thanks for any advice!