Advice needed on SOLVIT and complaint letter to HO

[ran]

Hiya all,

I am an EEA2 applicant (Feb 21st was the submission date) and my 6 months are up tomorrow. I decided not to persist calling the Liverpool or Croydon complaint lines as from previous experience and experiences of other members of the forum it is probably a total waste of time.
I intend to put my case forward to SOLVIT as well as go for written complaints to HO and maybe a letter from an MP.

I would appreciate any advice/tips on how to put forward a case through SOLVIT! Is it as simple as going to their website and putting all the details of my case in through their webform? Also for faxing HO a complaint letter does anybody know where to fax and which number to fax. I have tried the helpline couple of times but they were unwilling to put me through to a caseworker or give me a fax number!

In addition should I also start the process of getting a letter from my MP? Or wait to see how the other two options develop and use the MP letter as a last resort.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Ran

[Plum70]

Hiya all,

I am an EEA2 applicant (Feb 21st was the submission date) and my 6 months are up tomorrow. I decided not to persist calling the Liverpool or Croydon complaint lines as from previous experience and experiences of other members of the forum it is probably a total waste of time.
I intend to put my case forward to SOLVIT as well as go for written complaints to HO and maybe a letter from an MP.

I would appreciate any advice/tips on how to put forward a case through SOLVIT! Is it as simple as going to their website and putting all the details of my case in through their webform? Also for faxing HO a complaint letter does anybody know where to fax and which number to fax. I have tried the helpline couple of times but they were unwilling to put me through to a caseworker or give me a fax number!

In addition should I also start the process of getting a letter from my MP? Or wait to see how the other two options develop and use the MP letter as a last resort.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Ran

I'm not 100% sure, but I think that SOLVIT requires you to have filed a complaint with the HO first before going through them. Why not give them a call/patch across an email for advice.
As for your MP, depending on their availability, you may be able to book an appointment to see them in person.
I would definitely recommend sending a complaint letter to Liverpool first. You may also be interested in joining this forum where this subject is being discussed expansively. As well, there is an ongoing petition to European Parliament regarding the non-compliance to/misinterpretation of the EU Directive in the UK. See here: http://www.ukresident.com/forums/index. ... opic=70485

[John]

ran, as well as contacting your MP, also consider contacting one of the MEPs for the area in which you live. After all this is an EU matter and an MEP might be more effective on bringing matters to the attention of the EU, and thus apply pressure on the UK Government.

[emvannini]

Ran,

I'm sorry to hear you haven't received you residence card back either. I'm still waiting myself, and after having written to both my MP and Solvit, it doesn't seem like there has been much progress on the matter. My MP was very responsive (he said he had received many other complaints from other constituents on the matter lately) and wrote a letter to the Home Office requesting a full update on my husband's case. Additionally, Solvit contacted me a few days after I submitted my case through their webpage to request additional documentation. Nonetheless, I have yet to hear anything new on my husband's case from the Home Office itself. It has now been 7 months from our original application.

Anyway, I may try writing to my MEP as suggested. We're also going to try requesting my husband's passport back. Given the Home Office's track record, we would feel more at ease having it in our hands rather than theirs.

Finally, I signed Plum's petition and I would urge everyone who has an interest in the matter to do the same. It may not help our particular cases, but someone has to pressure the European Commission to do something about the root cause of the problem so others won't have to go through the same thing!

All the best, and crossing my fingers you get good news soon,
Eva

[mym]

I am an EEA2 applicant (Feb 21st was the submission date) and my 6 months are up tomorrow.

As the table on the bottom of http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/euciti ... ropeanlaw/ shows, they are currently dealing with Residence Card applications received before January 2008.

Their own staff guidance says "Community law requires us to decide applications for a residence card within 6 months from the date of receipt of the application. Failure to comply with this requirement could leave the Home Office open to a claim for damages."

So I suggest a letter to them threatening legal action for "non-compliance with Regulation 17.3 of the The Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006" would be a good first step.