Non-EU (US) Spouse of EU Citizen (Greek)

[Mandoryan]

Hello all! I've been trolling these forums for a good while now and it has been incredibly informational. With that being said I'd like to share my story and make sure I actually understand it all. First of all, I'm a US citizen who will be marrying my Greek fiance in the States this coming June. We are both currently living in Dublin, she being a PhD student while I'm here on a work visa. I understand there wouldn't be much hassle if I were still on a work visa come June, but with the current economic climate I'd be incredibly surpised if that's the case. So, assuming I don't have a work visa at the time, what exactly do we do when we get back to Ireland? From what I can gather:

*We go through customs at the airport together (like both at the same window), both with our passports and marriage certificate, as well as a utility bill with her name on it and her acceptance letter from school to prove residency.

*They will (with any luck) let me OUT of the airport and tell me to go to the GNIB within a given amount of time.

*We both go down to the GNIB with the same papers we showed the customs officer at the airport. The nice person behind the window will smile and stamp my passport with a Stamp 4 and tell me to apply for EU1. After I get this stamp I'm allowed to work while waiting for the EU1 card.

*In approximately 6 months (right!) I'll have my card, a certain amount of time before I need to renew my visa, and a happy healthy life with my lovely newly-wed wife.

Now, minus all of the niceties, do I have the steps down? I really appreciate all of the information people have posted and I'd like to thank everyone in advance for their help in this matter.

[ca.funke]

Hi there,

I think you got the steps correctly, I can only add eventualities you may encounter:

• As you are US-citizen, you should clear the airport without too much hassle.
  • Should you encounter problems at this stage, it may be good to have the following backup, just in case:
  • You CANNOT be refused entry, since you are married to an EU-citizen. (See 2004/38/EC, Article 5, Section 4: )

    Where a Union citizen, or a family member who is not a
    national of a Member State, does not have the necessary travel
    documents or, if required, the necessary visas, the Member
    State concerned shall, before turning them back, give such
    persons every reasonable opportunity to obtain the necessary
    documents or have them brought to them within a reasonable
    period of time or to corroborate or prove by other means that
    they are covered by the right of free movement and residence.

  • Make sure your marriage-certificate is valid in Ireland I have no clue how to do that, since I married inside the EU this was never a problem.
• Apply with GNIB/DoJ/INIS for 4EUFam/EU1 immediately. (This is only accepted by (real) mail, so you'll get rid of your PP for a while )
  • consider getting a second PP in order to remain more flexible at all times
  • Usually that's no problem, if asked questions say you plan a trip to Israel, and later want to go to Syria, then you should get it no problem.
• Your application will probably be refused
  • on the grounds that you haven't been here for 3 months yet
  • Should this happen, read >>here<<, complain to Solvit and the Commission about that, template >>here<<
• Re-apply once you've been here for 3 months.
• You are entitled to work from the first day you are here. At least i think to, read >>here<<.

Good luck in any case, rgds, Christian

[ginger4pluck]

Ca.funke,

Just wondering. How long you and your spouse have been together?

I just went in the INIS website and found that:

If you are the non EEA partner of an EU Citizen in an attested, durable relationship that has existed for at least 2 years...

Me and my husband have been together for more than 2 years but we got married in 2008.

Regards

[ca.funke]

Ca.funke,

Just wondering. How long you and your spouse have been together?...

Sorry for only answering after such a long time - somehow forgot this.

We've been together since summer 2005 - married since summer 2007.

As far as i know "married" is "married". The timelimit is only applicable for "durable relationships".

[MAKUSA]

You can apply for EU 1 immediately after your arrival, after you have registered at the GNIB because you would need to give registration dates on the EU 1 form.