EEA2 Tips!

[reginacarlson]

At long last! 7 months since we applied for my EEA2 residence card and my French husband's EEA1 registration certificate (joint application), our documents were finally returned last Monday.

This forum has been very informative and for this reason I'm posting our experience in hope that it will help others who are still waiting in vain.

We applied on January 2008 and we started complaining as soon as the legal timeframe of 6 months was up. I strongly suggest that you make a complaint to help speed up the process. Don't just sit and wait otherwise you'll probably end up waiting for over a year.

So here's what I've done and what you shoud do:

- Contact the SOLVIT centre (http://ec.europa.eu/solvit) where your EEA husband or wife is from. Submit your case to them online (recommended), by post, e-mail or fax.

- Ask help from your local MP (http://findyourmp.parliament.uk).

- Send a complaint letter through email, fax and recorded post every 5 working days until you get a reply to:

• UK BORDER AGENCY - where you submitted your EEA application.

Address: European Applications EEA2, PO Box 306, Dept 45, Liverpool. L2 0QN

• NORTH WEST CUSTOMER SERVICE UNIT - deals with complaints from customers living in the region or complaints about the service provided by the region. It also deals with complaints relating to citizenship and nationality applications, and to applications by EEA nationals. (Major cities: Liverpool, Manchester).

Phone: 0161 261 1117
Fax: 0161 261 1132
Email: NWCSU@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Address: North West Region CSU, PO Box 99, Manchester M90 3WW

• LONDON AND SOUTH EAST CUSTOMER SERVICE UNIT - deals with complaints from customers living in the region or complaints about the service provided by the region. (Major cities: London, Dover, Portsmouth).

Fax: 020 8760 8765
Email: LSECSU@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Address: London and South East Region CSU, PO Box 1863, Croydon CR9 3UF

• NORTH EAST, YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER CUSTOMER SERVICE UNIT - deals with complaints from customers living in the region or about the service provided by the region. It also deals with complaints relating to immigration applications under the points-based system and the Worker Registration Scheme. (Major cities: Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield).
Phone: 0114 207 2966
Fax: 0114 207 2906
Email: NEYHCustomers@ukba.gsi.gov.uk
Address: North East, Yorkshire and the Humber Region CSU, PO Box 3468, Sheffield S3 8WA

• MIDLANDS AND EAST OF ENGLAND CUSTOMER SERVICE UNIT - deals with complaints from customers living in the region or complaints about the service provided by the region. (Major cities: Birmingham)

Phone: 01733 847844
Fax: 01733 847800
Email: MECSU@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Address: Midlands and East of England Region CSU, PO Box 1004, Peterborough PE1 9GH

• WALES AND SOUTH WEST CUSTOMER SERVICE UNIT - deals with complaints from customers living in the region or complaints about the service provided by the region. (Major cities: Bristol, Cardiff, Plymouth).

Phone: 02920 924657
Fax: 02920 924620
Email: WSWCSU@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Address: Wales and South West Region CSU, 3rd Floor, General Building, 31-33 Newport Road, Cardiff CF24 AB

• SCOTLAND AND NORTHERN IRELAND CUSTOMER SERVICE UNIT - deals with complaints from customers living in the region or complaints about the service provided by the region. (Major cities: Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow).

Email: BIASNICustServ@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Address: Scotland and Northern Ireland Region CSU, Festival Court 1, 200 Brand Street, Glasgow G51 1DH

There you go, hope that helps!

Just so you know, of all the email addresses provided only the Wales unit replied to me apologizing for the delay.

Then I've sent a fax and recorded 1st class posts to UK Border Agency (where I submitted my application), to Northwest unit (the one dealing with EEA nationals), and to London unit (my region).

However, if you wish to piss them off a bit and show that you really mean business and that you won't stop till you get your documents back, fax and send your post to all the complaint units provided. That should do the trick! But remember, do so only every 5 working days otherwise they might get too annoyed. Be sure to phrase your application reminder request in a polite manner.

+ Don't forget to send or attach a copy of your COA with your complaint so even if you don't know your reference number, it'll be easier for them to retrieve your case.