EEA Family Permit or Spouse Visa ?

[sammy79]

I realise this has been discussed before but have not found anything relating to this topic following the recent immigraton changes. I was wondering if anybody had any thoughts on which is the better of two ? My understanding is :

EEA Family Permit - free, greater flexibility to travel through Europe ? fewer documentary requirements - paperwork (Entry Clearance) 6 months / (EEA1)2 years / EEA2-3) 2 years ( I think) = PR (EEA4) then after one year naturalisation = total of 6 years ?..I hope am right with the names and sequence?

Spouse Visa - given the recent changes including probationary period would this route to naturalisation take just as long ? 2 years spouse visa, ILR, then + 3 to 5 years probabtionary period then naturalisation = 5+ years ? This route appears to be more expensive with more stringent requirements.....

My spouse is a dual national (Britsh/Irish) and so either option should be open to us but would appreciate thoughts and comments on which is the better of the two.

Much appreciated !

[craftynick]

Like your spouse i am from Northern ireland so could apply for either. We recently applied for, and were issued a family permit for my husband. We went for it over the Spouse visa mainly for cost & time reasons, our FP was free & took 10 days as opposed to £600 or £700 & a few months wait for the SV. Also, the way i read it, with me being from NI my husband would be eligible to apply for an Irish passport after 3 years of living here rather than the 5 for a British one. Hopefully this is right & hope this helps.

[jumpingzombie]

I'm an EEA FP holder, and it's free of charge when an applicant takes the EEA route. It took about 10 working days to receive the EEA FP,and I've applied for a resident card that's supposed to be valid for 5years. EEA FP is valid just for 6months,and I hope I'll get my resident card asap, as I feel I'm in an unstable condition...

A friend of mine(female) is married to an EEA citizen living in the UK, but they entered into a marriage in the UK, so she'd had to apply for the fiance visa in her country at first, and it cost £500 or something, though it took less than a week to be issued. The fiance visa was valid for 6months, so she got married with her husband in the period.
After their marriage,she applied for a resident card and it cost another £500 as I heard , because her visa procedure isnt the EEA route. I think her resident card is valid for 2years, not 5 years.

Thinking about differences between our cases, I guess it's cheaper to take the EEA route, but it is quicker to be a permanet resident/British citizen when taking the another route??

[Ben]

EEA Family Permit
..
Spouse Visa

If it's important to you, the path to British citizenship takes 5 years if using the EEA route (and spouse has UK nationality), but only 3 years if using the spouse visa route.

with me being from NI my husband would be eligible to apply for an Irish passport after 3 years of living here rather than the 5 for a British one.

The spouse of an Irish citizen who has been lawfully resident on the island if Ireland for at least three years may apply for naturalisation as an Irish citizen. Current processing times are up to 3 years though, so it may well take 6 years before an Irish passport is obtained. In your circumstances, acquisition of British citizenship for your husband may be the same or faster than that of Irish citizenship.

[craftynick]

EEA Family Permit
..

with me being from NI my husband would be eligible to apply for an Irish passport after 3 years of living here rather than the 5 for a British one.

The spouse of an Irish citizen who has been lawfully resident on the island if Ireland for at least three years may apply for naturalisation as an Irish citizen. Current processing times are up to 3 years though, so it may well take 6 years before an Irish passport is obtained. In your circumstances, acquisition of British citizenship for your husband may be the same or faster than that of Irish citizenship.

Thanks this is really useful to know, my husband has only arrived here in NI last month (i came back first a few months agao to get a job & house sorted) so we still have plenty of time to decide which option to go for when the time comes.

[Ben]

we still have plenty of time to decide which option to go for when the time comes.

Nothing wrong with deciding on both, if you have the money.

[zuziazuziulka]

Just wanted to ask if someone maybe know how long it will take to get such a visa? How long i have to wait for reply from British High Commision?im waiting already two weeks...