i am the happiest person on earth.....or am i?

[belfast_dude]

my wife collected the visas today....all our dreams come true today...happy yes i am...but the zipperheads at the embassy gave us a 6 month visa...not the best...they will be here and home again...i was expecting a 2 year visa....i am happy and angry....wow..mixed emotions overload...6 months? how can we start our family life?...the embassy...wat can i do? any ideas?it has to be longer than 6 months...please help us....yeah..i know i shud be am greatful for the visa....but 6 months shud be 2 year visa.

later peeps.

[stevewool]

wow great news there for you too i think take it and enjoy each other i realy dont have any advice for you about what to do next , but justr so pleased for both of you

[cessxy]

Congratulation Belfast

[belfast_dude]

i am sorry for anyone who was refused visas...please do not think me ungrateful for getting a 6 month visa...but please help me dudes...can i get an extension here....do they have to go back and re-apply...what are my options...i will be buying tickets for them to come over very very soon...any and all advice will be amazing..salamat po...again people i am not ungreatful. i am very happy because i know we r lucky we got a visa...

[marlyn&kenny]

congrats

[KeithD]

Did you apply for a Spouse Visa or a Marriage Visit Visa? The latter one is for 6 months.

With the recent changes in marriage visa rules it's difficult to find the latest information.

[alanmf1]

Congrats... im sure you cant wait to show them all the delights of Norn Iron. Hope you get to the bottom of the visa issue soon!

[bornatbirth]

didnt you apply for the family permit??

i think its best you give more details

[joebloggs]

thats right its valid for upto 6 months to enter the UK

An EEA family permit is a document similar to an entry clearance which has been given the name "EEA family permit" to distinguish it from a visa or entry clearance issued under the Immigration Rules. Instead, EEA family permits are issued under the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006 and not the Immigration Rules. It is issued for six months in all cases and is free of charge.

The ‘expiry’ date on an EEA family permit does not formally represent an expiry of EEA family member ‘status’ in the UK. If the EEA national has not travelled to the UK within 6 months of the date of application, the EEA family permit would not be considered as valid.

As long as the non-EEA family member of an EEA national continues to meet the EEA Regulations they would not be considered as having ‘overstayed’ simply because the expiry date of their EEA family permit had passed.

http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/ecg/eun...mcat2#22134089

and after 6 months ...

http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/euc...ereuropeanlaw/

[liane]

As I've read she could apply for a residence card valid for 5 years when she arrived in UK
Congratulations!

[belfast_dude]

thankz lads for all the good info...we applied for a E.E.A. family permit..that is why i am so shcoked..just 6 months...do u guys mean i can apply for an extension as soon as they arrive here...6 months is no time to start our family life...i am super happy and angry too...but i know you guys will help me all the way...again thank you...

everyone else applying...good luck

[belfast_dude]

full details....

my wife and son(10yrs old) r coming over on an E.E.A.family permit.
they have both been given 6 month only.
i wanted to get our son into school..but it will be difficult now..
my wife is willing and able to work..but now that seem difficult too...
i guess a visit to a solicitor will have to happen soon.
all ur advice is priceless peeps.
thank you very much

Ruairi, Ruby Ann and John Blair.

[joebloggs]

your wife and kids must enter the UK within 6 months of being issued a family permit !, it doesn't mean they can only come to the uk for 6 months.

Family members who come to the UK with an EEA or Swiss national, but who are not themselves nationals of an EEA country or Switzerland, can apply for a residence card (with some exceptions - see 'Family member residence stamp' below). The residence card confirms their right of residence under European law.

A residence card is normally valid for five years, and takes the form of an endorsement that is placed in the holder's passport.

If you want to apply for a residence card, you must complete application form EEA2. You can download the form from the right side of this page.

For your application to be accepted, you must provide a valid passport and evidence that you are a family member of the EEA national. See section 9 of the EEA2 application form for details of the supporting evidence that you must provide.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/eu...ereuropeanlaw/

[belfast_dude]

does anyone know how long my wife and son will have to wait for the residence cards...an estimate will be good...is 6 months long enough to get them the cards?

[belfast_dude]

another question lads...can my wife land in dublin airport on the family permit...or does it have to be belfast airport...i guess dublin because it is in the E.U....I need to know before i book the tickets

[joebloggs]

does anyone know how long my wife and son will have to wait for the residence cards...an estimate will be good...is 6 months long enough to get them the cards?

the processing time seems to be very close to the legal maximum of 6 month and sometimes exceeds this limit (as of 2008), and there is absolute no way to accelerate the process. The Certificate of Application is returned within a few weeks, but it is not clear which purpose it serves apart from explaining in general terms the right to work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residence_Card

why are you worrying about this belfast_dude, theres nothing to worry about, you wife doesn't need any sort of visa once shes with you, thou you be wise to apply for a residence card !

[aposhark]

Conratulations to you and your family, John.

I cannot comment on your status but it looks like things are now moving for you

[Arthur Little]

Conratulations to you and your family, *John.

... excuse me for being pedantic here, Mike ... but I've always figured the dude's *name's Ruairi.

[Arthur Little]

Ruairi, mate ... I can well imagine this must be a time of mixed emotion for you and your family; elation ... mingled with consternation, as it were. And no wonder you're feeling ... as indeed, I am. But from what *Joe has said, it may well be you are fretting unnecessarily [as I would be TOO, in the same circumstances, I must admit!]. So, if I were you, I'd be guided by *HIS recommendations. Good Luck.

[belfast_dude]

i am very worried...if we apply for the residence cards...and my wife and son r sent home before they r issued...or something like that?...i mean it will be 5 months left on the permit by the time they arrive here..leaving 5 months to get teh residence cards issued....scary

[belfast_dude]

yes i am ruairi,..lol...

[belfast_dude]

i see the cards have to be issued within a 6 month period...do u think my wife and son cud be given an extension on the family permit while waiting for the residence cards?

[joebloggs]

i see the cards have to be issued within a 6 month period...do u think my wife and son cud be given an extension on the family permit while waiting for the residence cards?

your not reading what im posting !!! the family permit is valid for 6 months to enter the UK !!!!!! you must enter the uk in 6 months or apply for another one..

once your wife is in the UK you apply for a residence card - this can take 6 months to get, its shows shes legally in the UK, she doesn't actually need one as long as she still living with you, but it mkaes sense to get one !

your worrying about a visa expiring that once shes in the UK no longer matters !!

just apply for a residence card for her

[joebloggs]

by european law the card should be issued within 6 months, but it doesn't matter how long it takes, as long as your wife is living with you.

the family permit is only for entering the UK, if she leaves the UK and doesnt have a residence card she would have to apply for another family permit.

once shes is in the ~UK shes doesnt need any visa, but like i said it mkaes sense to get a residence card

[vbkelly]

my wife collected the visas today....all our dreams come true today...happy yes i am...but the zipperheads at the embassy gave us a 6 month visa...not the best...they will be here and home again...i was expecting a 2 year visa....i am happy and angry....wow..mixed emotions overload...6 months? how can we start our family life?..
e embassy...wat can i do? any ideas?it has to be longer than 6 months...please help us....yeah..i know i shud be am greatful for the visa....but 6 months shud be 2 year visa.

later peeps.

hi belfast-dude im a bit confused of your post your happy but at the same way your angry haha, anyway if your wife was applied a family visa and she was granted that mean her visa is a spouse visa. why just only 6months her visa? spouse visa is 2years so i think you need to double check her visa before you start worrying.

[belfast_dude]

thanks joe..i am reading ur posts...and am feeling more confident...

cheers dude...ur wisdom is priceless..

[joebloggs]

thanks joe..i am reading ur posts...and am feeling more confident...

cheers dude...ur wisdom is priceless..

stop worrying
you've got your visa
your dealing with the European Immigration system , not the british immigration system.

[aromulus]

Step one..............

As soon as they arrive You make them a cup of tea.....

A couple of months later, you get all the documents together, (basically same stuff as for family permit) including your own passport and theirs, and send them registered post to Croydon.

Within two weeks they will answer you with a nice letter saying that they received all the bumf, and it will take at least six months to process, so don't make plans to go to portrush on holiday, they will also state that your Mrs is allowed to work immediately is she wishes.

Six months later you will get all the stuff back with the passports stamped for five long years...

And they all lived happily thereafter...

The end.

[Sophie]

congratulations to you and your wife belfast dude

[febmary]

hi belfast dude,

Congratulations. My fiance is also from Belfast. If you dont mind, we would like to keep in touch. Im here in the Phils now, we are still preparing our documents to submit. Hope we can keep in touch. If you dont mind again for my fiance to meet you one day in Belfast. Thanks again.