How to make good UK visa applications to live or work in the UK? EEA Nationals and their spouse – which form to use? 英國簽證系列 – 如何準備前往英國工作及生活的簽證？-歐洲移民者
The UK Border Agency update visa application forms regularly. When a new immigration rule is announced and implemented, the UKBA will swiftly update the guidance for the visa applications and the visa applications in question to reflect any amendments. Of course, if UKBA increase visa fees, the visa application forms will also be amended accordingly.
Most people are often confused by the wide range and scope of visa application forms provided on the UKBA website. Here are my tips for deciding which application forms to use.
My top tip is to check the form you have used is still the correct form once it is complete. Forms can change as often as once a month, meaning that if you take a month to complete the form, it might be out of date when you submit it. If you have a friend who recently completed a visa application, simply using the same form as they used is likely to lead to a refused application.
When you choose your visa application form, you should think the following:
European/EEA nationals
If you are a national of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, thanks to the EU regulation on freedom of movement, you do not need permission to live in and work in the UK. The same applies to your family members, whether they are EEA nationals or not, but a spouse who is not a European national must complete a visa application form.
Applications made outside the UK by the spouse of a European national:
For the family member of an EEA national to enter the UK, he/she must apply for an EEA family permit by completing VAF5 in order to enter the UK.
VAF5 http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/visas/vaf5.pdf
Please note the VAF5 only applies when the family member is travelling with his/her EEA national spouse to the UK or joining his/her spouse in the UK.
Application made in the UK by the spouse of a European/EEA national
As the spouse of a European/EEA national you are entitled to live in and work in the UK and do not need permission to do so, however, it might be inconvenient if you do not a residence document as you may have difficulty proving that you are lawfully resident in the UK. Secondly, if you leave the UK, you will usually need to obtain an EEA family permit before returning to the UK, in order to guarantee readmission as the family member of a qualified EEA national; then getting a Residence Card is adviseable.
To apply for a Residence card, the family member needs to fill in Form EEA2. Additionally, the EEA national needs to have a Registration Certificate in order to support the family member’s EEA2 application by completing Form EEA1.
Form EEA1
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/eea/eea11.pdf
Form EEA2
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/eea/eea21.pdf
Before the submission of your visa, remember to check if your form is the most up-to-date one and accurate, as your visa application might be refused if an incorrect form is used, even if the form you have used was correct when you started completing your application.
Tags: EEA family permit, EEA natioanls, family members of EEA nationals, Resdience Card