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Break in employment and exercising EEA treaty rights

Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 7:24 pm
by catfish
So I'm worried that my brief period of unemployment might be taken as breaking the 5 year qualifying period of exercising EEA treaty rights for permanent residence, I would be able to apply for citizenship in a months time but this little thing I'm afraid might put a spanner in the works:

In 2013 I left my job voluntarily on 7th July wanting to find a different job but before that I wanted to visit my parents abroad between 10-24th July so I flew out of the UK for 2 weeks, then commenced temporary assignments through an agency employer at the very beginning of August. Not sure if this qualifies as a break in treaty rights? I think I have some e-mails of me sending CVs late July, and an agency registration form/contract from 30th July.
I didn't have any breaks in employment besides that and I've never been taking any government support for job seeking or benefits otherwise. Does this disqualify me? :(

Re: Break in employment and exercising EEA treaty rights

Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 8:06 pm
by LilyLalilu
You are not required to exercise treaty rights whilst abroad.
How long were you job seeking for?
As long as you have docents to prove that you were looking it should be fine.
Also, if the period was very short, it may be worth not mentioning it at all...

Maybe apply for PR confirmation first to be on the safe side; better to lose £65 than £1000 and you'd also have the right to appeal.

Re: Break in employment and exercising EEA treaty rights

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2015 12:09 am
by catfish
Well in the application for naturalization it asks you to give specific dates you were exercising your treaty rights, so it's going to look like this:

till - 7.07.2013 worker
08-10.07.2013 - unemployed, it was just 2 days before I went away abroad for 2 weeks to visit my parents, not sure if put those 2 days as looking for work, I was, but no way to prove though
24.07 - 08.08 - unemployed looking for work, I got 2 contracts signed with agencies dated 30/07 and 6/08 in my documents folder
08.08 - got my first assignment on 8th August and was very much employed continuously since then

No sure if I want to apply for PR confirmation if it's not a big issue? Or is it?

Re: Break in employment and exercising EEA treaty rights

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2015 9:33 pm
by badratio
It's not a big issue. I've had longer breaks and got PR granted regardless.