Immigrationboards.com

Hello all

I wonder if anybody can help me with this. I am a EEA national living in the uk for the past 14 years. For the past 6 and 1/2 years i work and on this basis i was successfully granted an Permanent Residence document in October 2016. I now want to apply for citizenship but i am very concerned about the good character requirement. According the the new EU immigration law that come into effect in 2017 i may have been in bridge of immigration laws before i started working because of this comprehensive health insurance. Apparently during my PhD years and for the time i was self sufficient living exclusively from my savings i should have had CSI to be lawfully present in the UK. If i was in bridge of immigration laws when i was a student (and self sufficient afterwards) i dont satisfy the requirement of good character and hencw i cant apply for citizenship is that right? I mean this offense is valid for 10 years which means i have to wait to do my application in 2021 is that correct?

Many thanks for any replies
Yannis

Hi Yannis,

I would like to know about this situation as well. I am in a similar situation as you are. I have been living in the UK for almost 10 years, 1 of which I was an University student (without CSI) and half year I was self-sufficient and 8 years as a worker. I can obtain the Permanent Residence, however I am not sure whether the Home Office would understand that we are not of "Good character" due to not having CSI while being a student and self-sufficient.

Have you found any further information about this from reliable sources?

Many thanks,

B.

Yannis wrote:Apparently during my PhD years and for the time i was self sufficient living exclusively from my savings i should have had CSI to be lawfully present in the UK.

Relax. An EEA citizen is always lawfully present in the UK (unless he has been excluded on the grounds of public health, public policy, etc).

What you did not have (because of lack of CSI) in the UK was residence, under the terms of EU DIrective 2004/38/EC.

You were not in breach of immigration laws when you did not have CSI and you can apply for naturalisation provided you meet the other requirements.

Hi

Are you sure that is correct? I read some of the Home Office instructions for detecting Breach of Immigration Laws. Essentially, as I understand, if one has no entitlement under Treaty Rights and remains in the UK one shall be treated as in breach of immigration laws. Does anyone have more information about this?

Many thanks

B.

I could not find any "Home Office instructions for detecting Breach of Immigration Laws". Do you have any links for the documents you are referring to?

Also, be aware that immigration laws and naturalisation laws and the Rules for both laws are different. Some things may be allowed under one, but not the other. Naturalisation is a completely separate and distinct process from immigration.

Hi Simon

Please view this link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... ent-rights

Thanks,

B.

Hi anyone knows about this?

Yannis and bcitaly,

Did you apply for citizenship at the end and was your application successful?

Thanks.