EEA RC app - SUCCESSFUL timeline for UNMARRIED PARTNER!

[wingsatmyfeet]

Hello to all reading this (whether searching to assist your own case or to help others)!

Firstly, can I give thanks to all those that search this forum and assist others in the ways that they do...
I know that I speak on behalf of so many others when I say: your thought and assistance can go a long way - and often does - in bringing peace-of-mind and clarity to those seeking it whilst on this journey.

So!

I am very happy to say that my EEA Residence Card arrived on Thursday 19 March (as a vignette: a card on a piece of paper instead of within my passport because I had already asked for the passport's return)!! It arrived in the supplied, self-addressed, self-paid (signature required upon delivery) envelope with all of the remaining, supporting documentation.

Relief is an understatement... We feel as though we have won the lottery!

Anyway I will get on with posting my timeline to all interested and shall return to this thread to reply to any questions that may arise as a result.

Relevant background particulars:
UNMARRIED PARTNERS
Me: Australian national
My EEA National partner: French
I arrived in the UK, accompanied by my French partner, on 9 June 2014, on an EEA Family Permit (16/06/14-16/12/14).
My partner had received a job offer in the UK which started on 16 June 2014.

1. 9 June 2014: arrived in the UK on an EEA Family Permit

2. 27 Nov 2014: sent EEA Res Card application to the Home Office (for those interested, we sent it later in the process due to planned, important travelling commitments)
3. 1 Dec 2014: received application acknowledgement letter from Home Office
4. 12 Dec 2014: received Certificate of Application from Home Office, stipulating the right to work (whether to accept offers of employment or continue in existing employment)
5. 13 Feb 2015: received passport back from Home Office (having requested it two weeks earlier online - no reason is required to request your passport back and, for those unaware, you do not need to provide a reason and it will not impact your application whatsoever)
6. 19 March 2015: RECEIVED EEA RESIDENCE CARD!!! (The Letter accompanying my Res Card and the returned, supporting documentation was dated four days prior: 15 March 2015.)

Matters of potential interest:
- the entire pile of photocopied documentation provided (copies of every page of entire application) were returned also
- my French partner lost his job on 4 December 2014, consequently the way in which he was exercising his Treaty Rights had changed. We updated the Home Office by phone the week after then by post about a fortnight after that. On 4 January 2015, we sent by post the letter from my partner's former employer advising that his probation period would not be continued (for the Home Office's interest: confirming that it was involuntary employment). We included also an employment agency letter advising that he was registered with them and being put forward for relevant jobs. Finally we included a job application with this letter also.
- On 17 March 2015, we posted off a new batch of job applications and agency registrations to the Home Office to update the Home Office about how my partner was currently exercising his Treaty Rights (as a job-seeker). This information was not required / considered, given we received the Res Card and docs two days later! Additionally, two days after receiving my Res Card, these docs posted on 17 March to the Home Office were returned with a cover letter saying thank you for providing further evidence to support my application, however the docs are being returned to me as my application had already been decided!!
- Regarding the application itself: we wrote cover letters as clear and as detailed as possible, accompanying any documentation supplied to the Home Office, including with the application itself. We provided as much supporting documentation as we could. We also presented the application with dividers and numbered "tabs": the idea being to make it as clear for them as possible and wishing to avoid them having to return to us with any requests for clarity or further information.

I know that I have been very detailed in this note, however I am providing such detail given my own experience at seeking information regarding unmarried partners' Res Card applications.

I only hope that this timeline provides someone with hope, assistance or the additional information required regarding their application in any way.

My best to you all!
wingsatmyfeet

[357mag]

Congratulations and thank you for posting this.

[wingsatmyfeet]

Thank you very much, "357mag"!!

[fatimahh]

Congratulation!!! Hope this well detailed note help someone seeking answer

[wingsatmyfeet]

Thank you so much, "fatimahh"!