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PR (EEA) in case of Brexit?

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 4:10 pm
by Kaba
Hi guys,

I hope all of you are fine :)

Just a quick question: What does exactly the permanent residence document offer to an EEA national besides the first big step before applying for a British passport after 12 months? For both cases, if the UK stays within the EU or decides to leave.

I am quite confused because I am not sure if the PR via the EEA route will still be valid if the UK decides to leave the UK.

Sorry for any inconvenience and every response is very much appreciated :).

Thanks

Re: PR (EEA) in case of Brexit?

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 5:08 pm
by secret.simon
The short answer is, nobody knows for sure.

It is likely that there will be transitional provisions and that the PR will be converted into ILR under the UK Immigration Rules, but nobody knows for sure.

Re: PR (EEA) in case of Brexit?

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 5:58 pm
by Obie
It is likely uk will join the EEA and the status quo will continue.

It will be economically suicidal for the UK to abandon the UK and still has access to the single market.

Since Switzerland had their referendum in 2014, nothing has changed.

Re: PR (EEA) in case of Brexit?

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 6:01 pm
by Casa
Kaba wrote:Hi guys,

I hope all of you are fine :)

Just a quick question: What does exactly the permanent residence document offer to an EEA national besides the first big step before applying for a British passport after 12 months? For both cases, if the UK stays within the EU or decides to leave.

I am quite confused because I am not sure if the PR via the EEA route will still be valid if the UK decides to leave the UK.

Sorry for any inconvenience and every response is very much appreciated :).

Thanks
As you can see, we all have our personal opinions, which for the time being is all there can be.

Re: PR (EEA) in case of Brexit?

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 8:33 pm
by Kaba
Hi guys,

I really appreciate your replies, thanks.

Whether the UK leaves the EU or not, is another question/topic. What I wanted to get out of this question, is what you think is going to happen to people holding a PR as a EEA nationals.

I was googling around and asking a lot of people the same question and so far nobody seems to have an answer to this question.

Thanks

Ioannis

Re: PR (EEA) in case of Brexit?

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 9:13 pm
by CR001
PR = settled status. There should be no issues for EU citizens who hold PR (i.e. they won't suddenly lose PR).

Re: PR (EEA) in case of Brexit?

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 10:41 pm
by Kaba
Hi there,

The reason why I am asking about PR for EEA nationals, is because I have realised today that the PR document I do hold as an EEA national is differently to the PR that an Indian friend of mine holds. Basically PR documents for EEA national is different to PR for people from overseas.

Do you guys think that we hold exactly the same rights?

Thanks

Re: PR (EEA) in case of Brexit?

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 11:20 pm
by secret.simon
Kaba wrote:Do you guys think that we hold exactly the same rights?
Yes

EEA passports already contain the biometrics of the holder and hence they just get a certificate stating that they have PR.

Non-EEA citizens who acquire PR get a biometric card stating the same thing. That way, their biometric data can be captured and processed under EEA law without affecting their non-EEA passport.

Re: PR (EEA) in case of Brexit?

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2016 10:09 am
by ohara
secret.simon wrote:EEA passports already contain the biometrics of the holder and hence they just get a certificate stating that they have PR.
This is interesting and come to think of it, it does make sense.

However, something else interesting is that I'm an EEA national and I do not have a biometric passport. I suspect the reason for this is because my home country (Finland) only started issuing biometric passports in the month that I got mine, and they did not have arrangements to take biometric information from nationals applying from overseas (as I did). I actually did it at the consulate in my home city, and back then the passports were valid for 10 years. Mine runs out in August this year but I'm applying for a new one next week.

Nowadays, all Finnish passports are valid for 5 years only, and the embassy in London is the only place to apply in the UK as they do take biometrics and obviously the equipment is there.

Re: PR (EEA) in case of Brexit?

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2016 1:53 pm
by Kaba
Hello my friend,

So just to clarify. You do have an EEA passport with NO biometrics registered in your home country. But you didn't tell us, do you have a PR document?

I am a bit confused now, because I do hold an EEA (Greek) passport with biometrics, but at the same time the Home Office did ask me to register my biometrics in the UK as well before issuing my PR certificate.

So what exactly is going on here with the biometrics? :)

Thanks

Re: PR (EEA) in case of Brexit?

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2016 8:33 pm
by ohara
Yes that's correct, I have a 10 year non-biometric EEA passport. It's still valid for another 6 months and I'm guessing I'm one of the last Finnish citizens with one as I got it in the month when they switched to only issuing 5 year biometric passports.

I didn't complete the biometrics section on the EEA(PR) form as it is not required for EEA citizens. I applied 8 weeks ago and have not heard anything yet other than the confirmation email that they were processing it.

Re: PR (EEA) in case of Brexit?

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2016 9:30 pm
by LilyLalilu
I am a bit confused now, because I do hold an EEA (Greek) passport with biometrics, but at the same time the Home Office did ask me to register my biometrics in the UK as well before issuing my PR certificate.
They shouldn't have done this as EEA nationals are not required to registered their Biometrics for PR, only when applying for citizenship. Did you accidentally fill in the Biometrics section in the application?

Re: PR (EEA) in case of Brexit?

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2016 9:49 pm
by Kaba
Hi there,

No I did't complete the biometrics section in the PR application for EEA nationals.

To be honest though, because after 2 months I did send my PR (EEA) application, I never receipt any email/letter of acknowledgement of application, I did call the Home Office's number (sorry I don't remember it now, but it's on the website) and they encouraged me to email euroBiometrics@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk. By emailing EuroBiometrics@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk, I was told on the phone to ask for a biometrics enrolment letter, which I did receive. Approximately 3 weeks after enrolling my biometrics, I did receive my PR (EEA) card.

Sorry if I did write to many things and not clearly stated :)

Now you make me think...Can I ask how your PR (EEA) cards look?? Mine may look different :)

Thanks

Re: PR (EEA) in case of Brexit?

Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 10:02 am
by LilyLalilu
The document goes into this blue booklet (or pink for Swiss nationals) which can be seen on p. 18 of this guide: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... orking.pdf

Hope you didn't get the plastic credit card-sized card instead? This is so bizarre, can't believe they made you enrol your Biometrics even though you are an EEA national :shock:

Re: PR (EEA) in case of Brexit?

Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 5:56 pm
by Kaba
Hi there,

Thank got I got the blue one, that all EEA nationals get :).

So I realise that I am the only EEA national with a Biometric passport, that had to enrol his biometrics in the UK to get the PR (EEA). Really strange :)

Thanks

Re: PR (EEA) in case of Brexit?

Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 6:04 pm
by Obie
Well the biometrics regulation does not require EU national to have or enrol biometrics in order to get a PR certificate. If you fill the biometric section, then you are likely to be invited to enrol your biometrics. If you have not filled it, which you are not required to do anyway, then you would not have been invited to enrol it.

Re: PR (EEA) in case of Brexit?

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2016 9:03 am
by Kaba
Thanks guys