Switching from Tier2 GM to EEA spouse dependent

[Erevin]

Hello,

Its been a year I am in UK on a company sponsored Tier 2 visa and I still have 2 years left in the visa. However, i recently got married and my wife is from an EU country. She lives and work in UK. I would like to switch my visa to a dependent visa since I would like to work as an independent contractor. Whats type of visa do I need, if any? Any link i could go through would be very much appreciated.

thank you

[Geneiva]

Hi,

You need to apply for a Residence Card as a Family Member of an EEA national. You'll find this referred to in this forum as EEA-FM.

You can find instructions here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... _06-16.pdf

To be clear this is not a visa, but offers proof of rights to live and work to border control and employers.

Edit: FM not EFM

[noajthan]

Its EEA(FM) for a spouse not EFM.
On EU trajectory a RC is optional.

[Erevin]

Brilliant - Thank you !

So will apply for RC when she has completed her probation period and thus buying time for her to change her surname on her ID and passport post marriage. That would make the application go smoothly then.

Thank you once again !

[noajthan]

Only fly in ointment is if employer wants proof of right to work;
easiest to demonstrate with RC.

[Erevin]

Totally agree noajthan. I won't renounce my current Tier 2 visa until I done getting RC.

Thank you for the all the info. Spent so much time searching on the government website with a vast pool of information adding to nothing more than just confusion! Thank you

[Geneiva]

Hi,

You don't need to 'renounce' your Tier 2 at all. The EEA(FM) is a completely separate track that allow you to enter and work in the UK.

Technically, you are already automatically entitled to enter and work being the spouse of an EEA national. But, employers usually want to see proof by way of the Residence Card, as they face a large penalty if they get it wrong.

The RC takes up to 6 months to be sent to you from date of application, and a while too to get the documents together.

Good luck!

[Erevin]

Hi,

You don't need to 'renounce' your Tier 2 at all. The EEA(FM) is a completely separate track that allow you to enter and work in the UK.

Technically, you are already automatically entitled to enter and work being the spouse of an EEA national. But, employers usually want to see proof by way of the Residence Card, as they face a large penalty if they get it wrong.

The RC takes up to 6 months to be sent to you from date of application, and a while too to get the documents together.

Good luck!

Thank you for making it clearer to the novice man . Have a nice Sunday!