PR and Unemployment. Would I qualify?

[faughan]

Hi! Hoping to find someone in the same situation as me. I'm Spanish, moved to the UK in 2007. I want to apply for PR, but I don't think I would qualify because I haven't been in continuously employment. Anyone in the same situation who has applied for PR?

Jan 2012 - Apr 2012: Unemployed.
May 2012 - Jul 2012: Work placement. I requested to my JS adviser to participate in programme which included a 3 months work placement with views of employment.
Aug 2012 - Nov 2013: Worked full time for the company where I did my work placement. Company closed down.
Jan 2014 - May 2015: Unemployed. However in February I enrolled a programme for people of benefits, which included attending classes during two weeks to obtain 5 Certificates + two weeks work placement.
Mar 2015: Attended an interview where I did my work placement.
May 2015: Got a letter confirming I got the job.
Jul 2015 - Currently: Working as casual for the council in two different positions. Although I'm still in the casual staff list, I haven't worked for them since Christmas 2016, as I have found another two temporary jobs.
May 2016 - Currently: Working as YW, three hours a week. This contract has been stops when the funding is over every six months, then once the funding has been confirmed, I re-start working.
Dec 2016 - Jun 2017: Working PT (21.5 hours a week) in a school.
Aug 2017 - Currently: Working 30 hours a week in the same school. My contract will finish in the end of June, so they don't have to pay us during the summer holidays.

I always had a EHIC card. From 2009 to 2015 I studied a degree online (Open University), but there was one year that I didn't take any courses because I couldn't afford it. Attended a full time course from September 2016 to June 2017 at my local college. Also, I have studies other PT night courses at my local community college.

I'm thinking to wait for May or June 2018 to apply, as I may have more chances. I'm not sure if I would qualify for having a casual contract since July 2015 to December 2016. Some weeks I worked 45 hours, other weeks I worked 0 hours. I don't think it looks good...
Thanks in advance!

[Carling40]

I'm afraid no one can provide you with the reassurance you seek as your chances of getting what you seek is based largely on what you can provide to evidence your rights. The hostile environment isn't particularly helpful either. On a positive note, you may qualify for PR by combining multiple exercisions of treaty rights. i.e worker, self sufficiency, student etc. Did you hold an EHIC from your EU country? As that would help for the comprehensive sickness insurance requirement should that be brought up by the case worker.
I'd say take your time and have a look at the 5 year period that you can back up with evidences and take it from there.

[faughan]

Thank you. I ordered my last EHIC card from the UK, as I've been living here since 2007. I can't use my previous years in the UK as I was a student and only had PT occasional jobs. It was enough for me to survive, as I came with enough savings to complete all my studies. I never intended to stay.

I don't know if I should bother or not, I don't know if my PT and Casual contracts years will be considered full time employment or employment at all. I had -still have- a low paid jobs, but it was enough for me to survive, save some money and buy a house... I live in Northern Ireland and here everything is much cheaper than in London or other parts of the UK. Salaries are low, but it's easy to find flats and houses from £50K. I wonder if others with similar contracts have applied and if they have been successful or not.

[faughan]

Forgot to ask, if they refuse my PR, could I still apply for a Residence Certificate? Thanks!

[faughan]

Forgot to ask, if they refuse my PR, could I still apply for a Residence Certificate? Thanks!

I just read the HO page and realised that the Residence Certificate is for those who have been here less than five years. I think I'm going to wait for next year before my current contract is over in June and apply for PR.

I'll ask for letters to my past employers, P60s, past Rate bill documents, mortgage contract + statements, etc. etc. I'm not sure how I'm going to proof that I searched for employment while I was unemployed. The Job Centre phoned to the places I had in my Job Seeker's booklet to verify I had applied for jobs. But I binned the booklet and letters stating I didn't get the job, etc. The temporary agency where I registered at the time (I live in a small place and there's only one) doesn't keep the records so long. Also, I didn't have an email account at that time. I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to proof I searched for jobs...

[secret.simon]

How many years are covered by an EHIC Card issued by an EEA member state other than the UK? When did you apply for your UK EHIC Card?

[tmonaghan]

It's what I was thinking "UK EHIC Card" can only be used when traveling outside the UK for example when holidaying in Spain. If you held an EU EHIC card it could have been used to cover you in the UK as a student, self sufficient person. On the contrary a CSI would have been required.

[faughan]

How many years are covered by an EHIC Card issued by an EEA member state other than the UK? When did you apply for your UK EHIC Card?

The EHIC is valid for up to five years and I haven't been covered the whole time. I think I'm going to wait for May 2018 to have more chances.

[faughan]

It's what I was thinking "UK EHIC Card" can only be used when traveling outside the UK for example when holidaying in Spain. If you held an EU EHIC card it could have been used to cover you in the UK as a student, self sufficient person. On the contrary a CSI would have been required.

Thanks! I'm going to read the EHIC website, because I wasn't aware of this.