EEA PR - Ironing out the details

[horizon21]

Hello,

I am a Bulgarian national, who entered the country on 14/09/2011 in order to study at university. I applied for and received the Yellow Card allowing me to work on a part time basis at the time. While studying I was working (a total of 1 year and 6 months of employment). When the need for the Yellow Card was gone due to Bulgaria receiving full EU status I destroyed the Yellow Card.

In terms of Comprehensive sickness insurance - I had a Bulgaria-issued EHIC card which I used as evidence of CSI when I applied for the Yellow Card.

Unfortunately I no longer have either document, or even a copy. I do have all of my original payslips from my part time working.

Questions:
Is there any way I can explain this to UKBA?
Does the above mean that I cannot apply for a permanent residence card? If so, is there a workaround?

Any help is appreciated, thanks!

[horizon21]

Some additional details (is there an edit function that I missed?):

I have been in permanent employment since September 2014. I have P60's for the periods of 2012-2013, 2014-2015; and 2015-2016.

In terms of other evidence, I have tenancy agreements, bank statements for the past year and a half and select months from the beginning of my stay in the UK, all of my payslips, employment contracts, council tax bills, letters stating my NIN and NHS numbers, graduation certificate and transcripts from university, a character reference from my first place of employment.

Will this be enough in spite of the lack of a Yellow Card?

[noajthan]

Some additional details (is there an edit function that I missed?):

I have been in permanent employment since September 2014. I have P60's for the periods of 2012-2013, 2014-2015; and 2015-2016.

In terms of other evidence, I have tenancy agreements, bank statements for the past year and a half and select months from the beginning of my stay in the UK, all of my payslips, employment contracts, council tax bills, letters stating my NIN and NHS numbers, graduation certificate and transcripts from university, a character reference from my first place of employment.

Will this be enough in spite of the lack of a Yellow Card?

There is no UKBA any more (not fit for purpose).

You need proof of CSI or alternative (Yellow card).
UKVI/HO won't give benefit of doubt or simply wave you through and rubber-stamp your application.

You could try a SAR from UKVI to see if prior status is recorded.
Can you contact your home country authorities for proof you have held EHIC?

[LilyLalilu]

To rely on the transitional arrangements your yellow card would need to be issued before 20 June 2011. If that's not the case, then you cannot rely on these arrangements and will need to show evidence of CSI for the time you exercised your treaty rights as a student.
There was someone else here from Bulgaria a while ago who lost their EHIC but got a letter from the health authority back in Bulgaria confirming that they would have covered him - that did the trick!

[horizon21]

Thank you everyone! This forum is such a valuable resource.

In our online health system I found out that I have been covered for the duration of my studies (all the way to 08/2014). I can suss out how I can get a hold of an official document confirming this.

A few more questions:

1. As a legally employed person for the past 2 years do I need CSI or by simply paying my taxes (in the UK) I need not pay the Bulgarian government to retroactively cover me from 08/14 until now?

2. Do I still need to use an S1 form as means through which I can prove I was covered or can I just use whatever format document the National Health Service give me and have it translated (the S1 would still need to be translated)?

3. After finishing uni in June 2014 I registered in a job centre and received benefits for about 5-6 weeks. Then I found work in an agency (factory worker), I worked there for 10ish days until I found my permanent graduate job (worked there for 2 years till 5/09/2016).

In a fit of happiness I destroyed all of my job centre documents (I'll be a pack rat from now on, I promise). So I have no official proof, save for the dates I was registered there which I obtained by calling the Job Centre. Am I in trouble because of this? I have a P45 from the agency.

4. With regard to proving my financial situation to Home Office, I have all of my payment slips from all of the places I was employed. Do I still need to provide bank account records? I have some statements but some of them were printed by me (online) , not by the bank. Lloyds refused to stamp the pages.

5. For the month of September 2016 I was (still am) on a career break before I start my new job. Do I need CSI for this month?

A thousand times thank you!

[horizon21]

I have found out the answer to some of these questions. I'll post them so maybe someone else in need of information can benefit.

1. I need CSI only while I was a student in the UK. After that point I satisfy the residence requirements due to being a 'worker'.

2. Any of the following forms from the health service are acceptable as proof for CSI: S1, E106, E109, E121

I still haven't found out answers to the other questions, with question number 5 being a mystery to me. Any ideas guys?

[horizon21]

Here's an update to my situation. Hopefully others can benefit as well.

1. I've paid retroactively for national health insurance in Bulgaria for the last 5 years I have been in the UK including September 2015. have been issued an S041 Form, which certifies that I've been covered from 2007 to Sept. 2016. This should hopefully account for any potential gaps in CSI for the 5-year period.

2. Answer found. Please see 1.

3. I'll go to a Job Centre Plus and submit a personal details request form. I will be requesting proof of being on JSA for the relevant period. I will also request proof of having been issued a Yellow Registration Certificate and the Certificate's serial number. Fingers crossed that they can provide me with the above information.

4. Still trying to find an answer to this one.

5. Regardless of the answer, I have paid for CSI in Bulgaria for Sept 2016 and proof of that is in the S041 Form that I have been issued.

Good luck everyone!

[horizon21]

Further to 3. I have just realised that noajthan suggested I submit a SAR to UKVI in order to get a copy of the Yellow Registration Certificate. Whoever is on the same path as myself, be advised that this is the correct way to proceed.

The SAR costs £10 plus UKVI require a photo ID copy certified by a solicitor. I gather that the latter will cost me a minimum of £80!

[noajthan]

Further to 3. I have just realised that noajthan suggested I submit a SAR to UKVI in order to get a copy of the Yellow Registration Certificate. Whoever is on the same path as myself, be advised that this is the correct way to proceed.

The SAR costs £10 plus UKVI require a photo ID copy certified by a solicitor. I gather that the latter will cost me a minimum of £80!

Just to clarify, you will not get a copy of any previously submitted documents - that is not what I meant.
There may be a record of the fact it exists.

[kalos45]

Hello, horizon21!

Thanks for sharing your experience regarding your PR Application.

I am in a similar position right now. Bulgarian national, arrived Sep 2011 and student till Sep 2012. Been in permanent employment ever since. I did have an EHIC for 2011-2012 and have lost it. I did get in touch with NZOK in Bulgaria and they did recommend getting S041 form to prove insurance/EHIC. Could you please give an update on your situation? I would be happy to exchange some experience on the matter as it seems that our cases are almost identical and hopefully could help each other.

Mod edit: post in English only

Thanks!

[martinaj]

Hello kalos45, horizon21,
Thanks for your advice an insights on this topic. I was wondering if you had any news on your applications and if the S041 was accepted as proof of CSI for the time you were covered by Bulgarian health insurance.
Did you get he form translated?

I'm in the same position as you on this topic so any advice would be appreciated

Thanks

[kalos45]

Hi martinaj I have received the form from the Bulgarian side but yes, it would need translation...it is all in Bulgarian. I haven't submitted my application yet so can't really say if its going to work. The Bulgarian authorities said that I was not the first one to request this and that they have issued it before, and nobody has come back to get an S1 instead. That being said I have always doubted authorities in general so will see if that's really true. I will be applying in a month or so. Still gathering other evidence.

[horizon21]

I wanted to post an update regarding my claim. I got the residence document a month after a payment was taken from my bank account!

Here is a log:

Sent: 7/2/17
Received by UKVI: 8/2/17
Payment taken: 9/2/17
Conformation email received: 3/3/17
Permit issued on 9/3/17
Documents received on: 16/3/17

Some advice to future applicants:
- I organised all of my documentation in annexes (about 20 annexes in total), based on category and period spent living in the UK (e.g. 1 annex for living and working in 2014, etc)
- I included a cover letter explaining how all of the evidence I've put in the document pack ties together to prove that I have resided and worked legally in the UK.

EDIT: The translated S041 form was accepted as proof of CSI. However, note that I also included proof of owning a yellow registration certificate which is proof of CSI for the relevant period by default, therefore I am unclear on whether they have deemed both documents fit for purpose or just 1 of them.

[MariaAA]

Hello martinaj, Kalos45,
I was wondering, did S041 work as a proof of CSI in your case? As a stand alone document, I mean

Any feedback is much appreciated !

Many thanks / MariaAA

[InsertUUID]

Hello martinaj, Kalos45,
I was wondering, did S041 work as a proof of CSI in your case? As a stand alone document, I mean

Any feedback is much appreciated !

Many thanks / MariaAA

Hi MariaAA, martinaj, Kalos45,

Did you find an answer to this as I'm in the exact situation ? I only have the S041 to prove CSI.

Did you apply? Were you successful ?

Thanks

[EU_lawyer]

Form S041 is valid, even though it does not appear on the Home Office's list.

A Form S041 confirms that for the period indicated in section 5, you were covered by your home social security system and that any healthcare you obtained in the UK would have been reimbursed by your home country. It therefore counts for the purposes of comprehensive sickness insurance.

For further confirmation, please send an enquiry to Your Europe Advice.


Have a question about your EU rights? Contact Your Europe Advice for free legal advice!
http://ec.europa.eu/eu-rights/enquiry-c ... origin=yea