Applying for permanent residence in the UK

[kYuZz]

Hi all,

I'm a European Union citizen and I'm going to apply for permanent residence in the UK.

Like many people on this forum I provide my services through my own limited company of which I am the sole employee and director, and I have been for the past 7 years, all residing in the UK.

I'm not totally sure how to go about my application. The Home Office requires me to send them proof of work. I know that for the HMRC I am an employee, but in the context of this application I think I may qualify as self-employed instead. I get this impression from reading the guidance notes from the Home Office. There is a big difference between the 2 situations, because the list of documents I would have to attach to my application would be totally different. It will take up to 6 months to the Home Office to reply to my application, so I want to be 100% sure I am doing things right and not wasting time.

Has any of you guys done the same application I am doing? What documents did you attach?

[Fred Bloggs]

Have you tried asking them? That's what I would do first.

[SeanT]

I'm a European Union citizen and I'm going to apply for permanent residence in the UK.

Why?!

[SueEllen]

You have been told to stop applying as the cretins at the Home Office can't deal with the millions of applications the governments "confused" position has caused.

Can't you find a British or Irish citizen to marry?

[zonkkk]

Are you employed by your company?
You will need to send them 5 years P50s and Self returns.
You need to prove you were in the country exercising your right if free movement without being a burden on the tax payer.

[Invisiblehand]

This sounds like exactly the kind of issue you should seek professional advice over.

[Platypus]

This sounds like exactly the kind of issue you should seek professional advice over.

Exactly so. There are lots of immigration lawyers out there who specialise in this stuff. Given that the fee (nearly £1000 IIRC) is non-refundable in the event of a failed application, why risk it?

[borderreiver]

I'm a European Union citizen and I'm going to apply for permanent residence in the UK.

I would wait until there's clarity on what's going to happen. Lots of EU citizens have already applied for PR (and got it), only to be told that when the new system is in place - whatever that will be - that they'll have to apply again. For them it was a massive waste of time and money.

[stek]

AIUI, OP will have already acquired PR under the EC directive, the PR card itself merely affirms his rights. And is all free.

He can't apply for ILR since that UK immigration rules, he's under EU rules.

That leaves British Citizenship, which is under UK law only and costs around a grand as has been said - no income prove is required just that you where physically present in UK on the exact day 5 years prior to application date and has nothing on his record that implies bad character such as unspent points on licence, CCJ's etc.

@OP - is it citizenship you mean?

[kYuZz]

Have you tried asking them? That's what I would do first.

Yes, I called the Home Office and they said that they can't provide any advice and that the only way for me to get a definite answer is to speak to a solicitor.