Comment by morrbo | Hacker News Reader

Comment by morrbo | Hacker News Reader

My girlfriend is greek. She has no stamps in her passport, I wouldn't have stamps in mine if I went to Greece. She's lived here for 8 years. Other than her landlord's vouch, or some bills registered to her address (which is only her phone bill and bank account iirc) she has no definitive proof she lives here. If she leaves the country to visit her parents, now there is a real chance she might be rejected coming back in.

We were talking about it last night and neither of us have a clue how you'd even go about getting a UK visa in an EU country. Yes, people who live here already and don't leave are "good" until 2020. However if this does go ahead there will be tens of thousands of people who cant (for example) go home and visit their parents over Christmas without a risk they might be told "nah" at the border.

I believe that in her specific case she can't get settled status as she (despite being here 8 years) had a period a few years ago where she worked on cruise ships so was out of the country for > 6 months.

She still can apply for pre-settled, and there would be no reason she couldn't get it if she has a national insurance number. I've been in the country only for 3 or 4 months and got pre-settled status within a day of applying.

Pre-settled wouldn't be a guaranteed re-entry to the UK though would it? Or have I got that wrong? I was under the impression settled only would be valid for re-entry (which is the problem, as the deadline is in a month and it takes 5 years to get this status)

"Pre-settled" is essentially the same as "settled" status – the plan was that either of these would allow entry into the UK after December 2020, when free movement from the EEA was supposed to end.

There is currently no system in place to allow re-entry for people with either "settled" or "pre-settled" status (that's why this announcement is mad.) But your girlfriend should 100% absolutely as soon as possible make sure she has pre-settled status.

Pre-settled allows you to come in and out of the country as long as you don't leave for more than 6 months per 12 months period.

Currently EEA citizens automatically gain "permanent resident" status after 5 years if they meet the conditions.

This can be proven by applying for a permanent residence card.

It has always been a sensible idea to keep evidence of residence and work in order to prove your status although it seems that a surprisingly large number of people never bothered.

In any case, I would think that anyone would have pay slips, P60s, council tax bills.

The conditions (iirc) require continuous residence with no more than 6 months abroad per year. As she worked on cruise ships she is shit out of luck.

There may well be exceptions for work placements which require you to be abroad; certainly in some some jurisdictions this would not be considered as actually living abroad. I suggest people in this situation have a close look at the rules.

Worth mentioning as well that at present the current visas for non-EU immigrants specifically preclude EEA citizens and as such EU citizens living in the UK aren't eligible for them regardless of anything else.

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