Hey everyone, hope you're good.

I would like to pick your brains if you don't mind

1.I decided to leave the UK to be with my wife in Azerbaijan. Things haven't been as rosy as intended so we have decided to use the EU Directive2004/38/EC to go to Ireland. (information on this can be found http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/Sh ... %20Tourist) at the bottom of the Page Visit with EU citizen by family member - visa application documents required)

Page 9 of this document http://dl.dropbox.com/u/27885818/irelan ... 7-05_2.pdf from Bobby McDonagh details what documents are required and this is what we have sent. This letter was address to the Irish Embassy in London. I assume it will be transposed to all the visa issuing embassy's?

So we sent her visa application of to the Irish Embassy, which happens to be in Turkey last week. It would have arrived Wednesday or Thursday last week. Advised on it that myself and my wife would be travelling from Azerbaijan to Ireland for a visit next month. Got a problem now though. My visa runs out on 1 December 2011 and I will have to leave Azerbaijan. I could go to Georgia, apply for another visit visa for Azerbaijan and then come back but they may be an unnecessary expenses as I could be there when the visa comes through.

We sent off the completed application form, our marriage certificate, her passport, copy of my UK passport and driving license, a copy of my visa for Azerbaijan with an entry stamp but no exit stamp. We also stated the Directive in the cover note.

I've looked over the web and can't seem to find the processing times in Turkey. Do you have any experience or knowledge on how long it take?

2. Also, we stated we would travel together. Would it be a problem if I were to go first and then when her visa comes through she travel to Ireland on her own? Maybe they will issue the visa SJ C with remarks - VISIT - Accompany an EU citizen.

3. Do you think the Irish Embassy in Ankara, Turkey would speed up the processing if we were to contact them to state my visa is expiring and my wife needs to travel with me?

4. Obviously, we stated that we are going for a visit but do we still have the right to live there should I find suitable or any work in 90 days?

5. Would my wife require a transit visa if we were connecting flights in Paris or Heathrow on wards to Ireland on the same day. We would have to change planes (different airlines) and probably collect bags and check in for the next flight.

Hope to hear fro you soon

Take care,

Andy

Hi Andy

Spent sometime reading the Irish immigration links you posted.

Actually the first link is not working and you have to visit INIS and go to Visas to find the section: Visit with EU citizen by family member - visa application documents required

I expect you have applied for visa D for longer than 90 days.........

Have you read this on page 4? http://dl.dropbox.com/u/27885818/irelan ... 7-05_2.pdf



Also you have stated in her application that she will travel with you .......

but on the last page says:


I expect you have read many times these notes and know by heart ......

As about processing times etc. sorry I don't know.

Wish you good luck.



I don't know processing

Yeah - I saw that on the last page. We will either be travelling together (if the visa comes through in time) or she will be coming to visit me in Ireland?

Another headache

Going to see if I can extend my visa in Azerbaijan I think. If not able to I will have to go first, which kind of breaks the idea of being together hahaha

What a ballache!

johnstandy,
Welcome back to the forum.
Sorry that you had to post the news that you posted, it would have been nicer for you and for everybody else if you were posting a success story but then that is life and I am quite sure that the success story will come later.

OK now to business.

From your post:Please never ASSUME anything (especially when dealing with bureaucrats).

PS
I cannot open the letter, I keep getting a message saying: "The file is damaged and cannot be repaired", so I cannot comment on the relevance of the letter.
But I am assuming that the letter is relevant.

I do hope that you included a copy of the letter with the application form or that you at least referred to the existence of such a letter, it is always better to show the bureaucrats that you know what you are talking about and to include all the relevant documents, in saying that I do emphasise the word relevant as I see it burying some-one in paper-work can and does have a negative effect.
If you have not included a copy of the letter or referred to the existence of such a letter then get you fingers working and compose a "short and sweet" along the lines of :

"Dear Sir/Madam.
Concerning visa application reference number (......the visa application reference number.........), please accept this document as an addition to the above mentioned visa application" you can also add a short apology concerning the oversight of not having included the document with the original application.

Address the email to the consular department of the British Embassy that is dealing with your wife's visa application (the only email address that I can find is: ireland@superonline.com, alternatively send the Irish Embassy in Turkey a FAX, Fax number : +90-312-459 1022.


On a different note I hope that you have made and kept copies of all the documents.

Other options:

• You as a British citizen can travel to Turkey without any problems and your wife can travel to Turkey (visa free) for 30 days and so if the deadline of your visa approaches you might contact the Irish Embassy in Ankara explain the situation and request that they temporarily return your wife's passport so both of can travel to Turkey together to await their decision.
  
  
• The advantage of this move is that you are putting indirect pressure on the Irish Embassy to get their finger out, and issue your wife's visa before your Azeri visa expires.
  • Under some circumstances indirect pressure works better than direct pressure (my opinion).

With reference to airport transit visas:
Heathrow, sorry I cannot help because I do not know if there is an option to change terminals "airside".

Charles de Gaulle (Paris), there is an option to change terminals "airside" (without having to deal with immigration procedures) so your wife should not have a problem there.

With reference to EU Directive2004/38/EU, I will leave comments on this issue to "wiz", because he knows more than I do about the directive.

Did someone mentioned they wanted a success story????

Got an email this morning

Dear Alisa,



We issued yr visa and its ready to collection. If you give me yr full addresses and phone numbers I will send it to you with ASE courier company today. It will be on yr payment. Pls let me know.



Regards,

Gul Stout


That does mean she has the visa right

Asked them to confirm it had been granted and nice reply saying Granted and the passport is on our way back to us.

Cheers Bandit

Next step - the Residence Family Permit