I am about to apply for a settlement visa for my wife, but i've just read a post about a family permit. Basically I have a British passport but because i am from Northern Ireland and my parents are from the republic of Ireland, I can apply for an Irish passport and as such have a dual nationality.

I have lived in the UK all my life so can I apply for a family permit using the Irish passport, if for some reason the settlement visa is not granted, or is there any other loop holes that I can apply to my case.

Thanks very much to Scouse for replying to my last post.

And its free if you go down the Irish route, the UK route £515 ish plus KOL requirement then ILR £750.

I would go down that route personally but only you can decide the ridiculous system we have at the moment costs a small fortune.

See also 21.4.7 - Dual nationals / Irish / EEA nationals holding settled status and 2. PROCEDURAL COMPARISON.

Thanks very much for the help. I think it looks like a good option. Although I'll have to try and get an urgent irish passport then forward it to her quickly, as I am in England now alone and missing her.

I went down the Irish route last year. A doddle and free (apart from paying for an Irish passport) The only drawback is that it will take her 5 years to get her UK citizenship.

I went down the Irish route last year. A doddle and free (apart from paying for an Irish passport) The only drawback is that it will take her 5 years to get her UK citizenship.

Where did you apply for the passport, and how long did it take to come. Is the visa decided quickly?

I went down the Irish route last year. A doddle and free (apart from paying for an Irish passport) The only drawback is that it will take her 5 years to get her UK citizenship.

Where did you apply for the passport, and how long did it take to come. Is the visa decided quickly?

Phoned up the Irish Embassy in London, they sent the application form. I sent it off and the passport was back in a couple of weeks. My visa took a little longer as the mrs was already in the Uk on a SV and i was changing her status to that of a spouse of an EU citizen working in the UK. If your'e doing it in one go at the Bangkok Embassy, is should be straight away. I think?

Phoned up the Irish Embassy in London, they sent the application form. I sent it off and the passport was back in a couple of weeks. My visa took a little longer as the mrs was already in the Uk on a SV and i was changing her status to that of a spouse of an EU citizen working in the UK. If your'e doing it in one go at the Bangkok Embassy, is should be straight away. I think?

Thanks very much. So your mrs was already in on a settlement visa. Can you change visa type after. Did you get your settlement visa money back? or did you avoid having to pay the £750 ILR. Did you make the origional settlement visa on a British passport. Thanks for your time.

Did you get your settlement visa money back?

No refunds I am afraid.

Good Luck

Moss

As Moss said "no refunds". But i didn't hve to pay for ILR as she is now on a EU family permit. If i had already paid the fee, i wouldn't have bothered going down the Irish route.

Yes i made the original FLR on a British Passport. The iffy bit was changing her visa status whilst she was in the UK. They didn't like it and i could have had a battle but they didn't persue her having to leave the country.