# can a NON EU immigrant claim jobseekers while in Ireland



## maggsy (Jan 25, 2013)

i am thinking of moving to Ireland with my wife. she is a Filipina.i know i can claim jobseekers allowance while i find a job in Ireland,but can my wife also? also if i leave my job in the UK to go to Ireland how long do i have to wait to before i could claim jobseekers? would they still pay me something like they do in the UK?


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## lessenich (Sep 28, 2012)

maggsy said:


> i am thinking of moving to Ireland with my wife. she is a Filipina.i know i can claim jobseekers allowance while i find a job in Ireland,but can my wife also? also if i leave my job in the UK to go to Ireland how long do i have to wait to before i could claim jobseekers? would they still pay me something like they do in the UK?


Where are you from ? Are you EEAC or UK C?


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## maggsy (Jan 25, 2013)

I'm British,living in the UK.


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## lessenich (Sep 28, 2012)

maggsy said:


> I'm British,living in the UK.


Are you going on purpose to Ireland to claim job seeker allowance ? You must have worked their for a period of time or transfer your your benefit over


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## maggsy (Jan 25, 2013)

i might be going there 2 be with my wife. i'm working at the moment in the UK .but not earning enough 2 get a spouse visa,so thinking of going 2 live in Ireland 2 be with my wife. i will be claiming jobseekers if i can while i look 4 work,but don't know if my wife can claim as well while shes looks 4 work?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I'm fairly sure that you can only claim JSA if you lose your job and have paid NI, or have been out of work for at least 12 weeks. I also think it would only apply if you go to northern Ireland. I dont know about your wife, it would depend on her UK national insurance contributions

Jo xxx


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## maggsy (Jan 25, 2013)

no i know i can claim in the Rep of ireland,it has 2 be ireland because Northern ireland has the same immigration rules because its UK,so no point going there.if i move 2 another EU country my wife can join me,she has paid no NI contributions,she works in HK.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

maggsy said:


> no i know i can claim in the Rep of ireland,it has 2 be ireland because Northern ireland has the same immigration rules because its UK,so no point going there.if i move 2 another EU country my wife can join me,she has paid no NI contributions,she works in HK.


I dont know southern Irelands rules. The only way you could claim is via Britain. The rules to claim it while in another EU country are that you would have to be clai9ming it before you leave England and to do that you would need to have either been sacked, made redundant or been out of work for 12 weeks. You can then in some cases get your JSA transferred to another EU country, but only for 12 weeks and many EU countries dont honour it, I'm fairly sure that your wife wont be eligible. In fact is she even eligible to live in the EU?? If you're not earning enough to support her???

Jo xxx


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## maggsy (Jan 25, 2013)

yes she can under EU rules,thats why i'm thinking of moving,if i go 2 another EU country she can join me.i know its crazy,she can't come 2 the UK,even though i'm a british citizen,but i can live with her in a EU country,immigration laws r crazy in the UK,i blame Teresa May.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

maggsy said:


> yes she can under EU rules,thats why i'm thinking of moving,if i go 2 another EU country she can join me.i know its crazy,she can't come 2 the UK,even though i'm a british citizen,but i can live with her in a EU country,immigration laws r crazy in the UK,i blame Teresa May.


 I dont know, but I do know that the amount you'd receive on JSA wouldnt be enough to support one, let alone two people, its only given for 12 weeks and I'm fairly certain your wife wouldnt be eligible to claim - its based on NI contributions. Maybe you should contact the agency that deals with JSA and find out more. Joppa the UK moderator on the forum is very knowledgeable, he may be able to help

Jo xxx


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## Guest (Jan 26, 2013)

But for your wife to join you in the UK after living in another european country it was my understanding you had to be working, be self employed or self sufficent to apply under that route. Ie you claiming jobseekers wouldn't qualify you or her to use that route.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

_shel said:


> But for your wife to join you in the UK after living in another european country it was my understanding you had to be working, be self employed or self sufficent to apply under that route. Ie you claiming jobseekers wouldn't qualify you or her to use that route.


This is a very good point. In order for your non-EU citizen wife to join you in another EU country, you must be exercising your treaty rights as _shel described: by working, being self employed or self sufficient. Claiming jobseekers is not going going to make her eligible to join you.


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## Jrge (Mar 22, 2011)

Hi,

Just to clarify; in this case self-sufficient doesn't count to sponsor the Non-EU spouse/partner. 

Animo
(Cheers)


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## maggsy (Jan 25, 2013)

thats right,i would be claiming jobseekers while looking 4 a job,having found a job,after a few months i might return 2 my job in the UK. how long would i have 2 be working in Ireland before i could return 2 the UK with my wife? is it 3 months? or 6 months? am i also correct in thinking that my wife once in Ireland could come 2 the UK with me 2 visit my family. she would not need a visa 4 that+no checks r made?


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

nyclon said:


> This is a very good point. In order for your non-EU citizen wife to join you in another EU country, you must be exercising your treaty rights as _shel described: by working, being self employed or self sufficient. Claiming jobseekers is not going going to make her eligible to join you.


How does this criteria work in practice though? There have been plenty of people on these forums who say that they are exercising their treaty rights by moving to a country to work but, once there, don't find a job. 

Are they then allowed to claim job seekers allowance etc? It seems to me there is nothing to stop people moving to another country without a job already in the pipeline.

They are allowed to do so because they are exercising their rights due to the fact they are looking for work. Whether they find it or not does not seem to come into the equation.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

maggsy said:


> thats right,i would be claiming jobseekers while looking 4 a job,having found a job,after a few months i might return 2 my job in the UK. how long would i have 2 be working in Ireland before i could return 2 the UK with my wife? is it 3 months? or 6 months? am i also correct in thinking that my wife once in Ireland could come 2 the UK with me 2 visit my family. she would not need a visa 4 that+no checks r made?


Under Surinder Singh rule, you must be working or self-employed in Ireland, other than on casual (i.e. cash-in-hand with no contract, tax deduction etc) or transitory basis (e.g. helping out in a bar for a couple of weekends). So think in terms of a proper job on payroll etc. Minimum period isn't laid down, and while the EU did declare someone doing 10 weeks was considered an EU worker, think more in terms of 3-6 months. You have the right to be joined by your wife in Ireland while you look for jobs (up to 3 months) and when you find a job, but check with Irish consulate in Thailand what she requires to enter Ireland - either a short-term visa or equivalent of EEA family permit. Rememeber if the flight is routed through UK, she may need a UK transit visa.

As for entering UK while you are both living in Ireland, she should get an EEA family permit from the British embassy in Dublin.


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## maggsy (Jan 25, 2013)

so if after 3 months if i can't find a job can i then go 2 another EU country 2 look 4 work? can my wife come with me? can i go 2 any EU country 2 look 4 work with my wife apart from the UK?


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

maggsy said:


> so if after 3 months if i can't find a job can i then go 2 another EU country 2 look 4 work? can my wife come with me? can i go 2 any EU country 2 look 4 work with my wife apart from the UK?


You can but won't get any more JSA until you return to UK, sign on an so on. It also depends on your contribution record. Your wife can join you, but check with the country concerned what visa etc she requires. Remember, unless you have big savings, your money will soon run out without finding a job quickly. Temporary accommodation for a couple is expensive.

Read also Jobseeker's Allowance in EEA countries - DWP


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## maggsy (Jan 25, 2013)

so i would have 2 leave my wife in Ireland return 2 the UK,sign on ,then go back 2 Ireland,then go 2 another EU country with my wife. how much money do u think i need 2 save 2 cover rent+bills 4 a few months while we find work? would £2000 be enough?


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## Vytux (Jan 31, 2013)

Not sure about Ireland but when my wife came over for Australia to Lithuania we had to prove that we had over 10,000 in the local bank account before they would consider anything more than an EU visitor visa (3 months)


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## BaguetteMan (Apr 20, 2010)

May I suggest the obvious, hopefully without appearing rude, as I am trying to be helpful? You are obviously computer literate. Why not go on-line, find Irish employment agencies and apply for suitable jobs and arrange some interviews. Then when you are successful in acquiring a job, move to Ireland. With regards to your wife, if you contact the nearest Irish Embassy and they will tell you exactly what the requirements are. 
If you look on any of the forums on this site and you will find sensible, experienced ex-pats advising against the idea of moving to another country without much money and no jobs. You may or may not be aware that the job situation in Ireland is far worse than in Britain. It has the 4th highest rate of unemployment in Europe, only Greece, Spain and Portugal are worse. Your chances of finding work might well be worse than in one of the stronger economies (such as Germany) unless you have a specific profession that is currently in demand in Ireland. Besides that, I don't think £2000 is enough for two people for more than about 6 weeks or so when you take accomodation (deposit and rent), travel, food, utilities (gas, electric etc), mobile phone, laundry, cost of getting to interviews etc. And since you say you may have to travel back to the UK, and then on to other European countries, you would need to keep a reserve of money to fund travel and accomodation there too. In addition, I'm pretty sure landlords in Ireland, just like here in the UK, require references and proof that you have a job/income, and tend to require a months deposit and a month in advance. My experience is that many landlords prefer 6 month or 12 month agreements. I think short lets are available but the rents tend to be higher. You could stay in B&B but your money will not last long if you do. On the subject of going there to live on benefits, whatever about your rights, Ireland's economy is in terrible shape and you may find that bureaucracy moves very slowly when it comes to allowing you to live on benefits as a newly-arrived non-national. I speak from experience of living in Ireland on-and-off for extended periods, as recently as last year, albeit not on benefits. Good luck with your plans.


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## Guest (Feb 2, 2013)

I totally agree with that. Irish folk are on mass leaving for the UK, Australia & Canada due to the work situation there so someone who is not local would obviously be in a much worse situation.


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