# croatia entering eu



## jenni_h (Feb 7, 2012)

my fiance is a croatian national and we are due to get married in september.
for the time being he is working and living there.
Someone told us he is able to come over to work in the UK without a visa as of June 2012
is this correct?


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

jenni_h said:


> my fiance is a croatian national and we are due to get married in september.
> for the time being he is working and living there.
> Someone told us he is able to come over to work in the UK without a visa as of June 2012
> is this correct?


Last I heard Croatia was scheduled to join the EU in mid 2013. So don't believe its citizens will be able to freely move around the area until then.

Even then, there might still be restrictions as per some other Eastern countries who have recently "joined".


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Crawford said:


> Last I heard Croatia was scheduled to join the EU in mid 2013. So don't believe its citizens will be able to freely move around the area until then.
> 
> Even then, there might still be restrictions as per some other Eastern countries who have recently "joined".


Only 8 countries so far have announced they will impose no restrictions on Croatian workers upon accession on 1st July 2013. Of the other 14, no official words yet but it seems highly likely that UK will apply a similar restriction currently imposed on Romanians and Bulgarians, meaning they have to wait up to 7 years before they have unrestricted access to UK labour market.


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## Casypeia (Jun 13, 2011)

Croatia is about to join the EU in July 2013, and British Government has released first documents regarding possible restrictions for Croatians after that date.

Accession of Croatia to the European Union | Home Office

Me and my British fiance will get married in January 2013, and until we read those documents, we were sure that Spouse visa is a must for us to live together in the UK. Now it looks like we have the other option...

If I would come to visit my husband in the UK soon after our wedding, I am eligible to stay up to 6 months. That would fall into the period when Croatia joins the EU. After 1.7.2013. I can stay with him in the UK legally as I will be EU citizen, and will be able to start working.

Is there any reason, other than employment, why we should go for Spouse visa in this situation?
Appreciate your opinion.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

I think it depends on your Croatian spouse's status. What they have done with Bulgarian and Romanians is that until they have worked in UK for a year under accession worker card, they can't have full access to UK job market. Once they gain worker card, they can bring their non-EEA family member. 
It's quite complicated and there is no way of knowing whether it will apply exactly to Croatians, you'd better wait until full announcement.


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## Casypeia (Jun 13, 2011)

Thanks Joppa. Just to make it a bit clearer.
My fiance is British born, and I am Croatian. We meet all the requirements for a Spouse visa, but were thinking of traveling from Cro to the UK together imidiately after the wedding in January 2013, if I actually don't need a visa and I can stay up to 6 months (as non EEU member at the moment, before 1.7.2013).

Should I expect any problems entering UK as a non EU wife of UK citizen, if I state that it's a visit for 6 months? We never had any problems with our visits before.

In the Statement of Intent (18.10.2012.) it says:



> WHO WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE WORK AUTHORISATION REQUIREMENT?
> 
> 10. In principle, any Croatian national who intends to take employment in the United Kingdom will be subject to the work authorisation requirement. However, the following (this is not an exhaustive list at this stage) will be exempt from the requirement:
> 
> ...


Basically, if Croatia joins EU 1.7.2013. I can start working, and legally stay with my husband in the UK even without spouse visa? Can you, or someone else, please confirm me this? 

Or if Croatia doesn't join EU then, I should come back to Croatia and then apply for Spouse visa?

I understand it is not all final yet, but after reading all about spouse visa, now things change and we would like to know as much as possible before making a decision. 
Thank you for all your help.


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## Guest (Dec 20, 2012)

Joppa said:


> Only 8 countries so far have announced they will impose no restrictions on Croatian workers upon accession on 1st July 2013. Of the other 14, no official words yet but it seems highly likely that UK will apply a similar restriction currently imposed on Romanians and Bulgarians, meaning they have to wait up to 7 years before they have unrestricted access to UK labour market.



Which 8 countries are those? Where is the best place to find this information?


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## Guest (Dec 20, 2012)

Casypeia said:


> Thanks Joppa. Just to make it a bit clearer.
> My fiance is British born, and I am Croatian. We meet all the requirements for a Spouse visa, but were thinking of traveling from Cro to the UK together imidiately after the wedding in January 2013
> 
> Or if Croatia doesn't join EU then, I should come back to Croatia and then apply for Spouse visa?
> ...



Since you qualify for the spouse visa, what speaks against getting it? And that way you don't have to worry about anything else? Is it a very time consuming and expensive process maybe that you are trying to avoid?


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## Casypeia (Jun 13, 2011)

Indeed, it is exactly those two, makes no sense to go through expensive visa process which could last a month or two just to be able to work before 1.7.2013. if we can be together as soon as we are married and wait until I can legally start working.


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## BronwynBean (Nov 20, 2012)

Question: What would happen if you were in UK on a tourist visa = 6 months, and in that time got married and then applied for settlement as spouse?


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## roy daniel (Jan 21, 2013)

hi guys and girls croatians will have to wait another 7 years to take up jobs in the uk from july which is quite sad really i have lettings company in croatia but its seasonal so can only employe them for six months of the year they are loverly people and just want to work unfortunately there is a lot of unemployment every where roy....


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

BronwynBean said:


> Question: What would happen if you were in UK on a tourist visa = 6 months, and in that time got married and then applied for settlement as spouse?


Not possible and totally against the law. 

Don't bother asking the Church of England to marry you on a tourist visa... they won't.

They (the Church of England) work in full cooperation with the UKBA and will not approve any marriage license where the foreign national _has not_ received the appropriate permission to remain in the UK. I know this for a fact because not only do they specify as much on their website, the Vicar who performed my wedding said I would need a Common License from the Diocese because I am a foreign national and the Registrar from the Diocese asked to see my Fiancee visa before he would sign the authorisation for the License.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

WestCoastCanadianGirl said:


> Not possible and totally against the law.
> 
> Don't bother asking the Church of England to marry you on a tourist visa... they won't.
> 
> They (the Church of England) work in full cooperation with the UKBA and will not approve any marriage license where the foreign national has not received the appropriate permission to remain in the UK. I know this for a fact because not only do they specify as much on their website, the Vicar who performed my wedding said I would need a Common License from the Diocese because I am a foreign national and the Registrar from the Diocese asked to see my Fiancee visa before he would sign the authorisation for the License.


You are replying to an old question about a Croatian national. The situation is complicated as Croatia is due to join EU in July this year. As things stand, I believe Croatians can enter as visitor without visa. If they stay long enough past 1st July, they automatically become EU citizens and can stay in UK as long as they like, and can marry if they want to. They will have restricted access to UK job market, like Bulgarians and Romanians at the moment.


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## SONA321 (Apr 24, 2013)

Croatia enters EU July 1st 2013 , Croatian citizens are only allowed to stay in the UK for a max period of 3months and which after that they need to go out and come back in the country , max 180 days within a 1 year period , they will have no rights to work in the UK


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

All we have at the moment is the Statement of Intent setting out the government's proposal for Croatian nationals post EU accession. 
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...ment_data/file/117967/statement-of-intent.pdf
It states those Croatians who are married to or in civil partnership with a British citizen or a family member of EEA national aren't subject to work authorisation scheme, thus able to take any job in UK like any other EU nationals.
As for length of stay in UK, they can live longer than 3 months if they are self-sufficient, studying, retiring etc. To get work authorisation, they need to meet similar points total to Tier 2 General under the immigration rules. This is to stop them getting low-skilled jobs. 
We do need to wait for the announcement of actual rules applicable from 1st July.


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## inica (Jun 4, 2013)

*urgent visa inquiry*

hi,

ive spent last 12months having an internship in UK under Tier 5 visa (goverment authrized exchange). The maximum for this category is 12months and my visa is expiring on 22.6. (one week before Croatia joins EU). 

Is there any way that I could apply for new visa? If I find a legal way to stay until 1.7. when we join EU, I could apply for a blue certificate and have no more restrictions on the labour market. 

i would really appreciate any advice that anyone might have. im still a student in croatia if that somehow helps.

many thanks!


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

I suppose the best thing to do is to leave UK before your current visa expires and re-enter on or after 1st July. Don't just go to the Republic of Ireland as your passport won't be checked or stamped. Go to somewhere like France, a Schengen country, where Croatians before accession can already stay without Schengen visa. While in theory you can do a daytrip before 22nd June and re-enter UK as a tourist, there will be less hassle at the UK border to delay your return till 1st July.


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## inica (Jun 4, 2013)

hi,tnx for ur answer. i dont mind going out and coming back but im interested in ways to work here legally. there is no point for me to come and be a tourist...


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

inica said:


> hi,tnx for ur answer. i dont mind going out and coming back but im interested in ways to work here legally. there is no point for me to come and be a tourist...


It's a question of whether you are eligible for work authorisation. Current proposals state there are several conditions under which a Croatian may be given authorisation, one of which is already working in UK for 12 months. The fact that on the accession day, you had worked for a year until 9 days before may make you eligible but I'm not sure. 

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...ment_data/file/117967/statement-of-intent.pdf
"• those Croatian nationals who *are legally working in the UK on the date of accession* and have been legally working for an uninterrupted period of 12 months ending on that date;
• those Croatian nationals who *work legally for an uninterrupted period of 12 months falling partly or wholly after the date of accession*;"

Otherwise you need to be sponsored, as now, for Tier 2 or Tier 5 under points-based system for skilled worker.

We should see definitive rules being announced any time now.


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## inica (Jun 4, 2013)

i think that unfortunately i wont be eligible for this 12 month thing cuz it says that 12 months needs to be ending on that date...

my other question is...if i had a visa under tier 5 (work experience) and maximum for that is 12 months - can i go back and reapply for another 12 months after a while?


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Maybe. Or you can be sponsored for Tier 2 General, and after July 1st, your sponsor no longer has to meet the resident labour market requirement.


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## MajaM (Feb 6, 2013)

Hi.

Sorry to bump this topic but I wondered if the definitive rules for Croatian citizens working in the UK after 1st July (and EU ascension) have been published? I saw they were due to be shortly but I can't see a specific update on the UKBA site which confirms if they have followed the statement of intent or not?

Thanks,

Matt


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Haven't seen anything yet. They tend to announce at the last moment!


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## Casypeia (Jun 13, 2011)

I believe this is the final version, published after 12th June 2013: The Accession of Croatia (Immigration and Worker Authorisation) Regulations 2013

Hope it helps.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Yes, the regulations are in place but actual implementation, exact procedures, forms and guidance etc will only be uploaded on Home Office site on or after 1st July.


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## inica (Jun 4, 2013)

*tier 5*

has anyone tried to get the work authorization under tier 5 and for how long did you need to wait to get it?


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