Hi immigration experts

I have a friend who was previously on a student visa but failed to return home after the expiration of her visa in 2005
She heard about the EU resident route, whereby someone with an EU settled status can apply for dependent (i think up to three people) as dependent, after application they qualify for genuine working national insurance and after some months they get about five years leave to remain- she is paying someone upto £4000 for it including the lawyer fees

Is this route genuine, considering she has an expired visa (she will pay £400 for new passport from nigeria house)
she has been living illegally for about 3-4years and working

I have heard some other people doing it successfully but you know our people, it is all hearsay

can anyone explain the process, duration and the price

Thank you

Fiver:

Hi immigration experts

I have a friend who was previously on a student visa but failed to return home after the expiration of her visa in 2005
She heard about the EU resident route, whereby someone with an EU settled status can apply for dependent (i think up to three people) as dependent, after application they qualify for genuine working national insurance and after some months they get about five years leave to remain- she is paying someone Up to £4000 for it including the lawyer fees

Is this route genuine, considering she has an expired visa (she will pay £400 for new passport from nigeria house)
she has been living illegally for about 3-4years and working

I have heard some other people doing it successfully but you know our people, it is all hearsay

can anyone explain the process, duration and the price

Thank you

   I for one do not believe that it's any friend but the poster herself.   
   However, while it is possible in the Schengen states, but in the UK, hardly would anyone succeed to legalise his/her status by any scheme or any version of residence permit once s/he has been living in the country illegally. A likely scenario would be the applicant being adviced to leave the UK and reapply for a fresh visa to return legitimately to the UK: and this process, we know, is a difficult and frustrating one.
   I don't advice you to pay any money to anyone to legalise your stay because no amount of money can earn you a UK leave to remain after you've been living illegally for years: it takes qualification and eligibility to legalise one's stay in the UK (maybe) except you are under a pending political asylum process.
   How old are you (your friend) officially?
   What's the relationship between your friend and the would-be guardian?

@ poster

Vicjustice has replied you. Paying anyone will only lead to more trouble i.e. fake documentation. The best advice is for the person to return and reapply, or rough it out till 10yrs length of stay and hope the authorities regularize his or her papers.

cvibe:

@ poster

Vicjustice has replied you. Paying anyone will only lead to more trouble i.e. fake documentation. The best advice is for the person to return and reapply, or rough it out till 10yrs length of stay and hope the authorities regularize his or her papers.

I think he/she has to be legally resident in the UK for 10 before they can consider that

I have also heard of this EU dependent stuff, immigration lawyers are making a killing in the UK
cost range from £3000-5000, many nigerians have been moving from their base in other EU countries to
take advantage of the free benefits, some require three potentials at a time making upto £15,000
when the deal is over

Fiver:

Hi immigration experts

I have a friend who was previously on a student visa but failed to return home after the expiration of her visa in 2005
She heard about the EU resident route, whereby someone with an EU settled status can apply for dependent (i think up to three people) as dependent, after application they qualify for genuine working national insurance and after some months they get about five years leave to remain- she is paying someone upto £4000 for it including the lawyer fees

Is this route genuine, considering she has an expired visa (she will pay £400 for new passport from nigeria house)
she has been living illegally for about 3-4years and working

I have heard some other people doing it successfully but you know our people, it is all hearsay

can anyone explain the process, duration and the price

Thank you

Its dispeakable and a criminal offence to sham the immigration system.Both maybe liable to jail and deportation.

I know quite a few people here in London who have gone down the European Dependant route. All of them have received a letter from Home Office to confirm that their application has been received and that they have the right to work and live in the UK while their application is being decided. However, none of these people have yet had their applications approved i.e. Home Office still have their passports. One guy I know applied over a year ago and still hasn't heard anything from them! Whilst you might think that having a letter from Home Office allowing to work would make things easier, it doesn't really. All that it means is that you are in the UK legally. Most employers still won't consider giving you a job unless they can see your actual passport.

Also, remember that the UKBA aren't stupid. They know that this European Dependant route is being exploited, so I reckon it won't be long before it stops anyway.

I for one do not believe that it's any friend but the poster herself.

Totally understand your scepticism, I am actually on the last year of my 2 year post study work visa

Thank you for your replies