EEA family member? EEA1 form? Any experiences with expediting?

I'm in London now. I am close to having an address, I'm filling out the EEA1 form so that I can get a registration number for my wife's EEA Family permit application. But I just realized that they want my passport, which I need for travel for work in about a month. So here are a few questions. If anyone has experience with these forms and can answer them please do!! Thanks

1) Does my wife REALLY need a national registration number separate from my national insurance number for her EEA Family Permit?

2) If I go in person in Croydon will I be in and out quickly and will I be able to keep my passport?

3) If I mail in the application with my passport how long will it take to return it?

4) If I don't have my passport back in time to fly to the US and I leave and return on my US passport and not my EU passport, will I cause an issue? I suspect yes, since I'm here on the EU passport. Would it have been enough to have entered the country on the EU passport once already?

Thanks!

1) Does my wife REALLY need a national registration number separate from my national insurance number for her EEA Family Permit?

No, she doesn't (it even says so on the UKBA website, on this page: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/eucitizens/documents-eea-nationals/).

It also says so on the EEA Family permit paper application form (http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/eea/eea21.pdf):

Note 1. There is no requirement for your EEA national family member to apply for a registration certificate and we can decide your case without them applying. However, we must receive evidence of theiridentity, e.g. passport or identity card. If your EEA national family member wishes to apply for a registration certificate, they may apply separately using form EEA1.

For her EEA family permit application, all you need to do to show that you will be exercising treaty rights in the UK is provide your EEA passport (or a certified copy of it) and evidence of your job in the UK (job contract, letter from employer, payslips if you are already working in the UK etc.). Plus, you need to provide your marriage certificate to show she is your non-EEA family member.

2) If I go in person in Croydon will I be in and out quickly and will I be able to keep my passport?

3) If I mail in the application with my passport how long will it take to return it?

You don't need to apply for it at all, so this isn't an issue.

4) If I don't have my passport back in time to fly to the US and I leave and return on my US passport and not my EU passport, will I cause an issue? I suspect yes, since I'm here on the EU passport. Would it have been enough to have entered the country on the EU passport once already?

It's a moot point, because you don't need to apply for EEA1, so there's no reason for you not to have the EEA passport, but for your information:

You would have no choice but to use your US passport to enter the US (as it is illegal not to, if you are a US citizen). For the UK, it's not mandatory to use the EU passport, but if you did you would need to prove some other way that you were an EEA citizen and legally allowed to live in the UK.

That's definitely the answer I was hoping for! One less thing to worry about. Thanks!

Apparently the digital version of the application has this:

What is the EEA National Registration Certificate number for the EEA National?   
*_________

With a red asterix expressing a required field. Any thoughts on what to put in there? EU passport number? N/A?

Apparently the digital version of the application has this:

What is the EEA National Registration Certificate number for the EEA National?   
*_________

With a red asterix expressing a required field. Any thoughts on what to put in there? EU passport number? N/A?

I would just put N/A.

The electronic form is not sent anywhere when you submit it and you can edit the printed version before you send the documents to NYC.

So you can always put N/A (or whatever it will let you put) and then once you have applied and printed the completed application, you can write a note in pen beside it stating that you don't have a reference number.

Thanks, passed that along. Hope it sticks!