EEA2 Application submitted

So, I sent in my EEA2 application last week. Just some background; I've had LLR for the past 2 years as an UP. My LLR expired on January 12th and I posted my EEA2 application about a week before. Along with the application I sent in 2-3 pieces of post (bills, bank statements, etc...) for each month of the 2 years that we've lived here, my passport, my partners Residence Permit (he has 2 more years on his), and proof of his employment. Also, I included a letter requesting my passport to be returned during the processing of my application and I sent along a SASE.

A few days after sending in my application, I found out that I needed to go to the US early next month. Because I doubt that I'll get my passport back in time, I've made an appointment at the US Embassy to get an emergency passport. They told me that as long as I have a letter from the HO indicating that my residence permit application is being processed and I have proof that I am traveling, I shouldn't have a problem getting the emergency passport that day. I haven't received anything back from the HO, but it is still early days and my appointment at the Embassy isn't for 2 more weeks.

It all seems very straight forward, but like most of you know, you can't help but feel a bit stressed until everything falls into place.   

Did the emergency passport work out?  I am really worried about sending my EEA forms in and then getting stranded! I have to travel often for work and family, and the 6 month wait seems crazy--especially when my 5-year-permit in an EU country took only 10 minutes in a local office!

I actually got my passport back in time to travel. I sent a separate recorded letter requesting it along with a couple faxes. Followed those up with several phone calls and got it back fairly quickly. I understand that other people haven't been so lucky. It is really important that, if you are going to travel, if your permit is already expired, you carry the Certificate of Application with you. This doesn't guarantee that you won't have problems when you return to the UK, but besides being grilled heavily a couple times, I always got back in.

If you are traveling for work or important family business you shouldn't have a problem, especially if you can prove that. If you are going away for a weekend in Paris, they aren't going to like that.

Also, expect it to take at least 6 months. Even if they only have, by EU regulations, 6 months to process it, mine took closer to 9 and it was only after a series of complaints, to various bodies, that I got it back.