The Unmarried Partner Visa UK is one of the UK family visas that allows entrance clearance to a family member of a British citizen or resident. It extends these rights to people who are not married or in a civil partnership with a British living but who have been in a serious relationship with their partner for at least two years. Spouse visa holders can enter the UK with their spouses or civil partners.
If you want to continue in the UK with your spouse after the first two years and nine months, you can extend the unmarried partner visa UK validity. Your partner must also be eligible:
- Have Irish or British citizenship.
- They must have evidence of permanent residency, settled status, or indefinite leave to remain (ILR), proving they have established themselves in the UK.
- Possess pre-settled status from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein.
- Have a Turkish Worker or Businessperson’s visa.
- The Unmarried Partner Visa covers same-sex and opposite-sex couples.
The Criteria for a Genuine and Sustained Relationship:
The real and subsisting relationship condition, part of your application for an unmarried partner visa, states that you must have been in a serious relationship with your spouse for at least two years to be eligible.
The Home Office introduced these criteria to prevent convenience marriages and fake relationships intended to be used as an excuse for getting a visa. This rule also extends to Spouse visas.
Your visa application may only be allowed if you provide sufficient evidence of the validity and continuation of your relationship. Additionally, you must prove that you want to live with your partner once you arrive in the UK and have appropriate housing.
Required Documents to Prove Relationship Status:
You can use a broad range of documents as your supporting proof; there isn’t a predefined list of specific documents you must submit to satisfy this criterion. Provide as many supporting documents as possible when applying for an unmarried partner visa. You can use the following documents as proof of your relationship:
- The landlord or rental agent can show Proof of marriage through tenancy agreements and letters.
- Birth certificates for children that list both parents or letters from a doctor or school stating that parents share responsibility as parents for the children.
- Utility bills in both names, mortgage or rental agreements, or bank statements from joint bank accounts can provide proof of shared financial responsibility.
- Airline tickets, quotes from close relatives, and pictures from trips to each other’s nations.
- Offer of work with plans for the education of any children (school acceptance letter) or proof of a shared intention to live together in the United Kingdom.
How Can You Prove Your Relationship Status?
As the Home Office’s guidelines about the exact proof of a genuine and ongoing relationship are unclear, you must provide as much evidence as possible in your Unmarried Partner Visa application. Certain items can be used to show your status with an unmarried partner, even though the guidelines are unclear. Among them are:
- Having shared a home in the past with your spouse.
- Bearing a child jointly with your spouse.
- Sharing your financial responsibilities with your spouse.
- Travels to one another’s nations.
- Your plans in the UK, including where you want to live together permanently.
What Other Requirements Should I Fulfil?
For your Unmarried Partner Visa UK to be approved, you must fulfil several requirements, including financial requirements and an English language proficiency test. The most challenging requirement is usually showing your relationship with your partner.
To prove to the Home Office that you are proficient in English, you must present documentation, such as a passing score on an authorised English language exam.
Proving that you can support yourself in the UK without requiring public funds is one of the financial requirements of £29,000. If you have any dependent children, your income needs to be larger. You must submit documentation, such as bank statements, to demonstrate that you can fulfil this condition.
Conclusion:
The criterion for an honest and ongoing connection makes the Unmarried Partner Visa UK application process very challenging. My Legal Services, an unmarried partner visa lawyer, has decades of experience in Unmarried Partner Visas and is fully aware of what is required to approve an application. Our experienced and professional unmarried partner visa lawyer can support you during the visa application process.
