Regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority · Ref No. F201700062
Family and Partners
Unmarried partner applications turn on evidencing a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership over a required period.
Couples who have genuinely lived together often struggle simply because the paperwork was never in both names.
Unmarried partners generally need to show they have lived together in a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership for at least two years before applying. The Home Office looks for documentary coverage across the whole period, ideally addressed to both partners at the same address.
Where documents are only in one name, or where a period was spent apart for work, study or immigration reasons, the gap needs to be explained rather than left to inference.
Couples who lived abroad, who lived with family, or who could not open joint accounts often have thin paper trails. Letters from landlords, employers, medical practices, insurers and family members can bridge those gaps when they are specific and dated.
If the two-year period is genuinely not met, other options may exist, including marriage or civil partnership, the fiancé route, or a different immigration category.
Beyond cohabitation, the financial requirement, accommodation, English language and suitability requirements apply in the same way as for spouses, along with the same distinction between the five-year and ten-year routes.
What is actually needed depends on your circumstances. We confirm the list with you before anything is prepared.
We start with your history, your relationships, your work and your time in the UK. The right route follows from the facts.
We explain which route fits, what it requires and what the realistic alternatives are if it does not.
We work out what the Home Office will expect, what you already have and what needs to be obtained.
We prepare the application, explain anything that needs explaining and advise on what happens after submission.
This page is general information about UK immigration and is not advice on your individual circumstances. Requirements, guidance and procedures change. Please obtain advice before relying on anything published here.
We will tell you how UKU can assist, and what the realistic options are.
