What Is the Unmarried Partner Visa in the UK and What are the Requirements?

The de facto visa, otherwise known as the unmarried partner visa, is applicable for genuine couples in a relationship for a good time no less than 2 years and may decide to get married at a later date. The unmarried partner visa UK acts as an anchor for foreign partners.

This indicates that one of the partners needs to be a British citizen, whether by naturalization or birth. They can also be someone with the unmarried partner visa settled status, refugee status Indefinite leave to remain in the UK, or limited leave to remain

Important Requirements of the Unmarried Partner Visa UK

For you and your partner to live together in the UK, you need to consider the following requirements:

● You need to be in a committed relationship with a partner who is a British citizen or has settled in the UK.

● Your UK-settled partner needs to act as the sponsor of your unmarried partner visa UK.

● You must have lived together for at least two years.

● You need to provide evidence that you meet the ‘genuine relationship’ test that includes providing information for all previous marriages, partnerships, and marriages.

● Both of you need to be over 18 years old.

● You need to have suitable accommodations set up in the UK where you want to live.

● You need to satisfy the English language requirements, which may include you sitting for an English test.

● Your sponsor needs to meet the financial requirement, which might mean having a specific amount of savings or earning a certain annual income.

The Minimum Income Requirement

You need to note that whether it is a UK ancestry visa or an unmarried partner visa UK, you are prohibited from accessing public funds while you reside in the UK. This is because it is a temporary form of leave to remain, and you need to be settled permanently in the UK to access welfare support.

Due to this, you need to provide evidence that you can financially support yourself while living in the UK. Some of the rules are as follows:

● Your settled partner needs to earn a minimum of £18,600 every year via employment or self-employment or can rely on cash savings or non-employment-related income.

● If you are going to be joined by children or dependents in the UK, your sponsor needs to earn an extra £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for every child.

Document Checklist

Though you need to provide several documents for the visa, a general document checklist will look as follows:

● A copy of your passport

● A portfolio of evidence that will prove you meet the Genuine relationship test

● A copy of your partner’s UK passport or immigration status can prove that they have the right to remain in the UK

● Proof that your previous relationship has come to an end

● Details of your accommodation arrangements in the UK

● Your degree certificate or your English language proficiency

● Bank statements/payslips from your sponsor that can prove the minimum income requirement.

Final Words

You will need the assistance of a UK Immigration lawyer such as My Legal Services if you are applying for an unmarried partner visa in the UK or any type of visa. They can help you every step of the way in respect of the process, procedure, and documentation and provide full representations for a successful outcome.