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unmarried partner visa vs fiancé visa

Family member & Ancestry immigration; don't post other immigration categories, please!
Marriage | Unmarried Partners | Fiancé/e | Ancestry

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JMC1528
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Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 10:48 am
United States of America

unmarried partner visa vs fiancé visa

Post by JMC1528 » Sun Jul 07, 2019 11:19 am

Hello, I'm currently torn on what's the best decision to move forward with is, please any advice will be appreciated. I'm a US citizen recently engaged to a UK national. We met in my hometown of Fort Lauderdale 3.5 years ago. Our relationship moved quickly. In March 2016 he put his UK flat up for rent and moved his things to his mothers in the UK so he can spend months living with me in Florida (after calculating the back and forth of him traveling away for work - he lived with me for 7 months all together). In 2017, he decided he wanted to get his next level certification for his job that entailed one full year of full-time study in the UK. That would make it harder for us to see each other so I decided to quit my job, not renew my apartment lease, sell my car and moved my things into my parents home so that I can go to the UK and be with him. I was on a visitors visa that allowed me to stay in the UK for up to 6 months. We lived together since 2017 with me going back home a few times a year to see my family and return before my visa expires. We got engaged December 2018. I'm currently still in the UK now and will head to Florida in two weeks to submit my application, but after more and more research I don't feel so confident about it. The sure route would be fiancé but I feel what a waste of money. It entitles me to be here for 6 months which I already do, and I can't work and will have to have a shotgun wedding within 6 months and HAVE to get married within the UK.

Ideally, I would love to get an unmarried partner visa, get a job, plan the wedding to be a year from now so all our family can coordinate and attend our wedding (from America and UK) and then change it to spouse visa afterwards. We spoke about just doing the civil marriage and then a ceremony for the family later on. Ultimately, we'll do what we have to do but in an ideal world we would like to plan it all.

How can I prove we lived together if I was never allowed to be on any lease agreement, utility bill or open a bank account on a visitor visa. I did have a pay by phone UK number and a gym membership. I'm worried we won't qualify for this. I can easily show flights, delivery receipts to our joint address, emails referring to me being here, get references. Is that do-able?? As for photos, cards, letters and proof of our relationship. I have LOADS! financial requirements is also met. My partner makes roughly 100k annually. Any suggestion or advice will be greatly appreciated! -JC

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CR001
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South Africa

Re: unmarried partner visa vs fiancé visa

Post by CR001 » Sun Jul 07, 2019 11:24 am

Unmarried partner visas are heavily scrutinised and you require rock solid evidence of living together in a relationship akin to marriage with shared financial committments etc for a mandatory minimum period of two years, the most recent 2 year period

There is no discretion on this and if you don't have the substantial evidence to prove it, the visa will be refused.
Char (CR001 not Casa)
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Please DO NOT send me a PM for immigration advice. I reserve the right to ignore the PM and not respond.

physicskate
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Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 10:46 am

Re: unmarried partner visa vs fiancé visa

Post by physicskate » Sun Jul 07, 2019 5:36 pm

JMC1528 wrote:
Sun Jul 07, 2019 11:19 am
I'm worried we won't qualify for this.
You don't. You are not permitted to 'live' in the UK on a visitor visa. I suspect you have been incredibly lucky to be allowed back in after each visit to the US as you been, in effect, living (contrary to visitor visa rules) in the UK. Have you been working? Remotely or otherwise?

Many people marry quickly in the USA and then you could apply for a spouse visa which would allow you to work in the UK immediately and have access to the NHS. You could then have a blessing (big wedding) at some point in the future.

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