Unmarried Partners Visa

[camilla371]

I recently submitted an application for an unmarried partner visa to rejoin my partner (a UK citizen) in London. We have been living together for 2 years and believed we had the required evidence of our cohabitation; however, I was contacted by the ECO reviewing my application about having insufficient evidence for our first 6 months of cohabitation.

If our application is denied, which it seems it will be, we were hoping to be able to continue cohabitating and reapply in 6 months time, since we have more documentary evidence of our current cohabitation than we did for the first 6 months we lived together. The only problem is that I would have to return as a tourist (I was a student in London for 2 years and my student visa recently expired) and I have been told by an immigration solicitor that cohabitation while under tourist status will not be considered legitimate by an ECO. Is this true?

Has anyone else had success with an unmarried partner visa when some of the period of cohabitation was as a tourist? Do any of the moderators know if it is possible to be considered cohabitating while only present in the UK as a tourist? I have been offered an unpaid work experience placement with a company in the UK. Would my status in the UK be considered more legitimate, despite the tourist visa, if I had proof of this work experience from the employer?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.