Tricky one, please please please see if you can help :)

[kareny]

Hi

My partner and I have been living together for 2 years in Ireland. We have all the necissary documentation to support this. Utility Bills, joint bank acounts, tenancy agreements and we own shared property in the UK. My question to you visa experts is as follows. My partner is on an Irish Passport, I am on South African passport. We would like to immigrate to the UK. Under our current conditions I think that we qualify for the unmarried partner visa? Howerver before we immigrate to the UK we plan to travel around south america for a year together. If we are traveling we will not have utility bills and tenancy agreements etc. Do you think it will be sufficient to keep plane tickets, hotel reservations and anything else that can prove we have been traveling together? Please help I am really worried that our travels will affect my chances of qualifying for the unmarried partner visa.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks again
Karen

[Smit]

I do not think plane tickets will be accepted as proof of living together! Hotel reservations should be accepted as proof of living together although ideally you should submit docs which are set out in the guidance (I haven't had a look at what docs are required).

[John]

I agree with Smit's comments.

Also don't overlook the fact that living together for at least two years is only one of the requirements. Another requirement is that it needs to be clear that you will not need to claim certain "Public Funds". So hopefully that "plan to travel around south america for a year together" will not leave the two of you penniless, otherwise that might cause a problem passing the financial test.

[kareny]

Thanks very much for your responses.

John do you know what documents will be considered if we are traveling? We will have plane tickets, receipts from accomodation, we will be using our joint bank accounts to travel on, we will also own 2 investment properties in the UK. Can you think of anything else that will be considered. Can anyone please give us some inidication of what sort of funds they require for you to pass the financial test?

I really apprecitate your help, thanks again.