complex sponsor issue re: spouse/unmarried etc.

[Growl]

Hi everyone.

Got myself into a bit of a pickle here. i spent the past few years as the partner of an American citizen who was originally over here on a student visa. when this ended, we successfully applied for an unmarried partner visa for her, and this was renewed earlier in 2006, giving her ILR.

we've since split up, which came as a bit of a shock to both of us. I'm now in a new relationship with (wait for it) an American citizen on a student visa, which expires early in 2007. she's applying for a lot of jobs but with no success yet for anything that would get her a WP, and she's ten points short of HMSP.

We haven't been together long, and don't particularly want the committment of marriage/civil partnership etc at this stage... however, we very much want to be able to continue the relationship. The likelihood is that if she can't get a WP, she'll leave the country for a period in 2007, and we'll be looking at various work-related strategies to get her back here. my question is, if that doesn't work and it comes to a point where we decided we wanted to marry (or more likely get a civil partnership), is the fact that i've previously sponsored someone on the unmarried partner visa going to jepoardize any future spouse-type application, or have any adverse impact on my former partner?

any advice greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

[Wanderer]

Civil partnership is for same-sex couples only.

I've she can't get a visa on her own merits the fiancee/spouse or UPV visas are your only options.

Dunno about the effect of the previous UPV.

[Growl]

ahh... i was convinced that civil partnerships were available for everyone (on human rights grounds) but apparently not, thanks for clarifying. Lots of job applications going in at the moment, hopefully something will come up there. Otherwise, i'm really in the dark on the relationship between a future marriage application and my previous involvement in a UPV case.

On a more general note (and looking at this forum, i can tell it's a common complaint), the difficulty in getting clarity and advice from UK Visas or IND is absolutely staggering to behold... my sympathies to everyone else on here who's had similar difficulties

[antontony]

What nationality are you ?

Also, you said that you have ILR, right ?

[Growl]

antontony- I'm a UK citizen. my ex-partner had ILR granted a few months back.