Please Help - EEA2 Durable Relationship

[jamesbeam]

Hi everyone,

I'm an Australian currently in the UK on a Tier 5 YMS visa which expires in 0ct 2013. My partner is French and lives in Paris - we see each other every 2-3 weeks.

I'm looking at applying for an EEA2 visa as an unmarried partner in a 'durable relationship' as my French partner will be starting a new job in the UK from October 2013.

We lived together in Japan for 3 years prior (have proof) but haven't lived together for the past 18 months since we moved to Europe, due to our work.

I have three questions:

1) Will the fact we haven't lived together for the past 18 months add doubt to our case?

2) Would getting married now (I think we are both ready anyway) create a 'suspicion of marriage of convenience' situation, as we would be applying for the EEA2 visa pretty much immediately after getting married?

3) Would we have to get all evidence of cohabitation from Japan (utilities bills, etc.) translated into English?

Thank you very much in advance for any help or advice!

[Mark.Boats]

Can't help with the other two questions but...

3) Would we have to get all evidence of cohabitation from Japan (utilities bills, etc.) translated into English?

We were told that we shouldn't expect documents to be translated "by the court" (?) - And that documents submitted in a foreign language should include a translation...

[soniac]

[quote="jamesbeam"]Hi everyone,

I'm an Australian currently in the UK on a Tier 5 YMS visa which expires in 0ct 2013. My partner is French and lives in Paris - we see each other every 2-3 weeks.

I'm looking at applying for an EEA2 visa as an unmarried partner in a 'durable relationship' as my French partner will be starting a new job in the UK from October 2013.

We lived together in Japan for 3 years prior (have proof) but haven't lived together for the past 18 months since we moved to Europe, due to our work.

I have three questions:

1) Will the fact we haven't lived together for the past 18 months add doubt to our case?

Not at all...i hadnt lived with my partner for a year, but what you will need to prove is how you maintain your relationship....skype conversations, phone bills, flights to and from Paris etc etc throughout this time. Be sure in the cover letter to explain why the long distance and have the proof that you have been maintaining your relationship the entire time.

2) Would getting married now (I think we are both ready anyway) create a 'suspicion of marriage of convenience' situation, as we would be applying for the EEA2 visa pretty much immediately after getting married?

You can go this route, but you will still need to have all this proof of a durable relationship so that marriage of convenience isnt suspected, including the long distance portion covered!!!!

3) Would we have to get all evidence of cohabitation from Japan (utilities bills, etc.) translated into English?

Thank you very much in advance for any help or advice![/quote]

[jamesbeam]

Great, thanks heaps for your answers, very helpful!

[jamesbeam]

Btw soniac, was your application successful?