How early can I start the application process

[andrewrrobinson]

My girlfriend of 4 years and are just now getting things in order to apply for the unmarried partner visa after 10 months of travel and 2 years living together in the UK previous to that. We have plenty of evidence of our living together and then travelling together over the last three years as well as sufficient cash savings to satisfy the financial requirements so I believe this should all be ok.

We are currently just trying to fill in the online application form so that I can book a biometric appointment to allow us to apply on the earliest possible date. Am I correct in my assumption that we can submit the form online and book the biometrics appointment more than three months before the date we want to enter the UK but just can't submit the application to the embassy until three months before?

Provided this is the case I have the following questions after completing the online form, If somebody can help to explain any of these it would be much appreciated.

In the category of visa that it asks at the start of the application I have selected Settlement >> Settlement >> Unmarried Partner

Issuing authority of previous visa – The old visa just says Manila but the form asks about British Embassy or Consulate? What is the right thing to put in here?

In travel history is it ok to just put two years of living in UK as 1 visit even though I left the UK on a number of occasions in this period?

Have I made an application to remain in the UK in the last ten years? I assume the tier 5 (Youth Mobility) visa is not an application to remain?

Have you ever voluntarily elected to leave the UK? I assume leaving the UK when my visa ended isn’t what they’re asking about or is it?

Have you ever travelled outside your country of residence, excluding the UK, in the last 10 years? I assume that its sufficient to put my most recent ten trips as this is the maximum number it will allow me to put

Medical treatment in the UK – Do they mean any type of treatment? When living in the UK I had an ingrown toenail removed on two occasions. Do I need to put this in? and if so just one occasion? It will only let you put one in?

In the sponsor details, for an unmarried partner is spouse the correct relation for me to choose on the sponsor page?

I assume we don’t need to add information about our relationship in the additional information page as this can be done in the paper form that is appended to the application?

Again thanks in advance for any help

[andrewrrobinson]

My girlfriend of 4 years and are just now getting things in order to apply for the unmarried partner visa after 10 months of travel and 2 years living together in the UK previous to that. We have plenty of evidence of our living together and then travelling together over the last three years as well as sufficient cash savings to satisfy the financial requirements so I believe this should all be ok.

We are currently just trying to fill in the online application form so that I can book a biometric appointment to allow us to apply on the earliest possible date. Am I correct in my assumption that we can submit the form online and book the biometrics appointment more than three months before the date we want to enter the UK but just can't submit the application to the embassy until three months before?

Provided this is the case I have the following questions after completing the online form, If somebody can help to explain any of these it would be much appreciated.

In the category of visa that it asks at the start of the application I have selected Settlement >> Settlement >> Unmarried Partner, is this correct?