UK Unmarried Partner Visa - How to Prove 2 Year "Living Together" Requirement

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Applicants for a UK unmarried partner visa must clearly show that they have been “living together in a relationship akin to marriage” with the British sponsor for a period of at least two (2) years prior to the filing of the application.

ECO-Friendly explains that the country where the Filipino applicant and the British national reside is immaterial, as long as they establish that they have been living together in a relationship similar to that of a husband and wife for the minimum two year period.

If, however, the partners lived apart from each other for a period of six (6) months or less during the two-year cohabitation period, the applicant is still qualified for the UK Unmarried Partner Visa and they will still be considered as "living together" as long as the following two elements are present:
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  1. That it was impossible for the partner to accompany the British Sponsor;
  2. That the applicant can show proof that despite the long period apart from each other, the relationship continued throughout the period and they continued to communicate to each other by means of emails, phone conversations, letters, etc.

BEST EVIDENCE TO PROVE TWO-YEAR COHABITATION PERIOD
To strengthen the application for the UK Unmarried Partner Visa and in order to prove that the “relationship akin to marriage” has been going on for a period of at least two (2) years, ECO-Friendly explains that the applicant should submit a minimum of six (6) correspondences addressed to the applicant and the British sponsor/partner as proof that they have been living together.

ECO-Friendly stresses that it would be better to submit correspondences addressed to the couple jointly, but if they have no such document, any other correspondence addressed to the applicant or the British sponsor individually will be sufficient, as long as they can establish that they both live in the same address for the minimum period required.

The dates covered by the correspondence should be spread over the whole period in which the applicant declared they lived together.

The UKBA suggests the following documents as examples of correspondence which may be filed with the application as proof of living together, but in no way is the list limited to these papers:
  1. Joint commitments, (such as joint bank accounts, investments, rent agreements, mortgage, life insurance policy naming the other partner as beneficiary etc);
  2. Birth certificates or records of any children of the relationship, showing both partners as parents;
  3. Any official correspondence linking both partners to the same address, for example Council Tax, utility bills, Doctors records; 
  4. Any other evidence that adequately demonstrate the couple's long-term commitment to each other

Proof of the "two-year living together" is the most crucial piece of supporting document which the applicant must submit in order to show that he or she is the Unmarried Partner of the UK Sponsor. However,  ECO-Friendly emphasizes that mere living together is not adequate and that in order for the applicant to be qualified for the UK Unmarried Partner Visa, they must submit evidence the the relationship between the parties is "akin to marriage".

OTHER REQUIREMENTS LISTED UNDER THE UKBA WEBSITE
Under the UKBA website, the applicant for the UK Unmarried Partner Visa should possess the following requirements to be considered as eligible for the entry clearance applied for:
  • That any previous marriage or civil partnership which either the applicant for the UK Unmarried Partner Visa or the British sponsor was in has permanently broken down;
  • That the applicant for the UK Unmarried Partner Visa and the British sponsor have both been living together as if they were married or in a civil partnership for at least 2 years;
  • That the applicant for the UK Unmarried Partner Visa and the British sponsor plan to live together permanently in the UK;
  • That the applicant for the UK Unmarried Partner Visa and the British sponsor can support themselves and any dependents without resorting to public funds
  • That  the applicant for the UK Unmarried Partner Visa possesses adequate accommodation for themselves  and their dependents and can live exclusively without help from public funds; and
  • That the applicant for the UK Unmarried Partner Visa and the British sponsor are both at least 21 years old.
(Difference between REQUIREMENTS and SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS)

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS WHICH MAY BE SUBMITTED BY THE APPLICANT FOR THE UK UNMARRIED PARTNER VISA TO SHOW COMPLIANCE WITH THE FOREGOING REQUIREMENTS
In order to prove compliance with the requirements mentioned above, the UKBA suggests the submission of the applicable supporting documents enumerated in the UKBA website:
    - Completed visa application form
    - Valid present passport as well as old/expired passports
    - Colored passport photo, in accordance with the specification of the VFS-UK
    - Evidence of applicant's marital status
    - Evidence of compliance with the English language requirement
    - Applicant's bank statements
    - Payslips
    - Tax returns
    - Business Bank Account Statements
    - Evidence of other income
    - Evidence of British sponsor's current employment and other means of livelihood or income
    - Evidence of Immigration status of the British sponsor
     - Evidence that the partners have been living together in a relationship "akin to marriage" for a period of at  least two (2) years
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