How to Prove Your Relationship and Cohabitation for Unmarried Partner Visa

If you are planning to apply for an Unmarried Partner Visa, you must be aware of the genuine relationship requirement and how you can meet it. In this blog post, we will discuss how to prove your relationship and cohabitation for an Unmarried Partner Visa.

What is the UK Unmarried Partner Visa?

The Unmarried Partner Visa is one of the UK family visas that grant entry clearance to the family member of a British citizen or UK resident. While the Spouse Visa allows married and civil partners of British residents to enter the UK, the Unmarried Partner visa extends these rights to those who are not married or in a civil partnership with a British resident but have been in a serious relationship with their partner for at least two years. The Unmarried Partner visa is valid for up to 2 years and 9 months and can be extended after this duration if you wish to stay in the UK with your partner.

The Genuine and Subsisting Relationship Requirement

To qualify for the Unmarried Partner Visa, you must have been in a serious relationship with your partner for at least 2 years. As part of your Unmarried Partner Visa application, you will need to prove this, which is known as the genuine and subsisting relationship requirement. This requirement has been put in place by the Home Office to avoid sham relationships for the purpose of obtaining a visa. If you fail to provide adequate proof that your relationship is genuine and subsisting, then your visa application could be refused.

How Can You Prove That Your Relationship Is Genuine?

When applying for an Unmarried Partner Visa, you should try to provide as many supporting documents as possible. The documents that you can use as evidence of your relationship include:

• Tenancy agreements and letters from the landlord or letting agent to prove cohabitation.
• Joint bank accounts or credit card statements.
• Utility bills or council tax bills stating that you live at the same address or pay bills together.
• Correspondence addressed to both of you at the same address.
• Photographs of you together at different times.
• Evidence of joint travel or holidays.

It is important to note that these documents should be recent and cover the entire two-year period. You should also provide a detailed statement explaining how you met, how your relationship developed, and how often you see each other.

How Can You Prove That You Have Cohabited?

To prove that you have cohabited with your partner, you will need to provide evidence that you have lived together for at least two years. The documents that can be used as evidence of cohabitation include:

• Tenancy agreements or mortgage statements showing joint occupancy.
• Utility bills or council tax bills showing joint responsibility.
• Correspondence addressed to both of you at the same address.
• Bank statements showing joint accounts or payments made jointly.

You should also provide photographs of your home together, such as pictures of your bedroom, living room, kitchen, etc.

Conclusion

Proving your relationship and cohabitation for an Unmarried Partner Visa can be challenging, but it is not impossible. By providing as much evidence as possible, including recent documents covering the entire two-year period, detailed statements explaining how your relationship developed, and photographs of you together at different times, you can increase your chances of success.