[CookNewZealand]

Hello everyone,

I'm applying for a UK Unmarried Partner Visa but have a few questions that I can't find the answer to..

I'm a New Zealander and hold a NZ passport (26 years old). My partner (27 years old), who I have been with for 4.5 years has dual citizenship with a NZ passport and a UK passport.

We are both living in New Zealand and moving to the UK in April, he has family in London that we will live with.

We are both highly qualified with good references, I have 2 degrees (Public Relations and Broadcast Journalism) and he is a civil engineer.

1. Can we apply for the UK Unmarried Partner Visa if we don't have jobs yet in the UK? (we have savings of $80,000 NZD between us, current full time work in NZ with a combined income of $120,000NZD)

We plan to settle and live for at least several years in the UK when we move there in April.

2. We have been in a committed and romantic relationship since March 2013, and lived together from March 2013 to December 2014 (21 months), and then from August 2016 to now, and will be living together until we leave in April 2018 (18 months all up)

The gap in living together is because of job opportunities in different cities, but have proof that we were still together during this time.

If we apply in October then we would have been together for 4.5 years and lived together for 34 months in total)

The requirements state that you have to be living together for 2 years continuously, does anyone know if there are any exceptions to this?

(We would only have lived together 13 months continuously at time of application)

Hope someone out there can help!

Cheers

 

[nyclon]

1. If you want to apply using savings you need £62,500 in savings which has been held untouched for at least 6 months. NZD 80,000 is about £42,000. Your combined current income is immaterial. If your partner currently earns at least £18,600/year which is about NZD 35,000 and he has a job lined up in the UK before you apply earning at least £18,600/year, then you can apply. Otherwise it he would have to go to the UK ahead of you and secure a job earning at least £18,600/year and once he has had that job for 6 months, then you can apply.

2. With an eye towards reducing immigration, don't expect them to exercise much leeway. Since you don't meet the financial requirement anyway, your best bet would be to hold off until you've lived together for a full 2 years.

 

[CookNewZealand]

thank you

Hiya,

Thank you for your reply, I thought the financial requirement was only for $18,000 pounds between us but I see from your comment that is only if he has a job in the UK.

Sounds like it might be easier for us to apply once we have settled in the UK as I can get the Youth Mobility Visa in the meantime.

However, if we were traveling before settling in the UK how can we prove that we lived together... are reservations and hotel confirmations enough ..?

Cheers

 

[nyclon]

Your NZ income is not taken into consideration at all. You should read through FM 1.7 which outlines the options for meeting the financial requirement.

Travelling together is not living together and is not taken into consideration. If you can get a YMS and you intend to apply as unmarried partners 2 years in the future, then you will need start gathering evidence of living together tge moment you arrive in the UK.

 

[CookNewZealand]

thank you

Thank you, i didn't realise the income requirement was so high. I'll look back at the form you suggested.