Living with Flatmates - Fiance visa and FLR

Hi there,

My fiancee and I are about to start the application process (sending in of documentation and so on) and we're pretty set I think.  However, someone I know who's gone the other way (i.e. she lives in the US) mentioned to me that there is a rule about co-habiting with others under a fiance visa.  I currently live in a large three bedroom flat in London with two other people, non-relations.  We are planning that my fiance will move over, we'll get married pretty much straight away and then look at moving out into our own place after 3-6 months, depending how quickly FLR is granted and she can start working.  I can afford to pay for a place of our own sooner than that, but with wedding costs etc, we were hoping to take a little while to recover financially before we had to do that.  On looking at the UKVisas website, I found this passage:

How do I qualify to join my fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner in the UK?
You must show that:

    * you plan to marry or register a civil partnership within a reasonable time (usually six months)
    * you plan to live together permanently after you are married or have registered a civil partnership
    * you have met each other before
    * there is somewhere for you and your dependants to live until you get married or register a civil partnership, and you will be able to live without help from public funds, and
    * you and your dependants can be supported without working or claiming any help from public funds.

and also this passage:

How do I qualify to join my husband, wife or civil partner in the UK?
You must show that:

    * you are legally married to each other or are in a civil partnership recognised in the UK
    * your husband, wife or civil partner is present and settled in the UK (see below)
    * you both intend to live together permanently as husband and wife or as civil partners
    * you have met each other before
    * together you can support yourselves and any dependants without any help from public funds
    * you have suitable accommodation, which is owned or lived in only by you and your household, and where you and your dependants can live without any help from public funds
    * your husband, wife or civil partner is not under 18, and
    * you are not under 18.

I've bolded what I think is the relevant passage.  This seems to apply to those already married joining their partner, whereas the first passage seems to apply to us.  Can anyone clarify to us whether I need to start looking for a place of our own really soon? (hoping not, as that is a whole layer of complexity we could do without, and group flats for people my age in London are by far the norm).  Thanks!

After searching around a bit, it seems from advice on other questions such as this that as long as we have letters from the other people in the flat and the landlady saying they are happy for us to live their together, as well as a letter from me describing the living arrangements (I have a room of my own, quite large, and share bathroom and kitchen) to the extent the officers will understand we're not packing twelve to a room, and also emphasising that it is a temporary situation while we find our own place, it should be fine?  Way to go answer my own question.  Anyone care to confirm?

I will confirm   I asked this same question a while ago and the response I got back is that for FLR(M) or a spousal visa shared accommodation is not a problem as long as you have at least one room that is occupied solely by you and your spouse.  If your fiancee is not on the lease when you apply for FLR, you'll need the letters from your landlady and the other flatmates saying that they're aware that she will be living there.

Note that it is not a requirement to live together on the fiance visa- suitable accomodation must be available for the visa holder, but not necessarily in the same room or even the same house as the sponsor. That second passage you quoted above is only relevant for FLR or a spousal visa.  And even then, your living arrangement as you described it shouldn't be a problem.

Note that it is not a requirement to live together on the fiance visa- suitable accomodation must be available for the visa holder, but not necessarily in the same room or even the same house as the sponsor. That second passage you quoted above is only relevant for FLR or a spousal visa.  And even then, your living arrangement as you described it shouldn't be a problem.

Nice.  Succinct and insightful. 

Doubly confirmed if that counts...

Brilliant, thanks guys!

And again! 

The idea that flatsharing isn't allowed was bandied about on several US based discussion boards a while ago, but it is simply false. I've made several applications for people in just this situation, and all have been successful.


Vicky