Unmarried Partner Visa - Cohabitation Evidence - Unusual Situation

Hi Everyone,

I am a dual USA/UK citizen trying to move to London with my American partner. She will be applying for the unmarried partner visa. We have been together for 4.5 years and have lived together in the US for 2.5 years HOWEVER for the last year we have been on a trip around the world. We still have our US address and have continued to get bank statements, bills etc. so we will have ample evidence of our cohabitation even during this year we have been traveling. My question is how do we approach this with the application?? We could just not even mention the traveling at all, however, knowing that they will be looking through my partner's passport, is there a chance they will see the dates of her USA entry/exits stamps plus all her travel visas and realize she hasn't been in the US all year?? Alternatively, we could explain on the application about the traveling and provide all of our flight receipts/confirmations as evidence (knowing that is not technically a form of accepted evidence). What do you guys think?

Second question: For bank statements that we plan to use as cohabitation evidence, we want to get them certified by the bank with either stamps or a certification cover letter. I know that financial documents need to be no older than 28 days before the application. Would that apply to the certification date of the old bank statements? Or could we get those certified anytime?

Thank you so much for any advice!

Hi Everyone,

I am a dual USA/UK citizen trying to move to London with my American partner. She will be applying for the unmarried partner visa. We have been together for 4.5 years and have lived together in the US for 2.5 years HOWEVER for the last year we have been on a trip around the world. We still have our US address and have continued to get bank statements, bills etc. so we will have ample evidence of our cohabitation even during this year we have been traveling. My question is how do we approach this with the application?? We could just not even mention the traveling at all, however, knowing that they will be looking through my partner's passport, is there a chance they will see the dates of her USA entry/exits stamps plus all her travel visas and realize she hasn't been in the US all year?? Alternatively, we could explain on the application about the traveling and provide all of our flight receipts/confirmations as evidence (knowing that is not technically a form of accepted evidence). What do you guys think?

Second question: For bank statements that we plan to use as cohabitation evidence, we want to get them certified by the bank with either stamps or a certification cover letter. I know that financial documents need to be no older than 28 days before the application. Would that apply to the certification date of the old bank statements? Or could we get those certified anytime?

Thank you so much for any advice!

Welcome!
 
We had an unmarried parter visa granted to a couple that had spent time travelling during the two years but they had meticulously documented their travels together.

You wouldn't be able to rely on bank statements to your US address for periods of time that you were not living there.

Thank you! When you say meticulously documented, what does that entail? We have joint flight bookings every month from the year, photos from every destination, even a travel blog. Not sure if any of that would be accepted as evidence though.

Thank you! When you say meticulously documented, what does that entail? We have joint flight bookings every month from the year, photos from every destination, even a travel blog. Not sure if any of that would be accepted as evidence though.

You'll need to throw everything at them. Reservations and receipts for accommodation in both your names will be pretty vital.

It was tiff who was successful!

Have a poke around in her posts, you'll see what she included. Here are a couple to get you going. 

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=92584.msg1212684#msg1212684

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=92744.msg1215696#msg1215696

Ok, thanks so much for your help!

And just to answer you question about bank statements, if they were original and sent to you in the mail, they don't have to be certified.

Only those being used for the financial requirement need to be dated within 28 days.

You may have already found these but just in case...

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/636618/Appendix_FM_1_7_Financial_Requirement_Final.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-fm-se-family-members-specified-evidence

With the unmarried partner visa, it's better to err on the side of too much cohabitation evidence than not enough.

With the unmarried partner visa, it's better to err on the side of too much cohabitation evidence than not enough.

Yes I would have to agree with this 100%! We did not provide enough co-habitation evidence why our 1st application was refused. It's so much stricter with the unmarried partner visa.