UK De Facto Visa? Is this for real?

I know there's ALOT of incorrect info out there, but I can't believe this visa exists?

UK De Facto Visa - Eligibility 
 
The following requirements must be satisfied before applying for a UK De Facto Visa:
 
Your partner that resides in the UK must have settled status - Settled status in the UK means that the person is normally a resident in the UK with no immigration restriction on the length of their stay

To apply for an Unmarried Partners Visa / De Facto Visa there must be no existence of any previous marriage between you as a couple
 
You must show evidence that you will be able to financially support yourself without recourse to public funds
 
Both people in the relationship must be at least 18 years of age or over
 

UK De Facto Visa - Duration
 
If you and your UK settled partner have been together for less than four years you will be issued an Unmarried Partner Visa for a period of 24 months

At the conclusion of the probationary two year period you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK (also known as permanent residency in the UK), provided that you are still living together in a relationship similar to marriage.

Really?!?!?!


UK De Facto Visa - Benefits 
 
You will be able to take up employment in the United Kingdom as soon as the document is granted, without the need to arrange a UK Work Permit. With an Unmarried Partners Visa / De Facto Visa there are no restrictions upon the type of work that can be undertaken.

Now this is the part I find hard to believe?

Well!...No one ever said doing research is easy!

Yes, an unmarried partner visa exists, but you have to prove you've lived together for at least two years.

What the information above doesn't make clear is that you need to have been living TOGETHER during the 2 year qualifying period.

"De facto" is not a common term for this type of visa - it is usually referred to as being for "unmarried partner"

And this is from the old rules, anyway. The required time to attain ILR from this route has since increased to five years from two.

No such thing as ILR/ILE for long relationships (>4 years) any more either.

UK De Facto Visa - Duration
 
If you and your UK settled partner have been together for less than four years you will be issued an Unmarried Partner Visa for a period of 24 months

At the conclusion of the probationary two year period you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK (also known as permanent residency in the UK), provided that you are still living together in a relationship similar to marriage.

Here is the up-to-date information for this visa:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/unmarried-same-sex/

However, it's not called a 'de facto' visa (I've never ever heard that term for it before), it's called an unmarried partner visa.

As others have said though, you can only qualify for it if you have both been living together in the same country (legally) for at least 2 years before applying for it... usually the only way to qualify is if one of you has been living in the US or the UK on a different visa for at least 2 years (i.e. a student visa or a work visa) and you have been living together for that time, or if you have both been living together in a third country and now wish to move to the UK together.