Switching to Unmarried Partner - Update

"Living together", should be applied fairly tightly, in that we would expect a couple to show evidence of cohabitation in the preceding 2 year period.

Cohab evidence from last month and this month meets that requirement fully.  Last month and this month are within the preceding 2 year period; and if the couple are in cohab at the time of application, they are within what this guidance has asked for.

If the guidance said, "...we would expect a couple to show evidence of cohabitation covering the entire preceding 2 year period...", then I would agree.  But that's not what it says.

Aha!  NOW I see what you are getting at!

Hehehe!  I don't think I'll be calling them on this anytime soon though!


Vicky

Amost certainly a drafting error.  But for sure wooley enough for a young and hungry gunslinger to put a notch in his gun.   

Wow, Garry, props to you for the very clever interpretation of the wording! Hmmm.

And Vicky, thanks for pointing me in the direction of that paragraph. I think it's also saying that we could visit each  other over the course of the 'gap' in our two years' cohabitation and still have it count. So this presents me with a few interesting options.

By the time this is over, I'll probably end up going to law school!

Amost certainly a drafting error.  But for sure wooley enough for a young and hungry gunslinger to put a notch in his gun.   

or her gun!

Anne..if you'd like some help with this, you know where I am!


Vicky

Thanks, Vicky. When I was asking about an immigration forum to join, I was told that you are 'ace', and now I see why! LOL.

I hate to double post, but I've found an earlier piece of documentation. It's the refund and termination of my lease of university accommodation. It doesn't name the address I moved to, but it does show that I'd definitely left my old accommodation by the first week of July. I wonder if they'd accept that as evidence?

Edit to clarify that it's an email correspondence from the accommodation office, and I've asked for an official letter stating the same.

Without an address, I don't see how this would count for anything.

Vicky

Well, shoot. I'll keep looking. It was a ridiculously stressful time last year due to a bereavement in the family, but I hope I had the presence of mind to change my address! Thanks for the answer.

-Anne

Edit: I could get my academic advisor to write a letter confirming that I moved to my current address when I said I did. I wonder if that'd hold any weight.

Yes, that might help.

Vicky

Oh bah. I can't seem to find anything dated before the first week of August. I know I wasn't thinking straight at the time, but I want to go back and smack myself.
I've asked my advisor for a letter confirming that I moved in with my boyfriend when I said I did, so fingers crossed that he'll do it! (I'm sure he would, but he's astonishingly forgetful--so I'll have to prod him). I just hope the Home Office would accept that as evidence!


I've been turning over various scenarios in my head--usually when I'm supposed to be sleeping--and I'm wondernig if the best course of action would be to have him come over for a month, and then for me to go over for a few months, since it says time spent living together on a visitor's visa counts toward the UP requirement. Obviously I'd still have to apply from the US, so it'll be expensive, but it might give us more leeway with time.

I'm double posting all over the place, but I have to share--I have a cunning plan. /Baldrick

It's obvious I'll have to leave the UK, and I have to renew my passport in April anyway. So I figure what I'll do is fly back to the US in Feb, renew my passport, fly back to the UK at the beginning of May on a visitor's visa, live with my boyfriend until August so we're DEFINITELY in the two year cohabitation period. And then (this is the cunning part that I'm not even sure will work) fly to Ireland and live with my friend in Dublin and apply for the UP from there. 

Ta-da! *crickets*

This is of course, assuming they let me back in the UK on a visitor's visa. And that I can apply for the UP from Ireland. My mind's about worn out from all the logistics!

you won't be able to apply for the UP from Ireland as you don't normally live there.  Once you accrue the 2 years cohabitation you will have to go back to the US to apply for the visa.

Thwarted at every turn! *shakes fist*

OK, so Ireland is out. I just wanted to avoid making two round trips across the Atlantic if I could help it. I guess I could try going to Ireland first and then coming back in the UK from there but I'd have to renew my passport RIGHT NOW in order to get it back by Feb 16.

Ugh. I need to stop thinking about this but I can't. It's turning me into a basketcase. I'm not a fun person to live with at the moment.


Thanks for all your help everyone.

-Anne

Agree.  Crazy idea.  And Ireland won't be good anyway as without visa stamps it would complicate things.

Vicky