Switching to Unmarried Partner - Update

Ah, mostly I was just wanting to avoid the transatlantic flight but it would appear unavoidable!

Again, thank you for your help. I've been a total wreck for the past week or so because of this (and beating myself up for not paying closer attention to the requirements---IDIOT) so it's been great to have a sounding board. Makes me less likely to cry all over my boyfriend's jumpers, which he appreciates.

You think it will count against us if we don't have anything addressed to us jointly? Since he owns the house, I never signed a rent agreement, I just pay my half of the expenses him through a bank transfer each month. We have separate bank accounts, etc. I know they say that documents addressed to each of us individually may be acceptable if they show us at the same address, but I wonder if they'll take them less seriously than jointly-addressed documents.

You think it will count against us if we don't have anything addressed to us jointly? Since he owns the house, I never signed a rent agreement, I just pay my half of the expenses him through a bank transfer each month. We have separate bank accounts, etc. I know they say that documents addressed to each of us individually may be acceptable if they show us at the same address, but I wonder if they'll take them less seriously than jointly-addressed documents.

They aren't supposed to, though the joint ones are golden if you had them, but it is more logical that UPs would have everything seperate anyways.  The best thing to do is include more then required (not an obnoxious amount) so that if they disallow any of your documents that you still have enough.

it is more logical that UPs would have everything seperate anyways.

Given that the relationship is supposed to be approximating a marriage, surely the ideal is that the documentation request should reflect that?

The reality, of course, is that utilities seem to hate putting two people on the same account and insist that you go paperless....

For the record, my FLR application two years ago was nearly all non-joint evidence and they didn't have a problem with any of it.  However, when it came time to photocopy some of the evidence for their records, I did have to find a substitute for one piece because the caseworker wanted a replacement for one of the many pieces of BT correspondence (this was back before the '6 pieces' adjustment).  So I second kitsonk's suggestion to include a few more than is strictly required.

Thanks for the info. I was planning on giving them more than required anyway, but now I definitely will. Maybe I'll make them read some of our annoying e-mails to each other as well....LOL. No, on second thought, even I'm not that cruel.


In our case, he owns the house, so he just said 'Yes, move in. Here's how much the monthly expenses are, so if you could give me half of that each month, it would be great.' So there was no formal rent agreement--I just transfer the money to him at the beginning of each month and if he needs me to buy anything for him, he transfers the money to me. When it's my turn to pay for groceries, I just give him my debit card since I'm usually at work. We have access to each others' finances, but they aren't joint. I may just open a joint account and keep a small amount of money in it anyway, just to be on the safe side, and then give them more documentation than they need.

I really appreciate hearing others' experiences in this matter---it definitely makes me feel like we might have a chance.

No joint docs needed.

Now this is no longer about the changes to the UP, I'd appreciate if the mods could split this to a seperate topic.

Vicky

Sorry, I didn't mean to take things off-topic.

By the way, if you have to go back to the States anyway during that time, then by all means you can update your passport there, but I thought it might be worth noting that it is actually much (ironically) easier to renew a passport here in the UK than in the States.  You could do it right now.  Mine only took about 1.5 weeks to come back to me with the registered mail envelopes I enclosed.  Seriously, the embassy is great about getting them back ASAP.  It takes a lot longer than that stateside.

By the way, if you have to go back to the States anyway during that time, then by all means you can update your passport there, but I thought it might be worth noting that it is actually much (ironically) easier to renew a passport here in the UK than in the States.  You could do it right now.  Mine only took about 1.5 weeks to come back to me with the registered mail envelopes I enclosed.  Seriously, the embassy is great about getting them back ASAP.  It takes a lot longer than that stateside.

Since we are way off topic here anyways    I was lucky enough to be in Scotland near Edinburgh when I needed an Emergency passport, which I then had to get issued via them as a full term passport recently.  I swear, when my parcel was returned to me only after 5 business days, I nearly fainted because I swore I must have screwed something up, but nope, both my old and new passports where in there!  And unlike the UKBA, they used the Royal Mail Special Delivery postage.

My guess is that it is designed to stop the visitors and working holidaymakers switching.  And to screw more money out of work permit and HSMP holders.


Vicky

Oh no!!! I just sent my application last 30th December.  Mine is a switch from Work Permit to FLR(M).  I wish I had read this forum now before hastily sending it out.

Any advise what I should do now?  If I cancel my application, will I get a refund of the £395 that they so promptly charged the day they got my application?

DON'T cancel it!

I would say that you are now a UKY test case....hopefully in 14 weeks the Home Office will come back with an approval, if not then please let me know so we can lodge an appeal.

Unless you are in a big hurry and want to leave the UK to apply from overseas...

Cancelling will mean saying goodbye to the £395.


Vicky

Thanks Vicky.  I won't cancel it then.  I am not in a hurry at all and have no plans of going overseas just to apply for it.  I will let you know of the outcome when I find out.  Hopefully within the next 10 weeks or so. 

Vicky, are you going to challenge on semantic shenagins?  Or try to use Article 8?

Both 

There is caselaw established that leave to enter should be treated the same as leave to remain, so I don't think that the HO will have much by way of defence.

Vicky

There is caselaw established that leave to enter should be treated the same as leave to remain, so I don't think that the HO will have much by way of defence.

Well, then it is just time until this silliness around LTE/LTR is sorted?  I didn't realise there was established caselaw on this.  Sounds like a fun year for you in immigration!