Need to move to a new location for work

Hi everyone,

Could you please help with the following situation, maybe someone have encountered a similar one before: I've accepted a job offer and need to relocate - the plan is to come back home (to my permanent address) for weekends, but Mondays-Thursdays will live in a newly rented apartment. My partner (we are unmarried, visa approved in Feb-March 2018) will be staying in our current place, owned by him. He'll visit me of course but won't relocate with me, at least for now.

My question is - what needs to be done to satisfy immigration requirements of living together in the same address? My mail will come to our current address, I can keep train receipts coming back home.... will we need to add him to my lease? I am also concerned about council tax - where to pay it?

Any help would be much appreciated. I have not signed the lease yet - it's been less than 2 weeks since I've got a job and still looking for an apartment, while staying in a hotel.

Thanks so much for your help! 

Hi everyone,

Could you please help with the following situation, maybe someone have encountered a similar one before: I've accepted a job offer and need to relocate - the plan is to come back home (to my permanent address) for weekends, but Mondays-Thursdays will live in a newly rented apartment. My partner (we are unmarried, visa approved in Feb-March 2018) will be staying in our current place, owned by him. He'll visit me of course but won't relocate with me, at least for now.

My question is - what needs to be done to satisfy immigration requirements of living together in the same address? My mail will come to our current address, I can keep train receipts coming back home.... will we need to add him to my lease? I am also concerned about council tax - where to pay it?

Any help would be much appreciated. I have not signed the lease yet - it's been less than 2 weeks since I've got a job and still looking for an apartment, while staying in a hotel.

Thanks so much for your help! 

Is it a temporary assignment?  What’s the long term plan?

I don't want to give advice that is inappropriate or causes problems, so do not take my experience as advice... just take it as a testimonial.

In November of 2016, my husband and I moved out of the house we'd been renting near Salisbury and into the house we purchased in southwest Wales.  From then until he stopped working at his old job in Salisbury and started working his new job in southwest Wales in March 2018 (about 16 months), he commuted to Salisbury every Monday morning, and came home every Friday evening.  During the week, he stayed in a campervan on a campsite just outside Salisbury.  Then he came home for the weekend to refresh his clothes, relax, regroup, spend time with me.  He received his post at our house in Wales.  We kept in touch throughout the days when he was away via email and text messages.

I applied for ILR in person in May 2018, about 6 weeks after his last weekly commute.  We submitted the regular six pieces of correspondence to show cohabitation, but we also brought a record of how we kept in touch when we weren't together, in case they wanted it.  They didn't question his employment address, or anything to do with the mid-week separation, so we didn't submit the evidence of regular contact.

Is it a temporary assignment?  What’s the long term plan?

It is fixed-term 1-year contract that can become permanent once the year elapses. Potentially we may buy something in this new area, but it's too early to plan on that yet.

Sorry for delay with replies, I can't use "non-business" internet unless on breaks. Thank you!

I don't want to give advice that is inappropriate or causes problems, so do not take my experience as advice... just take it as a testimonial.

In November of 2016, my husband and I moved out of the house we'd been renting near Salisbury and into the house we purchased in southwest Wales.  From then until he stopped working at his old job in Salisbury and started working his new job in southwest Wales in March 2018 (about 16 months), he commuted to Salisbury every Monday morning, and came home every Friday evening.  During the week, he stayed in a campervan on a campsite just outside Salisbury.  Then he came home for the weekend to refresh his clothes, relax, regroup, spend time with me.  He received his post at our house in Wales.  We kept in touch throughout the days when he was away via email and text messages.

I applied for ILR in person in May 2018, about 6 weeks after his last weekly commute.  We submitted the regular six pieces of correspondence to show cohabitation, but we also brought a record of how we kept in touch when we weren't together, in case they wanted it.  They didn't question his employment address, or anything to do with the mid-week separation, so we didn't submit the evidence of regular contact.

Thanks so much for posting this. I'll keep this in mind. Still learning my ways around the forum, hope it is working correctly. Thank you.

Generally speaking, temporary separations due to work obligations are acceptable as long as you can document maintaining the relationship (ex. evidence of continued communication, travel to see each other, continued shared financial responsibilities, etc) during a period living apart.  DH and myself were apart for several months after I moved to the UK due to me getting a job in a different city.  DH wasn't able to move in with me until he was able to secure a job where I was living and wait out his notice period at his previous job.  In the meantime, we continued to chat by email and Skype and would visit each other on weekends.

That being said, and me being on the more cautious side, if you are not married and will be extending the visa in the unmarried partner category when it comes up for renewal, I'm wondering if 1 year apart might be risky, even if due to employment obligations.  As one of the important requirements for unmarried partners is living together in a relationship akin to marriage, I'm not sure if there is discretion for lengthy periods apart.  A few months, and I wouldn't be too worried, but IMO, a year is substantial. 

 

Generally speaking, temporary separations due to work obligations are acceptable as long as you can document maintaining the relationship (ex. evidence of continued communication, travel to see each other, continued shared financial responsibilities, etc) during a period living apart.  DH and myself were apart for several months after I moved to the UK due to me getting a job in a different city.  DH wasn't able to move in with me until he was able to secure a job where I was living and wait out his notice period at his previous job.  In the meantime, we continued to chat by email and Skype and would visit each other on weekends.

That being said, and me being on the more cautious side, if you are not married and will be extending the visa in the unmarried partner category when it comes up for renewal, I'm wondering if 1 year apart might be risky, even if due to employment obligations.  As one of the important requirements for unmarried partners is living together in a relationship akin to marriage, I'm not sure if there is discretion for lengthy periods apart.  A few months, and I wouldn't be too worried, but IMO, a year is substantial. 

Many thanks for the post. I do agree with you, it is too long from any standpoint. I guess we need to decide right away on our living arrangements,  or explore  commuting to see if taking trains on a daily basis might be an option, or me rethinking the job...

Thanks again for your input, much appreciated.