The UK Unmarried Partner Visa, sometimes called a UK Partnership, British Partner Visa, UK Unmarried Visa or UK Partner Visa, allows you to join your British or settled partner in the UK if you’ve been living together in a relationship similar to marriage for at least two years. This visa is for couples who aren’t married or in a civil partnership but have built a life together, cohabited for two years and amalgamated their finances. The relationship must be genuine, and you need to prove you’ve been cohabiting continuously for the required period before applying.

The main difference lies in your marital status when submitting your visa application. A spouse visa requires you to be legally married to your British partner, while the UK Unmarried Visa is for couples who have been living together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years without being legally married.

Both visas have the same financial and accommodation requirements, and both provide a pathway to settlement after five years. The key distinction is that unmarried partners must provide extensive evidence of cohabitation and shared finances over the two-year qualifying period.

To qualify for a UK Partner Visa, you must meet several requirements. Both you and your partner must be at least 18 years old. Your British partner must be either a UK citizen, have Indefinite Leave to Remain, or hold refugee status or humanitarian protection. You must have lived together continuously for at least 2 years in a relationship similar to marriage, meaning you shared a home and combined your finances. Neither of you can be married to or in a civil partnership with anyone else, and you cannot be related to each other in a way that would prohibit marriage under UK law.

The Home Office application fee for a UK Unmarried Partner Visa is £1,938. For American applicants, this is approximately $2,500 USD; for Canadian applicants, roughly $3,400 CAD.

In addition to the application fee, you will also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, which is £1,035 per year. For a 33-month visa, that works out to £3,105 in total (approximately $4,100 USD or $5,500 CAD). If you want to expedite your UK Unmarried Partner Visa application, you can pay for priority or premium processing.

Your British partner must demonstrate a minimum gross annual income of £29,000 (approximately $37,000 USD or $51,000 CAD). This income can come from employment, self-employment, savings above £16,000, pension income, rental income, or dividends. In certain situations, you can combine different sources of income, or income and cash savings.

The £29,000 threshold is your pre-tax or gross income. If your partner works in the UK, their P60 and payslips need to show this gross amount. For partners currently working in the USA, W-2 forms must show that your British partner earns at least $37,000 USD before taxes. For those working in Canada, T4 slips must reflect a gross income of at least $51,000 CAD.

The accommodation requirements for an Unmarried Partner Visa state that the couple must have suitable accommodation available in the UK. ‘Suitable’ means that it has to meet certain conditions:

• Adequate Size: The property must have enough space for the couple and any dependents. The British Government refers to the ‘rooms standard’ and ‘space standard’ outlined in the Housing Act 1985 to assess this criterion.
• Free from Public Health Hazards: The property must be free from any health hazards, such as pests or mould.
• Permission to Reside: The couple must have permission to reside on the property. This might mean owning the property or having a lease if renting.

You will need to provide evidence of your adequate accommodation arrangements. Examples include a letter from a landlord, mortgage statements, a deed of ownership, or a rental agreement.

Yes, you can use cash savings either on their own or combined with income to meet the £29,000 requirement. Only savings above £16,000 count, and you divide that excess amount by 2.5 to calculate the annual income equivalent. For example, if your British sponsor earns £20,000 per year, you need an additional £9,000 in income. To provide this through savings, you’d need £38,500 total: (£9,000 × 2.5) + £16,000.

To meet the entire requirement using only cash savings, you would need £88,500 (approximately $113,000 USD or $155,000 CAD). The savings must have been held for at least six months before you apply (subject to specific exemptions), and can be held in your, your partner or your joint names.

If your British sponsor is currently working in the United States, you’ll need to gather several documents. Specifically, your British sponsor should provide six months’ US pay stubs, their latest W-2 forms that reflect a minimum gross annual income of $37,000 USD, and a comprehensive employment letter from their US employer that verifies their job title and salary. Additionally, it’s important to include 6 months of US bank statements showing salary deposits corresponding to their pay stubs.

If your partner is self-employed in the USA, you’ll need to provide IRS Form 1040 along with complete tax transcripts. All foreign income must be converted to GBP using the OANDA exchange rate from the date you submit your application.

For British sponsors currently employed in Canada, they will need to provide six months of Canadian pay stubs, their most recent T4 slips showing at least $51,000 CAD in gross annual income, a Canadian employment letter confirming the position and salary, and six months of Canadian bank statements showing their salary deposits.

Self-employed sponsors must submit their most recent T1 General and CRA Notice of Assessment. After converting the relevant figures to GBP, their total annual income must be at least £29,000. The Vancouver office of Sterling Immigration can review your Canadian financial documents to ensure compliance with UKVI standards.

You need comprehensive documentation covering the entire two-year cohabitation period. This evidence can include joint tenancy agreements or mortgage documents, joint utility bills (gas, electricity, water), council tax bills, joint bank account statements, and official correspondence from government departments or financial institutions. The documents should cover the entire two-year period and come from multiple official sources.

If you have gaps in joint documentation, you can supplement with documents addressed to each of you individually at the same address. However, jointly addressed evidence is much stronger.

Beyond proving cohabitation, you must demonstrate that your relationship is genuine and continuing. Include photographs of you together throughout your relationship, evidence of joint financial responsibilities like shared credit cards or loans, joint ownership of assets or property, communication records if you’ve spent time apart, statements from friends and family who know you as a couple, and evidence of shared responsibilities such as joint insurance policies or being named as beneficiaries on each other’s accounts. You need to demonstrate to the Home Office that you are in a committed relationship and that you are not just housemates sharing accommodation.

This can create challenges with your UK Unmarried Partner Visa application. The two-year cohabitation requirement is strict, and you will need to provide evidence covering the entirety of these two years. If you have gaps, you’ll need to explain them and provide as much supporting evidence as possible from other sources.

For example, if you couldn’t get joint bills at one address, you might provide documents addressed to each of you individually at that address, along with statements from landlords or friends confirming you lived together. Consulting with an immigration lawyer, such as Sterling Immigration, becomes especially important when your documentation isn’t straightforward.

No, you’re automatically exempt. US and Canadian citizens come from English-speaking majority countries, so there’s no requirement to take the IELTS, PTE, or any other English-language test. You won’t need to provide any proof of English proficiency. This exemption applies regardless of where you were born or what your native language might be—your citizenship is what matters.

US citizens and residents can submit their UK Partner Visa application from any location within the United States. You complete the online application form, then schedule and attend a biometric appointment at one of the many Application Support Centres or premium VFS centres throughout the country. These facilities are located in major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, and Washington DC, as well as numerous locations across all 50 states.

Canadian citizens can apply from anywhere in Canada. After completing the online application, you’ll attend a biometric appointment at one of the designated visa application centres in major cities, including Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Ottawa, and Edmonton. Sterling Immigration’s Vancouver office is located in the downtown core, just a short walk from the VFS Office at 580 Hornby Street, and we can assist on the day of your biometric appointment if needed.

For applications submitted from both the USA and Canada, standard processing takes approximately 12 weeks (60 business days) from the date of your biometric appointment. If you need a faster decision, Priority Service costs an additional £500 ($650 USD or $900 CAD) and typically provides a decision within six weeks. Super Priority Service, costing £1,000 extra ($1,300 USD or $1,750 CAD), delivers decisions within five working days, though this option is only available at select premium VFS centres.

Yes, Sterling Immigration operates an office in Vancouver specifically to serve clients throughout British Columbia and the rest of Canada. Our Vancouver-based immigration lawyers focus on all types of UK partner visas, including unmarried partner applications. We’re familiar with Canadian financial documents such as T4 slips and NOAs, and we offer consultations in a time zone convenient for West Coast clients. Our office is located in downtown Vancouver, within walking distance of the VFS visa application centre.

Sterling Immigration serves clients across Canada, including Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. While our primary Canadian office is in Vancouver, we provide comprehensive remote consultations and full application support to Toronto-based clients. We work with couples throughout Ontario—including Ottawa, Mississauga, Brampton, Markham, London, Kitchener, and Windsor—delivering the same high-quality service wherever you are located in Canada.

If your application is approved and you’re applying from outside the UK, your initial UK Partnership Visa will be valid for 33 months (approximately 2 years and 9 months). If you’re applying from within the UK by switching from another visa category, your visa will be valid for 30 months. Before this period expires, you will need to apply for an extension of leave to remain in the UK with your partner.

Before your initial visa expires, you must apply to extend your stay. To qualify for the extension, you need to show that you’re still in a genuine relationship with your British partner, you’ve been living together in the UK, you continue to meet the financial requirement of £29,000, you have adequate accommodation, and you meet the English language requirement at a higher level (CEFR A2 instead of A1). You’ll also need to pass the Life in the UK test. If approved, the extension grants you a further 30 months in the UK.

The pathway works like this: you begin with an unmarried partner visa (33 months if applying from abroad), then extend it for another 30 months. After five years of lawful residence in the UK on this visa route, you become eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), also known as permanent residence. Once you have ILR, you can apply for British citizenship after one additional year if your partner is a British citizen, or after 12 months if your partner is a settled person who isn’t a British citizen.

Yes, the UK Unmarried Partner Visa grants you full, unrestricted work rights. You can work for any employer, in any job, in any industry, with no limitations. You don’t need sponsorship or a separate work permit. Whether you’re looking for employment in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, or anywhere else in the UK, your partner visa allows you complete freedom to pursue any career path.

Yes, you can include dependent children in your application. Under current rules, including dependent children does not increase the £29,000 income threshold. However, you must demonstrate that there is adequate accommodation for your entire family in the UK. You will need to pay an additional visa application fee of £1,938 (approximately $2,500 USD or $3,400 CAD) for each child, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge. Your children must be under 18, not leading independent lives, and not married or in a civil partnership.

If you intend to bring dependent children from a previous relationship with you to the UK, you should consult with an immigration lawyer, such as Sterling Immigration, to ensure you meet the requirements. 

To demonstrate that you have suitable accommodation in the UK that complies with Housing Act standards, you need to provide acceptable proof of residence. This can include mortgage statements showing that you or your partner are the owners, a tenancy agreement if you plan to rent, or letters from landlords confirming your living arrangements. If you are staying with family or friends, a letter from them, along with documentation showing they own or rent the property, will also be acceptable. In some cases, particularly for shared accommodation or when staying with others, you may need a housing inspection report prepared by a chartered surveyor to confirm the property meets space and safety requirements and will not be overcrowded as a result of your arrival.

Yes, rental income generated from properties in the UK or abroad can be applied towards the £29,000 threshold. You will need to provide tenancy agreements outlining the rental arrangements, bank statements showing the rental payments received, mortgage statements (if applicable), and evidence proving ownership of the property. US applicants with rental properties should include IRS Schedule E showing net rental income converted to GBP. Canadian applicants need to include form CRA T776 showing net rental income, also converted to GBP using official exchange rates.

The two-year cohabitation requirement is one of the strictest aspects of the UK Partnership Visa. The Home Office expects continuous cohabitation, and significant breaks can be problematic. Short separations due to work commitments, family emergencies, or similar temporary situations may be acceptable, provided they are well-explained and documented. However, you need to provide strong evidence that you maintained your relationship and shared household during those periods. Extended separations or living at different addresses for a considerable time will likely result in not meeting the two-year requirement.

No, unlike the fiancé visa, the UK Unmarried Partner Visa does not require that you demonstrate an intention to marry. This visa is specifically for couples who choose to remain unmarried but have a committed, long-term relationship similar to marriage. You are demonstrating the strength and permanence of your existing relationship through your two-year cohabitation history and shared finances, not through plans for a future marriage ceremony.

If your initial application is refused, you do have options:

• Administrative Review: If your application is refused and you believe a caseworker error was the issue, you may be able to apply for an administrative review, which is a review of the decision by a different official at the Home Office. The request for administrative review must be made within 14 days (or seven days if you are detained) of receiving the decision.
• Appeal: Depending on your circumstances, you might have the right to appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). There are strict timelines and procedures for appealing, so you should act quickly if you wish to take this route.
• Reapplication: If you accept the grounds on which your initial application was refused, you can address these issues in a fresh application. For example, if you were denied because of insufficient documentation or not meeting the financial requirement, you could rectify these issues before reapplying. 

At Sterling Immigration, we can help you understand why your application was refused and what the best course of action might be.