Unmarried partners of a British citizen or one who has indefinite leave to remain can apply for a UK Unmarried Partner visa to join their partner in the UK and live with them. Unmarried Partners are those who have lived together in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for at least 2 years.
Unmarried Partner visa is applicable to both heterosexual and same-sex partners. An unmarried Partner visa allows you to enter (when applying from outside the UK) or remain (when applying from within the UK) and work in the UK.

Eligibility For Unmarried Partner Visa

You must meet the following eligibility requirements for a UK Unmarried Partner visa:

• Your partner must be one of the following:
• A British or Irish Citizen,
• Have ILR or settled status or permanent residence in the UK,
• Holds a pre-settled status under Appendix EU,
• Holds a Turkish Businessperson or Turkish Worker visa,
• Has refugee status or humanitarian protection;
• You and your partner must be over the age of 18;
• You and your partner must have met in person;
• You and your partner have lived together in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for at least 2 years completed before the date of application;
• Your relationship is genuine and subsisting;
• You must show intention to live with your partner permanently in the UK;
• If you and/or your partner were in any previous relationship that relationship/s must have broken down permanently;
• You and your partner can support both of you financially;
• There is adequate accommodation for you and any dependents;
• You speak and understand English to the required level.

Meeting Financial Requirements

You can meet the financial requirements in one of the following ways:

• Your partner has an annual income of at least £18,600 (increased to £29,000 on 11 April 2024),
• You and your partner have savings of at least £62,500 (increased to £88,500 on 11 April 2024),
• You can combine income and savings if they alone don’t meet the threshold in some scenarios.

The applicant’s income can only be taken into account if the applicant is living and working in
the UK lawfully.

How long can you stay on a UK Unmarried Partner visa?

If you apply to switch to a UK Unmarried Partner visa from within the UK, you will be granted permission to stay for 30 months.
If you apply from outside the UK, you will be granted permission to stay for 33 months. You can also apply for an extension of up to 30 months before your existing UK Unmarried
Partner visa expires.
If you are in the UK on a visitor visa and want to apply for a UK Unmarried Partner visa to settle in the UK with your unmarried partner, you should leave the UK and apply for entry clearance as
an unmarried partner from overseas.

What you can do on a UK Unmarried Partner visa?

You can work, change jobs, study, do voluntary work, and leave and re-enter the UK.

How to apply?

You can apply online when applying from within the UK or overseas. You must choose the correct form before applying. You must also keep the necessary documents when applying.

Fee

If you apply from outside the UK, you need to pay £1,846 and if you apply from within the UK you need to pay £1,048 and Immigration Health Surcharge of £1035 for each year, multiplied according length of stay.

How long does it take to get a decision?

Usually, it takes 12 weeks for the Home Office to decide on your UK Unmarried Partner visa if you apply from outside the UK and 8 weeks if you apply from within the UK. However, the Home Office has announced that overseas applications are now being processed in 60 working days following a reduction in the backlog of Ukraine Visa Scheme applications.

Applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain

Once you have lived in the UK for at least 5 years continuously on a UK Unmarried Partner visa, you may apply for ILR provided you meet the other eligibility requirements for ILR.