The UK recognizes civil partnerships between people of the same sex or opposite sex. However, partners must not be in a prohibited degree of relationship. Civil partnerships can be registered in the UK or overseas, but in the case of overseas registration, they must still be legally recognized in the UK.
Civil partnership and UK visa under the UK family visa category allow non-UK and non-Irish individuals to join or stay with their civil partners in the UK who are either British citizens or have settled status in the UK. Civil partnership can be between same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples. You can apply for a UK civil partner visa if you want to live with your civil partner in the UK. However the civil partnership must be recognised Civil Partnership Act 2004, in the event it has taken place outside the UK.
Applying for a civil partnership visa is an important decision in your life as you intend to spend your life with your partner in the UK. This will change the course of your life. Hence, you should take legal advice before you apply to ensure your civil partnership and UK visa application become successful.
A civil partnership visa falls under the UK family category. This visa allows couples who are in civil partnerships to live together in the UK. A civil partnership is a legal relationship between two people who aren't related to each other. The civil partners need to register their partnership to be recognized as civil partners legally. After registration, civil partners get the same rights and responsibilities as married couples do.
You can apply to switch to a civil partnership visa after your civil partnership is registered and official, to continue living with your partner in the UK.
The civil partnership visa was originally introduced for same-sex couples, but later on, this was opened to opposite-sex couples as well.
You can apply for this visa from outside the UK and also apply to switch to this visa from inside the UK if you are already in the UK on another visa, such as a proposed civil partner visa or skilled worker visa.
You will be granted a leave of 30 months if you applied from within the UK and 33 months if you applied from outside the UK. You can also apply for an extension of another 30 months. After that, you may be eligible to apply for settlement, i.e., indefinite leave to remain, once you have completed 5 years of continuous residence in the UK. You can live, work, or study in the UK on a civil partnership visa without any restrictions.
Those who are at least 18 years old and have entered into a civil partnership with someone who is also at least 18 years old and one of the following can apply for a civil partnership visa.
Partners in the UK must sponsor the applicants so that they may be able to apply for a civil partnership and UK visa.
Those who meet the other eligibility requirements can apply for a UK civil partnership visa.
Those who can meet the relationship requirement can apply for a UK civil partnership visa. A couple must be in a civil partnership, and their partnership must be legally recognized in the UK. Civil partners must not be in a prohibited degree of relationship, such as close blood relatives, as defined by UK law. If the couple has registered their civil partnership overseas, it must still be recognized under UK law. Couples should ensure that their partnership is acknowledged by the UK authorities to qualify for the civil partnership and UK visa.
Couples must have met in person, and the applicant must demonstrate that their partnership is genuine and subsisting. They must intend to live permanently together in the UK after the civil partnership visa is approved, and if the applicant and/or their civil partner were in a relationship previously, that relationship must have broken down permanently.
Those who meet the financial requirement without recourse to the public fund can apply for a UK civil partnership visa. Effective from 11 April 2024, civil partnership visa applicants and their sponsors must
demonstrate a combined minimum gross annual income of £29,000. The applicants and their sponsors no longer need to show extra income for dependent children.
Applicants who applied before 11 April 2024 and are applying for an extension with the same partner will need to meet the older minimum gross annual income requirement of £18,600.
The applicants can also meet the financial requirement by combining their and/or their sponsor’s income and savings, or their and/or their sponsor’s combined savings alone. If the applicants rely on a combination of income and savings, their combined savings must be at least £16,000 held by the applicant, their civil partner, or jointly for at least 6 months.
If the applicants rely on combined cash savings alone, they must have combined savings of at least £88,500.
The minimum income requirement may not apply if the sponsor is in receipt of certain state benefits or entitlements such as Disability Living Allowance, Severe Disablement Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, Attendance Allowance, or Carer’s Allowance. In such scenarios, applicants will need to prove that they can adequately maintain themselves and any dependents without recourse to public funds.
Those who can demonstrate that there is or will be adequate accommodation in the UK may apply for a civil partnership and a UK visa. Applicants must have adequate accommodation in the UK for themselves and any dependents. Adequate accommodation means it must be owned or occupied exclusively by the applicant and their sponsor and must not be overcrowded or contravene UK public health regulations.
Those who, unless exempt, along with eligibility requirements mentioned above, can also prove their knowledge of English can apply for a UK civil partnership visa.
Applicants can meet the English language requirement in the following ways:
If an applicant is one of the following, they are exempt from meeting the English language requirement:
Civil Partnership and the UK Visa is a complex task. We help couples enter into a civil partnership that is recognized in the UK. Once they decide to apply for a UK civil partnership visa, we provide an end-to-end solution. We first understand your situation, your immigration history, nationality, your country’s ties with the UK (if any), etc. After that, we guide you through the application process. We assess your eligibility criteria and tell you whether you can apply for a civil partnership visa. We also assess your partner’s immigration status, their financial capability, and accommodation availability in the UK.
Once it is clear that you can apply for this visa, we will help you collect and arrange the necessary documents, strengthen your application by providing correct information, prove your identity, and reply to any communication from the Home Office. At the end, we ensure you receive a civil partnership and a UK visa and live with your partner in the UK. For any type of assistance, you can contact us at +44 (0)20 3411 1261.
...
