Background
Mr M is in a relationship with Miss R, who is residing in the UK as a Global Talent Migrant. The couple are not married; however, they have a signed cohabitation agreement from their home country.
Mr M instructed us to assist him with an application for Entry Clearance to the UK as a Global Talent Dependent.
How we helped
During the consultation with the couple, we advised them that one of the key requirements that needed to be satisfied was that the couple must either be married or in a civil partnership, or if they are not married or in a civil partnership; they must have been living together in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for at least the 2 years before the date of application, and they must demonstrate that their relationship is genuine and subsisting.
During the consultation, we established that the couple were neither married or in a civil partnership, nor had they lived together for at least the 2 years before the date of application. The couple informed us that they had lived together during ad hoc periods at friends’ homes, and that they did not have any proof of cohabitation. However, the couple informed us that they had entered into a Cohabitation/ Domestic Partnership Agreement to regulate their respective rights, liabilities, and financial affairs in accordance with the relevant laws of their home country. Having enquired further about this Agreement, we came to know that in essence, the Cohabitation Agreement in Mr M’s home country is commonly treated on an “equal footing” to marriages.
We advised the couple to obtain a letter from a family lawyer in their home country to explore the significance of the Cohabitation/ Domestic Partnership Agreement in depth. We further advised our client to obtain testimonials and identity documents from all their friends with whom they resided with together, to explain the dates they lived there and which address this was at. Miss R had visited Mr M on various occasions in their home country whilst she was in the UK as a Global Talent migrant. We advised them to provide proof of this visits such as flight tickets and passport stamps to substantiate the genuineness of their relationship. We also helped Mr M prepared a detailed statement regarding the couple’s relationship background, how they met and how their relationship developed. We also prepared a table containing a full breakdown of each time the couple lived together, albeit for short period each time.
As further proof of the genuineness of their relationship, we advised Mr M to provide photographs with time and location stamps, as well as evidence of their daily communications.
Result
The comprehensive application pack was prepared in a organised fashion, with documents clearly labelled. We also prepared a covering letter with detailed representations explaining why Mr O’s application should be approved.
Mr M’s application was approved in less than two weeks of attending her biometric enrolment appointment at the visa application centre.
