Fiance(e) or proposed civil partner of a British citizen or settled person
Genuine and subsisting relationships
If you are applying to enter the UK, or for permission to stay or settle here, you will need to satisfy us that your relationship is genuine and subsisting.
When we consider your application we will look at all the information available and your individual circumstances.
If your relationship is genuine and subsisting we would expect you to be able to show evidence that you:
- are in a current, long-term relationship;
- are living together with your partner;
- share responsibility with your partner for any children;
- share financial responsibilities with your partner, such as a joint mortgage or tenancy agreement, a joint bank account or joint savings, and utility bills in both your names;
- and your partner have visited one another's home country and family; and
- you have made plans about living together in the UK with your partner.
In the case of an arranged marriage, you and your partner should both consent to the marriage and agree with the plans made by your families.
In some cases we may make further enquiries to make sure that your relationship is genuine. Please see 'More information' below.
More information
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Further investigations
We may make further investigations about the genuineness of your relationship if:
- we are informed by the registration service or your partner that the marriage is a sham;
- we are aware that you or your partner has a brother or sister who was forced into marriage;
- you or partner or an immediate family member, has been the subject or respondent of a forced marriage protection order;
- we have evidence that your marriage is or may be a sham marriage or a forced marriage;
- you or your partner does not appear to have the capacity to consent to the marriage, partnership or relationship, for example because of learning difficulties;
- we have evidence that you or your partner are subject to unreasonable restrictions, such as being kept at home by their family or being subject to unreasonable financial restrictions;
- you do not attend an interview, without reasonable explanation, when we ask you to;
- you cannot provide any information about your intended living arrangements in the UK or about moving to the UK;
- we are concerned about the circumstances of your wedding ceremony or reception;
- you and your partner cannot provide accurate personal details about each other and your relationship;
- you and your partner cannot communicate with each other in a language you both understand;
- there is evidence of money having been exchanged for the marriage to be contracted (unless this is part of a dowry);
- you do not share financial or other domestic responsibilities;
- you and your partner do not live together (unless one of you is working or studying away from home);
- your partner is a qualified medical practitioner or professional, or has worked as a nurse or carer, and you have a mental or physical impairment which means that you need medical assistance or personal care in your home;
- your partner has previously sponsored another partner to come to or remain in the UK;
- your partner obtained settlement through a previous relationship and that marriage, partnership or relationship ended soon afterwards;
- you and your partner were in a relationship at an earlier date and have sponsored or been sponsored by other people in the meantime;
- we have evidence that you and you partner have previously has a sham or forced marriage, or have lived in the UK unlawfully; or
- you have applied for leave to enter or remain in the UK in another category and been refused.