PROPOSED CIVIL PARTNER VISA

The UK Proposed Civil Partner Visa is a Family Visa for a person who wishes to come to the UK in order to enter into a civil partnership with a qualifying partner and then make their home together in the UK. The application is made from outside the UK under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules.

“Proposed Civil Partner Visa” is a commonly used description rather than a separate standalone immigration route. Under Appendix FM, a proposed civil partner is treated as a type of partner for the purpose of an application for entry clearance. If the application is successful, permission will normally be granted for up to 6 months so that the civil partnership can take place in the UK.

After entering into the civil partnership, the applicant will normally need to make a further application from within the UK for permission to remain as a civil partner. A successful application on the standard 5-year partner route can ultimately lead to indefinite leave to remain. However, time spent in the UK with permission as a proposed civil partner does not count towards the 5-year qualifying period for settlement.

During the initial Proposed Civil Partner Visa period, the applicant is not permitted to work or study and will normally have no recourse to public funds.

Proposed Civil Partner Visa or Marriage Visitor Visa?

It is important to choose the correct immigration route.

A Proposed Civil Partner Visa is generally appropriate where the couple intend to enter into a civil partnership in the UK and then live together permanently in the UK.

By contrast, a Marriage Visitor Visa may be appropriate where a person intends to enter into a civil partnership in the UK but does not intend to remain or settle in the UK afterwards. A Marriage Visitor must intend to leave the UK following their visit.

The distinction is therefore not simply about where the civil partnership will take place. It is principally about the couple’s longer-term intentions.

1. UK Proposed Civil Partner Visa Requirements

In order to qualify for entry clearance as a proposed civil partner under Appendix FM, an applicant will normally need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that:

• a valid application has been made from outside the UK;
• the applicant and their partner are both aged 18 or over;
• the partner has a qualifying immigration or nationality status;
• the applicant and their partner are not within a prohibited degree of relationship;
• they have met in person;
• their relationship is genuine and subsisting;
• the applicant is coming to the UK in order to enter into a civil partnership in the UK;
• any previous relationships have broken down permanently and neither party is married to, or in a civil partnership with, another person at the date of application;
• they intend to live together permanently in the UK;
• the applicable financial requirement is met;
• adequate accommodation will be available in the UK;
• the applicant meets the English language requirement, unless exempt; and
• the application does not fall for refusal under Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules.

The precise evidence required will depend on the circumstances. In particular, the financial evidence required by Appendix FM-SE varies significantly according to the source of income or savings relied upon.

Suitability Requirements

Appendix FM entry-clearance applicants are also subject to Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules.

Part Suitability contains both mandatory and discretionary refusal grounds. Depending on the circumstances, issues such as criminality, previous deception, adverse immigration history, exclusion or deportation decisions, unpaid NHS debt and failure to provide required information may be relevant.

A previous conviction, immigration breach or visa refusal does not necessarily mean that a Proposed Civil Partner Visa application will be refused. The legal consequences depend on the nature, seriousness, timing and surrounding circumstances of the relevant matter. Where there is a potentially adverse immigration or criminal history, the position should be assessed under the current suitability provisions before an application is submitted.

2. Who Can Sponsor a Proposed Civil Partner Visa?

The sponsoring partner must have a status that is recognised for the purposes of Appendix FM.

A sponsor may, depending on the circumstances, be:

• a British or Irish citizen;
• a person who is settled in the UK, for example with indefinite leave to remain or settled status;
• an eligible EEA or Swiss citizen with pre-settled status under Appendix EU;
• a person with qualifying status as a Turkish Worker or Turkish Businessperson under the relevant ECAA provisions;
• a person in the UK with protection status; or
• a person with permission as a stateless person where Appendix FM is the appropriate family route.

A British citizen does not necessarily need to be physically resident in the UK before the application. Appendix FM can treat a British citizen who is returning to the UK with the applicant as being “in the UK” for this purpose.

The position can be more technical where the sponsor has pre-settled status, protection status or permission as a stateless person, because eligibility depends on the precise basis and timing of the sponsor’s status.

In particular, changes introduced in 2026 affect the length of partner permission in some cases involving sponsors who have shorter periods of protection permission following more recent asylum claims. Applicants in this position should therefore check the sponsor’s exact immigration status and expiry date rather than assuming that the ordinary partner-route periods will apply.

3. Genuine and Subsisting Relationship Requirement

A Proposed Civil Partner Visa application must demonstrate that the relationship between the applicant and sponsor is genuine and subsisting.

The Immigration Rules also require the couple to have met in person. In addition, they must intend to live together permanently in the UK.

There is no rule requiring proposed civil partners to have lived together for 2 years before applying. Cohabitation may provide useful evidence where it has taken place, but it is not a mandatory condition of this route.

This is particularly important for couples who have lived in different countries, whose work or studies have kept them apart, or whose cultural, religious or personal circumstances have meant that they have not previously cohabited. Home Office guidance recognises that genuine couples may not always have lived together.

Evidence of a Genuine Relationship

There is no single document that proves that a relationship is genuine. The evidence should normally be considered as a whole and should reflect the actual history of the relationship.

Depending on the facts, useful evidence may include:

• evidence of time spent together in person;
• travel records and visits;
• evidence of regular communication while living apart;
• photographs showing the development of the relationship;
• evidence of shared financial responsibilities or financial support;
• joint accommodation or correspondence where the couple have lived together;
• evidence relating to children, where relevant;
• evidence that friends or family members are aware of the relationship; and
• evidence of plans for the couple’s future life together.

The strongest application is not necessarily the one containing the greatest volume of documents. Evidence should instead be selected and organised so that it presents a coherent and credible account of the relationship.

Previous Relationships

Any previous relationship of either the applicant or sponsor must have broken down permanently.

For a proposed civil partner application, neither person may still be married to, or in a civil partnership with, somebody else on the date of application. Evidence of divorce, dissolution, annulment or the death of a former spouse or civil partner may therefore be required.

Prohibited Relationships

The applicant and sponsor must not be so closely related that they are legally prohibited from entering into a civil partnership.

The relevant domestic legislation differs across England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is therefore preferable to apply the legal test applicable to the jurisdiction in which the civil partnership will take place rather than relying on a simplified list of family relationships.

4. Planning Your Civil Partnership in the UK

An applicant must genuinely intend to enter into the proposed civil partnership in the UK.

Evidence should normally demonstrate that there is a realistic plan for the civil partnership to take place within the period of permission granted.

Depending on the circumstances, evidence might include correspondence with a register office or other registration authority, provisional bookings, venue enquiries, evidence of payments or deposits, details of planned arrangements, or other documentary evidence showing that the couple have taken practical steps towards entering into their civil partnership.

It is not sensible to treat any one particular document as mandatory in every case. The question is whether the evidence, viewed as a whole, establishes a genuine intention to form the civil partnership in the UK.

Giving Notice of a Civil Partnership

Civil partnership registration procedures vary between the different jurisdictions of the UK. Couples should check the applicable notice and registration requirements in the part of the UK where they intend to form their civil partnership.

For example, in England and Wales the ordinary statutory notice period is 28 days. Immigration legislation also provides a referral and investigation scheme under which the period can be extended to 70 days in certain cases where the Home Office investigates a suspected sham marriage or civil partnership. A person holding appropriate fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner permission is treated as holding a relevant visa for the purposes of that scheme.

Couples should therefore plan the timetable carefully. The immigration requirement to enter into the civil partnership within the visa period is separate from the domestic legal formalities governing the civil partnership itself.

5. Financial Requirement for a Proposed Civil Partner Visa

For a new Proposed Civil Partner Visa application made under the current rules, the usual minimum income requirement is £29,000 gross per year.

Appendix FM contains detailed rules governing what income and savings can be relied upon and Appendix FM-SE sets out the evidence that must normally accompany the application.

Which Income Can Be Used?

A Proposed Civil Partner Visa is an entry-clearance application. This is important because the financial rules are not identical to those governing a later application made from within the UK.

Under the standard entry-clearance rules, relevant sources can include:

• specified employment or self-employment income of the sponsor;
• qualifying pension income of the applicant or sponsor;
• certain specified benefits or payments;
• qualifying non-employment income of the applicant or sponsor; and
• qualifying cash savings belonging to the applicant, sponsor or both.

The overseas applicant’s own employment or self-employment earnings cannot simply be added to the sponsor’s salary in the same way that an applicant who is already lawfully working in the UK may sometimes rely on their employment income in a later in-country partner application.

There are also specific rules for a sponsor who is working overseas but returning to the UK with the applicant. Depending on the sponsor’s employment history and prospective UK employment, overseas earnings may be relevant.

Because the evidential requirements vary substantially between salaried employment, non-salaried employment, self-employment, company-director income, pensions, property income and savings, the correct financial category should be identified before documents are prepared.

Can Cash Savings Be Used?

Yes. Qualifying cash savings can be used either alone or, in appropriate cases, in combination with qualifying income.

Where no qualifying income is relied upon and the full £29,000 requirement is to be met using cash savings alone, the Appendix FM formula produces a required savings figure of £88,500: £16,000 plus 2.5 times £29,000.

Where income and savings are combined, the required savings figure depends on the shortfall in qualifying income.

The savings must satisfy the detailed requirements of Appendix FM-SE, including requirements concerning ownership, control and, subject to applicable exceptions, the period for which the funds have been held.

What If the Sponsor Receives Certain Benefits?

Where the sponsor receives one or more specified disability or carer’s benefits, the £29,000 minimum income requirement does not apply in the ordinary way.

Instead, the applicant must meet the adequate maintenance requirement. Broadly, this involves demonstrating that the family can be adequately maintained and accommodated in the UK without additional recourse to public funds.

Specified benefits include, among others, Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Carer’s Allowance. The full current list should be checked before relying on the adequate-maintenance provisions.

Transitional Financial Requirement

Different financial rules can continue to apply to some people whose first successful application on the partner route was made before 11 April 2024 and who continue to apply with the same partner.

In such cases, the previous £18,600 threshold, together with additional amounts for certain dependent children, may continue to apply, subject to an overall cap at £29,000. This transitional regime can include people whose earlier successful application was as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner.

A person making their first successful partner-route application in 2026 will not ordinarily fall within these transitional provisions.

What If the Financial Requirement Cannot Be Met?

Failure to meet the standard financial requirement does not create a general discretion for the Home Office simply to overlook the shortfall.

However, Appendix FM contains provisions requiring consideration of exceptional circumstances in certain cases involving Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Where the relevant legal threshold is met, additional credible and reliable sources of financial support may fall to be considered.

These provisions are legally distinct from satisfying the ordinary £29,000 requirement and should not be treated as a routine alternative to meeting Appendix FM-SE.

6. Accommodation Requirement

The applicant must demonstrate that adequate accommodation will be available for the family in the UK without recourse to public funds.

The accommodation must not be overcrowded and must not contravene applicable public-health requirements. The Rules also take account of other family members who live in the same household, even where they are not applicants.

Depending on the circumstances, evidence may include a tenancy agreement, evidence of ownership, confirmation from a landlord or property owner, details of who lives at the property and information concerning the number and size of rooms.

A professional property inspection report is not automatically required in every application. It may, however, be useful where the adequacy, occupancy or condition of the accommodation is not obvious from the other evidence.

Where the applicant and sponsor will initially live with relatives or friends, the evidence should establish both that they have permission to occupy the accommodation and that the resulting household will not be statutorily overcrowded.

7. English Language Requirement

Unless exempt, a person applying for entry clearance as a proposed civil partner must satisfy the English language requirement.

For an initial partner application, the required speaking and listening level is normally at least A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

An applicant may satisfy the requirement in a number of ways, including by:

• being a national of a qualifying majority English-speaking country;
• passing an approved Secure English Language Test at the required level; or
• holding an eligible academic qualification taught or researched in English and providing the required confirmation where the qualification was awarded outside the UK.

An applicant is exempt if, at the date of application, they are aged 65 or over, have a physical or mental condition preventing them from meeting the requirement, or there are exceptional circumstances preventing them from satisfying the requirement before entering the UK.

The evidential route relied upon should be checked carefully. For example, not every English-language examination is an approved immigration test, and overseas degrees may require an appropriate qualification and English-language assessment.

8. Documents Required for a Proposed Civil Partner Visa

There is no single universal document checklist that is appropriate for every Proposed Civil Partner Visa application. The documents required depend particularly on the couple’s relationship history, the sponsor’s status and the financial category being relied upon.

An application will commonly need evidence covering the following areas:

Identity and Immigration Status

Evidence may include the applicant’s current passport or other accepted identity document and evidence establishing the sponsor’s British citizenship, Irish citizenship, settlement, Appendix EU status, protection status, ECAA status or other qualifying immigration status.

Relationship Evidence

Appropriate evidence should establish that the couple have met, that their relationship is genuine and continuing and that they intend to live together permanently in the UK.

The appropriate evidence will differ between a couple who have lived together for several years and a couple who have maintained a long-distance relationship.

Previous Relationships

Where either party has previously been married or in a civil partnership, evidence may be required to demonstrate that the previous legal relationship has ended.

Civil Partnership Plans

The application should contain credible evidence that the applicant intends to enter into a civil partnership with the sponsor in the UK within the period of permission granted.

Financial Evidence

The precise financial documents depend on the financial category.

For example, an employed sponsor may need specified payslips, bank statements and employer evidence. Self-employed applicants and sponsors face substantially different documentary rules. Cash savings, pensions and non-employment income have their own evidential requirements.

Financial documents should therefore be prepared by reference to Appendix FM-SE rather than a generic partner-visa checklist.

Accommodation Evidence

Evidence should establish where the couple intend to live and that the accommodation satisfies the Appendix FM requirements.

English Language Evidence

Where the applicant is not exempt, evidence of an approved English test, qualifying nationality or eligible academic qualification will normally be required.

Translations

Documents that are not in English or Welsh should be accompanied by an appropriate translation meeting the Home Office’s requirements.

The quality and organisation of an application can be as important as the number of documents supplied. Evidence should be internally consistent and should address each requirement directly.

9. How to Apply for a UK Proposed Civil Partner Visa

A Proposed Civil Partner Visa application is normally made online from outside the UK.

The application process generally involves:

1. confirming that the applicant and sponsor meet the requirements of Appendix FM;
2. identifying the correct financial category and documentary requirements;
3. preparing the online application;
4. paying the application fee;
5. submitting the supporting evidence;
6. providing biometric information as directed by UK Visas and Immigration; and
7. waiting for the Home Office to determine the application.

Following approval, applicants are now generally issued with an eVisa, which is a digital record of immigration status. The decision communication will explain how the applicant can access their status through a UKVI account.

Applications involving complex relationship histories, unusual financial arrangements, previous refusals or suitability issues should be prepared with particular care. Problems that appear minor at the document-gathering stage can become significant if they affect a mandatory requirement of Appendix FM or Appendix FM-SE.

10. Proposed Civil Partner Visa Fees and Immigration Health Surcharge

As at 14 August 2026, the Home Office application fee for a family-route application made outside the UK to join a partner is £2,064.

The fee is charged for each applicant. A child making a separate qualifying family application will therefore normally have a separate application fee.

Do Proposed Civil Partners Pay the Immigration Health Surcharge?

A Proposed Civil Partner Visa granted from outside the UK is for no more than 6 months. An applicant applying from outside the UK for a visa of 6 months or less does not pay the Immigration Health Surcharge.

This is different from the position after the civil partnership has taken place.

When the applicant subsequently applies from within the UK for longer-term permission as a civil partner, the Immigration Health Surcharge will ordinarily apply. As at 14 August 2026, the standard adult rate remains £1,035 per year of relevant permission.

The current in-country family visa application fee is £1,407, although both application fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge can change and should be checked again immediately before applying.

In limited circumstances, a person who cannot afford a family-visa application fee may be able to seek a fee waiver. Eligibility depends on the applicant’s financial and human-rights circumstances and is not established merely because payment would be inconvenient.

11. How Long Does a Proposed Civil Partner Visa Take?

The Home Office currently publishes a 12-week standard processing time for partner and spouse family visa applications made outside the UK.

This is a service standard rather than a guarantee. An application can take longer if, for example, additional information is required or further checks are necessary.

Priority Service

Where the settlement priority service is available, an applicant may currently pay an additional £500. For an overseas Family Visa application, the published priority target is normally 30 working days.

Availability varies by application type and location. Applicants should therefore not make irreversible travel or civil-partnership arrangements solely on the assumption that a decision will be issued within a particular period.

12. How Long Is a Proposed Civil Partner Visa Valid?

A successful proposed civil partner applicant will normally be granted permission for a period of up to 6 months.

The purpose of this period is to enable the applicant to enter the UK and enter into the proposed civil partnership.

The couple should plan both the civil partnership and the subsequent immigration application carefully. Entering into the civil partnership does not itself extend the applicant’s immigration permission.

The applicant will normally need to submit the appropriate in-country partner application before their existing permission expires.

13. Can You Work or Study on a Proposed Civil Partner Visa?

No. A person granted entry clearance as a proposed civil partner is subject to a prohibition on employment.

They are also not permitted to study while holding this status.

The applicant will also normally be subject to a condition of no recourse to public funds.

These restrictions are an important difference between Proposed Civil Partner permission and longer-term permission as a civil partner.

Once the civil partnership has taken place and a subsequent in-country civil partner application has been granted, the applicant will normally be permitted to work and study.

Applicants should therefore budget for the initial period in the UK on the basis that they cannot rely on employment to support themselves before their further partner application has been approved.

14. What Happens After You Enter a Civil Partnership?

Entering into the civil partnership is not the end of the immigration process.

Before the Proposed Civil Partner Visa expires, the applicant will normally need to apply from within the UK for permission to remain as a civil partner under Appendix FM.

If the requirements of the standard 5-year partner route are met, permission is normally granted for a further period of 30 months. Unlike a Proposed Civil Partner Visa, this permission normally allows the applicant to work and study.

Does the Proposed Civil Partner Visa Count Towards Settlement?

No. For a person on the standard 5-year partner route, the relevant qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain is 60 months as a partner. Time spent with permission as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner is expressly excluded.

For example, a person who spends 5 months in the UK as a proposed civil partner before successfully switching to the Civil Partner route does not normally count those 5 months towards the 5-year partner settlement period.

The 5-Year and 10-Year Partner Routes

A person who satisfies all the relevant requirements will ordinarily progress on the 5-year route to settlement.

Where an application succeeds on an Article 8 basis despite one or more standard requirements not being met, the person may instead be placed on a longer route to settlement, commonly referred to as the 10-year route.

The precise route should be checked from the decision and immigration status rather than inferred merely from the fact that a Family Visa has been granted.

Settlement and British Citizenship

A qualifying partner on the 5-year route may ultimately apply for indefinite leave to remain once the relevant settlement requirements are met.

If the applicant’s civil partner is a British citizen, the applicant may potentially apply for British citizenship by naturalisation as soon as they obtain indefinite leave to remain, provided they satisfy the separate requirements applicable to the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen, including the 3-year residence requirement and the other statutory conditions.

They do not need to wait a further 12 months after obtaining ILR solely because they hold ILR if they are applying as the civil partner of a British citizen.

Where the civil partner is not a British citizen, the usual naturalisation requirements are different and a 12-month period after obtaining ILR will commonly apply.

15. Can Children Apply With You?

Children may be able to make family visa applications alongside a proposed civil partner, but eligibility is not automatic.

Children can generally be included in a family application where they are under 18 at the relevant point, or were under 18 when first granted qualifying family permission, and are not living an independent life.

However, the child provisions of Appendix FM contain additional requirements concerning the child’s parents and family circumstances. For a child born outside the UK, eligibility can depend on matters such as whether both parents are applying or present in an appropriate status, whether one parent has sole responsibility, or whether there are serious and compelling considerations.

A child who is already British or Irish, settled in the UK or eligible under another immigration route may not require a Family Visa as a dependant.

Families should therefore assess the position of each child individually rather than assuming that the applicant’s Proposed Civil Partner Visa automatically covers them.

16. What If Your Civil Partnership Does Not Take Place Within 6 Months?

The expectation is that the applicant will enter into their civil partnership during the period of permission granted.

However, Appendix FM makes provision for a person who is already in the UK as a proposed civil partner where the civil partnership did not take place during that period.

In order to qualify for further permission as a proposed civil partner, there must be a good reason why the civil partnership did not take place and evidence that it will take place within the following 6 months.

This is not an automatic extension. The reasons for the delay and the supporting evidence should be addressed carefully.

If further proposed-civil-partner permission is granted, the applicant remains subject to restrictions including the prohibition on employment. Time spent under the further proposed civil partner permission will likewise not count towards the ordinary 5-year partner settlement period.

Anyone whose civil partnership has been postponed should consider their immigration position before their existing permission expires.

17. Proposed Civil Partner Visa Refusals and Appeals

A Proposed Civil Partner Visa application can be refused where the Entry Clearance Officer is not satisfied that the requirements of Appendix FM, Appendix FM-SE or Part Suitability have been met.

Issues capable of leading to refusal include:

• insufficient evidence that the relationship is genuine and subsisting;
• failure to demonstrate that the couple have met in person;
• inadequate evidence of a genuine intention to enter into a civil partnership in the UK;
• failure to meet the minimum income or adequate-maintenance requirement;
• financial documents that do not satisfy Appendix FM-SE;
• failure to meet the English language requirement;
• inadequate accommodation;
• unresolved previous marriages or civil partnerships;
• inconsistent or inaccurate information; and
• a relevant suitability issue.

The correct response to a refusal depends on why the application was refused and whether the decision carries a right of appeal.

Appendix FM applications frequently involve a human-rights claim. Where a human-rights claim is refused, there is ordinarily a statutory right of appeal, subject to the applicable appeal and certification provisions. The refusal decision should confirm whether an appeal right has been given.

A fresh application may sometimes be more efficient where a straightforward evidential defect can be corrected. In other cases, particularly where the Home Office has reached a disputed factual or legal conclusion, an appeal may be the appropriate remedy.

Before deciding between a fresh application and an appeal, it is important to consider the reason for refusal, the strength of the original evidence, any findings concerning credibility or deception, the availability of new evidence and the consequences of allowing the refusal decision to stand.

18. Frequently Asked Questions: UK Proposed Civil Partner Visa

Is a Proposed Civil Partner Visa the Same as a Civil Partner Visa?

No. A Proposed Civil Partner Visa is normally granted to enable a person to come to the UK and enter into a civil partnership. Once the civil partnership has taken place, they must normally apply for further permission as a civil partner. Civil Partner permission is the status that can count towards the standard 5-year partner settlement route.

Do Proposed Civil Partners Have to Have Lived Together for 2 Years?

No. There is no requirement for proposed civil partners to have cohabited for 2 years. They must instead establish, among other things, that they have met in person, that their relationship is genuine and subsisting and that they intend to live together permanently in the UK.

Can I Apply for a Proposed Civil Partner Visa From Inside the UK?

The Proposed Civil Partner Visa is principally an entry-clearance route, with the initial application made from outside the UK. A person already in the UK should check which immigration route is available from their existing status rather than assuming they can switch to proposed civil partner status. Visitors are generally not permitted to switch into the ordinary partner route from within the UK.

Can I Work on a Proposed Civil Partner Visa?

No. Permission as a proposed civil partner carries a prohibition on employment. After entering into the civil partnership and obtaining further permission as a civil partner, the applicant will normally be allowed to work.

Can I Study on a Proposed Civil Partner Visa?

No. Proposed civil partners are not permitted to study under their initial 6-month Family Visa permission. Study is normally permitted after the civil partnership has taken place and a subsequent partner application has been granted.

How Much Income Do I Need for a Proposed Civil Partner Visa?

For a new application under the current rules, the usual minimum income requirement is £29,000 gross per year. Different provisions apply where the sponsor receives certain specified benefits, and transitional rules can apply to some people whose first successful partner-route application was made before 11 April 2024.

Can I Use Cash Savings Instead of Income?

Yes. Cash savings can meet or contribute towards the financial requirement where the Appendix FM-SE conditions are met. If the entire current £29,000 requirement is met through cash savings without qualifying income, the applicable formula produces a savings requirement of £88,500.

Do I Have to Pay the Immigration Health Surcharge?

Not for the initial Proposed Civil Partner Visa. A visa of 6 months or less applied for from outside the UK is not subject to the Immigration Health Surcharge. The surcharge will ordinarily become payable when the applicant later applies from inside the UK for longer-term permission as a civil partner.

Does the 6-Month Proposed Civil Partner Visa Count Towards the 5 Years for ILR?

No. Time spent with permission as a proposed civil partner is excluded from the 60-month qualifying period for settlement on the standard 5-year partner route. The qualifying period will normally begin once longer-term permission as a partner has been granted.

Should I Apply for a Proposed Civil Partner Visa or a Marriage Visitor Visa?

If you intend to enter into a civil partnership in the UK and then make the UK your permanent home with your partner, a Proposed Civil Partner Visa will generally be the relevant family route. A Marriage Visitor Visa is designed for a person who intends to leave the UK after the marriage or civil partnership rather than settle here.

What Happens If Our Civil Partnership Is Delayed?

You may be able to apply for further permission as a proposed civil partner where there is a good reason why the civil partnership did not take place during the original period and you can provide evidence that it will take place within the next 6 months. You should address the issue before your existing permission expires.

Can I Apply for British Citizenship After a Proposed Civil Partner Visa?

The Proposed Civil Partner Visa itself does not lead directly to British citizenship. The usual progression is to obtain Civil Partner permission, complete the relevant settlement route and obtain indefinite leave to remain. If your civil partner is a British citizen, you may then potentially naturalise without waiting a further 12 months after ILR, provided all of the separate citizenship requirements are satisfied.