Bereaved partner visa

Eligibility:

If your partner has died , you may be eligible to apply for settlement (indefinite leave to remain).

To be eligible, your partner must have:

• Been a British citizen
• Had indefinite leave to remain in the UK
• Been from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and had pre-settled status.

In order to be eligible, your permission to be in the UK must have been dependant on being their partner as part of a family visa. To constitute as a partner, you must be

• A spouse (husband or wife).
• A civil partner.
• Someone you were living with in a relationship that is like a marriage or civil partnership, eg. a long term relationship.

Furthermore, when your partner died, you must have:

• Been living together in the UK.
• Intended to live together in the UK.
• Your partner must have not been living permanently in another country.

How much is the application fee?

The Home Office application fee is £3,226 per applicant.

This means that all family members that are applying for settlement at the same time as you are subject to the £3,226 fee.

When making the application, you must have your biometric information (fingerprints and a photo)

You will not have to pay the fee if you can each provide evidence of one of the following :

• You are destitute meaning you do not have a place to live and cannot afford one.
• You have a place to live however, you cannot afford the essential living costs such as food or heating.
• You have dependants such as a child and paying the application fee would harm their wellbeing.

Do I need to take any tests?

You do not need to take the Life in the UK test for this visa application nor do you need to prove your English language skills.

What documents/evidence do I need to provide?

As part of your application, you must provide biometric data and evidence.

Below, we have listed some of the documents you need to provide to the Home Office:

• Your BRP if you have one (expired)
• Your eVisa. If you haven’t activated your eVisa, please follow the instructions we have provided here.
• A current passport or another form of valid travel identification such as a travel document or a visa.
• Any previous passports you have had while living in the UK. For example, a passport that expired during your time living in the UK.
• Your partners death certificate.
• Proof of your relationship such as your marriage certificate of your civil partnership certificate.

One of the most crucial parts of the application is proof that you and your partner were living together.

You must provide documents that show that you lived with your partner until they died, starting from when you got permission to be in the UK as their partner.

Provide official documents addressed to both of you, or each of you individually at the same address. Make sure that you provide a variety of documents such as:

• Council Tax Bills
• Bank Statements and letters
• TV License letters
• Tenancy agreements
• mortgage agreements
• GP letters
• NHS letters

Applying for your children

Your children may be eligible for settlement at the same time as you. You can include you children as dependants on your application form if they meet the following criteria listed below:

• Their permission to be in the UK is based upon being your partners dependant.
• They were under 18 when this permission was given, it does not matter if they have turned 18 since.
• They are going to live with you in the UK.
• They will have somewhere to live and will nit be reliant on public funs for financial support.
• They are not married or in a civil partnership.

What documents must I provide for my child’s application?

You must provide documents for each child on your application form:

• A current passport or another valid form of travel ID
• A birth certificate if they were born in the UK
• A BRP if they have one
• Proof they live with you permanently

How can we help you?

Thomas Chase Immigration offer immigration assistance to individuals and families.

If you have questions or concerns or you would like straightforward immigration advice, or help with applying for a visa, Thomas Chase Immigration can help. Our processes are tried and tested. We offer an individual touch when assisting you and presenting the matter to the Home Office. Contact us at info@thomaschaseimmigration.com.