Civil Partnership UK
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Greetings rainbow folk!I am not an EU citizen but would like to know of anything you can share regarding CP/unions with one partner from the outside of the EU/UK.
Thanks!
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There's a lot to this whole thing. If you ask specific questions, it will be easier to answer then.
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I have visited the government and visa websites.
So here is a brief outline of what I know:
1. Visa has to be obtained by the non-EU citizen to enter and settle in the UK as a civil partner.
2. 7 day notification on intention to register to which a public notice will be put up in case of any objection to the union.
3. After this, the partnership may be carried out in the next 15 days.
4. Non-EU partner will be given a 2 year visa to live and work in the UK and permanent residency may be obtained after 2 years if the couple is still together.If anyone of you has registered such a partnership, perhaps you could share your experience?
Cheers
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I came to the UK before CUs were available, so some things have changed.
I have a CU and am a Dual National {US & UK} now.
1. You need to make sure you get the right type of visa when you enter. Ask the UK consulate for more info.
2. You have to remember that the UK is made up of 4 countries {England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland} and each has their own set of rules for marriage/CUs. Check the website for the country your partner lives in to see what rules they have for this. In no country in the UK, can you have a church "wedding". You can however have a church "blessing of the union" ceremony, but you will still need to get the legal contract part done by the Registrar, Justice of the Peace or Mayor.
The Registrar and Mayor can only do CUs on public property {at leas in Scotland} in their area, so if you want to do your CU ceremony somewhere else, like a manor house, you will need a JoP.
Our CU was extremely simple {and the cheapest}, we went to the Registrar's office with our witnesses and he read a bit of rubbish about the sanctity of the union and then we all signed the form. That was still £285.
3. see #2
4. It used to be that gay partners couldn't work until they had permanent residency. I was lucky though, we work for an international company and they did some sort of deal with the gov so I could work.
You must get your civil union in the country your partner lives, with the exception of the town of Gretna Green. For some historical reason Gretna Green can marry/CU people from anywhere in the UK.
You will need witnesses, who have known you for some time. I think it's 1 year, but it's best to double check that.
Expect at least a £1,000 in legal fees {visas, CU, etc}.
CUs were £100 more than marriage, but that was suppose to change the following April {2006}. This is the UK, so don't think they lowered the CU cost, they raised the marriage cost.
You will fair better in getting the visas if you are a pack rat, and you and your partner have joint finances/ownerships. Sadly, gays still require more proof of their relationships than heteros do. As Tony Blair once said about gay relationships and CUs "there separate but not equal".
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Thanks for the speedy post raphjd!
Both my partner and I are not residents of the UK but my partner is an EU citizen. According to the websites, it is possible if one partner is an EU citizen. We intend to settle in England.
Also, could you elaborate 'pack rat'? Does that mean something like a group of us from the same country that wish to obtain a visa to CU and settle in the UK? I am a national of a country where same-sex relations are not legally recognized and homosexual sex is a minor criminal offense.
Secondly, how do I go about proving our relationship? Would it be totally impossible if we do not have any joint finances/ownerships? Is there a minimum length of a relationship as a requirement e.g. 1-2 years?
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By "pack rat" I mean that you keep a lot of old stuff, especially documents in this case.
Since you don't have any joint finances/ownerships, it's going to be more difficult to prove the relationship. You really should contact the UK consulate in your country or email the Home Office here in the UK and ask them what kind of proof they will need.
Your partner might have to get a place to live in England a few months before you can get a CU. You will need to show proof of address in the country you want to get a CU.
When I came to the UK, the minimum length was 2 years. We had enough stuff to show them for more than a decade, in the US and UK.
Have a look at this website;
hXXp://www.rbkc.gov.uk/birthsdeathsandmarriages/marriages/non_eu.asp
It has some really good info on CUs in England.
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Don't go EU. Go to the gay island near Australia.
