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Partner visa accommodation when you'll live with the sponsor's family

For the partner visa you have to show you'll have adequate accommodation in the UK. We didn't rent a flat: we said we'd live at first with Lee's mum and stepdad. Our solicitors warned us this route had its risks, so we justified it in detail. This is exactly what we did.

By Sara & Lee · Our experience, not legal advice

Why we chose this route

• We didn't want to rent before knowing. Rents in London are very expensive, and signing a lease before the visa was approved would have meant even more money on top of everything we'd already spent on the application.
• Lee's house share wasn't an option. It didn't allow another person in the same room.
• Lee works 100% remotely. Although his job is in London, he can work from anywhere, so moving in with his family outside London was realistic. That was important to make the plan believable.
• It's temporary. The idea is to live there at first, while we save to rent our own place.

The risk, and why we justified it so carefully

Our solicitors told us this path could carry risks: the caseworker has to be convinced that the accommodation is real, that everyone living there agrees, and that there's enough space. So we didn't leave anything to interpretation. We explained the plan in the sponsor's cover letter (why we'd live there, for how long and why Lee could move) and backed up each point with documents.

What we presented

• Landlord's consent. The house is rented, so we spoke to the landlords and they gave us a letter confirming that we could live there.
• Consent of the people who live there. Lee's mum and stepdad confirmed in writing that they agreed to us living with them.
• Proof of the family relationship. We had to show that Lee's mum had married her new husband, so it was clear who lives in the house and why both of them were giving their consent.
• Property report. A private inspection that measured the house and its rooms to show there was enough space for everyone, without overcrowding.

The property report

• Who: a private inspection company. We booked it ourselves.
• Cost: about £90.
• Time: about 3 days from booking to having the report.
• What it includes: the measurements of the house and rooms, so the caseworker can check there's enough space for the people who will live there.

If you're in a similar situation

• Explain why. If you're not renting your own place yet, say so in the cover letter, with your real reasons.
• Make the plan believable. If the sponsor works in a different city, explain how that works (in our case, remote work).
• Get everyone's consent in writing: the landlord, if it's rented, and the people who live there.
• Prove the relationships between the people in the house if they're not obvious.
• Get the property measured. A private report doesn't cost much and removes doubts about space.

We also explain the rest of our case in our guide to getting the visa without living together.

We're not solicitors or regulated immigration advisers, and this guide isn't legal or immigration advice. It's what worked in our case. Accommodation requirements are assessed case by case, so check GOV.UK and, if your situation is complex, speak to a professional.