Unmarried Partner visa - awkward situation!

[cakecho]

Hello everyone,
Firstly thanks for all the great posting across the board - it has really helped me understand what is required for my visa. There is so much covered here that you don't get from the UKBA website!

To explain my situation,
I am on a student visa which is to expire in August.
I am living and in a committed serious relationship with my boyfriend.
We met in June 2009 when I moved into a shared flat which he was also living in.
We started going out very shortly after I moved in, about two weeks - let's just say it was love at first sight? haha
At this point we had our separate bedrooms and paid rent individually. Then in May 2010 he gave up his room and moved in to mine and we started sharing the rent as well.
August 2010 to now, we living in a different shared flat which has both our names on the contract.

So by the time I will be applying for my visa, we will have been living together for 27 months, and been officially together for 26 months.

My dilemma is should I be honest and say we were initially flatmates for the first months of our relationship, and risk being turned down due to fact that not all of the 2 years was a 'relationship akin to marriage'?
Or should I lie and say we met a few months earlier - say Febuary 2009 - then I moved in with him in June 2009?

I really don't want to be dishonest but when I look at the big picture, the slightly made up story seems so much more convincing!

Please give me advice on what I should do!


In crisis,
cakecho

[Kitty]

Best advice: don't lie.

What is your boyfriend's nationality? Do you qualify for any other categories of leave to remain in the UK?

Have you and your boyfriend discussed getting married?

[Casa]

If you've been living together officially for 27 months when you apply (as you say in your post) you don't need to look for other visa options as long as you have the documented evidence of co-habitation to support this. Why though do you then say you will be short of the 24 months? You appear to be contradicting yourself.
You're both over 21?
Tell the truth.

[Kitty]

They weren't sharing a room in the flat they lived in until May 2010. So although they were dating and each had a room in the same shared house from June 2009, they weren't in a "relationship akin to marriage" until the following year.

[cakecho]

My Boyfriend is British. Other options would be PSW or marriage. We're not ready to get married yet, I'm only 23 and I don't want to be rushed into it because of a visa.
PSW - I haven't got my exam results yet and I'm not 100% certain I will pass. I also haven't been keeping the 800 pound required maintenance fund in my account.

Casa - What Kitty said basically. Yes we are over 21. We fulfill the 'living together' part, not the 'akin to marriage' part.
Though I should add that as soon as we started dating we were practically sharing our rooms with each other. It was almost as if we were as a couple renting two rooms in a shared flat I guess?

So do you think if I tell the truth there is a chance they will grant me a visa?

[Casa]

This is what I found confusing:
and been officially together for 26 months.
If you have documents showing joint address for the full 24 months you should be able to apply for a UPV if you were 'a couple' during this time.