Key Points
- Permanent separation should be reported to the Home Office.
- Permission is usually shortened, not cancelled overnight.
- Other routes may apply, including as a parent or a worker.
- Victims of domestic abuse have a specific route to settlement.
Telling the Home Office
When a relationship has permanently broken down, both partners are expected to inform the Home Office. Permission is then normally curtailed, commonly to 60 days, to allow time to leave or apply on another basis.
Options that may be available
- Permission as a parent of a British or settled child living in the UK
- A work route, such as Skilled Worker, if you have a sponsoring employer
- Settlement as a victim of domestic abuse
- Private life, for those who have lived in the UK for a long time
- A new partner application, if you later form a new qualifying relationship
Domestic abuse
If the relationship broke down because of domestic abuse, you may be able to apply for settlement directly. Abuse includes controlling and coercive behaviour as well as violence. There is also a concession giving short-term permission and access to public funds while you apply.
Trial separations
A temporary separation is not the same as a permanent breakdown. If you reconcile and live together again, be ready to explain the period apart at your next application.
Official Sources
This page is general information, not legal advice. The rules and figures are set by the Home Office and can change.