Relationship Breakdown During a Settlement Application

Why the Relationship Matters to the Application

Settlement on the partner route is granted on the basis of the relationship, and the Immigration Rules require it to be genuine and subsisting. If the relationship has ended, that requirement is no longer met. GOV.UK does not publish a rule that fixes the outcome by reference to the date an application was submitted, and this guide does not invent one or predict what a decision would be.

Our guide to the partner route to settlement sets out the requirements that route carries, and divorce and separation on a partner visa covers the reporting obligations that go with a change of circumstances.

If the Relationship Broke Down Because of Domestic Abuse

There is a published settlement route for this, and it is separate from the ordinary partner route. GOV.UK sets it out on Indefinite leave to remain or enter (domestic violence or abuse), and the rules are in Immigration Rules Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse.

GOV.UK describes it as applying where your relationship has broken down because of domestic violence or abuse from your partner or your partner's family, and it lists the statuses the partner must hold: a British citizen; a person settled in the UK; a member of the UK armed forces who has served at least 4 years; a person with permission to stay as a refugee; a person with settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme; or a citizen of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein with pre-settled status who was living in the UK by 31 December 2020.

GOV.UK says to give a statement about your circumstances when you apply, and to include supporting evidence if you have it, adding that you do not need it to apply.

What this route does not require

In Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse the English language rules VDA 6.1 and VDA 6.2, and the knowledge of life in the UK rule VDA 7.1, are all marked DELETED. Neither the English language requirement nor the Life in the UK test applies on this route, which is a difference from the ordinary partner route to settlement.

Cost and decision time

GOV.UK states the application fee is £3,226 per person, “unless you do not have enough money to support yourself”. The published grounds for the waiver are evidence of homelessness or housing you cannot afford, being unable to afford essentials, or a low income where paying would harm a child's wellbeing. A decision usually comes within 6 months of giving fingerprints and a photograph. Our guide to settlement after domestic abuse covers the route in full, and the domestic abuse provisions cover the wider position.

The Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession

The concession for someone who needs access to benefits while their position is resolved is the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession. GOV.UK states in terms: “This used to be called the ‘destitution domestic violence concession (DDVC)’.” Older articles and forms still use the old name.

It is for someone in the UK on a temporary visa as a partner whose relationship has broken down because of domestic abuse and who needs access to benefits to support themselves. GOV.UK says: “If successful, you will get permission to stay in the UK for 3 months,” and that you will then be able to apply to claim benefits. The page was last updated on 26 February 2026.

Getting Help Now

If you are in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. GOV.UK adds that if you cannot speak and are calling on a mobile, press 55 to have the call transferred to the police.

The helplines differ across the UK. GOV.UK's domestic abuse: how to get help page lists:

• England — National Domestic Abuse Helpline (Refuge): 0808 2000 247
• Scotland — Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline: 0800 027 1234
• Wales — Live Fear Free: 0808 80 10 100
• Northern Ireland — Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline: 0808 802 1414
• UK-wide, for male victims — Men's Advice Line: 0808 801 0327

If the Relationship Ended for Other Reasons

Other published routes exist, each with its own requirements. They are not alternatives that anyone automatically has; whether a particular person meets any of them is not something this site can say.

• Another visa route: a work or study route applied for in the ordinary way, with its own qualifying period towards settlement.
• Long residence: settlement after 10 years' lawful residence, under the long residence rules.
• Parent of a child in the UK: a route in Appendix FM with its own requirements. See our guide to the parent route.
• Private life: a separate route in the Immigration Rules, with its own residence requirements.

The Home Office publishes its contact routes on GOV.UK, and our guide to contacting the Home Office lists them.

Where Advice Comes From

Immigration advice is regulated in the UK. Only a solicitor, a barrister, or an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority — the body that replaced the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner on 16 January 2025 — may advise on an individual case. Rowan sets out published rules and does not advise.

GOV.UK's find an immigration adviser service lists regulated advisers, and our guide on applying with or without a solicitor explains what each can do. The requirements themselves are on GOV.UK's indefinite leave to remain pages.

Questions and answers