Responses to Civil Partnership:A framework for the legal recognition ...

If two civil partners do not have a shared household that would be amatter for them, and no-one will force them to live together. Thesituation is no different for married couples.On dissolution of a civil partnership where there has been no sharedhousehold, these circumstances would be taken into account by the courtwhen considering the facts of the case in the dissolution proceedings.Rights and ResponsibilitiesQ. Why should I lose out on some rights by choosing not to register a civilpartnership?A. The registration of a civil partnership involves both legal obligations aswell as legal protections. It would not be appropriate for couples to gainall the rights without any of the responsibilities. Certain rights, forexample, protection from domestic violence would not be dependent uponthe registration of a civil partnership. 9ImmigrationQ. Non-married partners must be resident for five years to qualify fornaturalisation as a British citizen and married partners only three years. Willregistered same-sex partners be able to qualify after three or five years?A. The Government intends to amend British nationality law to put civilpartners on the same footing as spouses. A three year residence periodwill apply to both.Q. If the civil partnership law comes into force will this mean that my same-sexpartner who lives in a different country will be able to come and live here inEngland with me?A. If you are a UK national, your same-sex partner will be able to apply forentry clearance to come to the UK to register a partnership with you.Once entry clearance is obtained and you have registered, your partnermay apply for leave to remain in the UK for two years in the first instance.At the end of this period and provided the partnership is still subsistingand other criteria are met, application can be made for settlement.9Safety and Justice: The Government's Proposals on Domestic Violence" set out how the Government proposes toamend the "associated person" criteria of the Family Law Act 1996 to provide same-sex couples who are cohabitingwith the same levels of protection as cohabiting opposite-sex couples. The Government intends to legislate at theearliest possible opportunity.38