Desparate dad here. Please help.

[Feb4]

I have 2 children with a non-UK woman who is living with the children outside the UK. The children are British. I would like to live with her and the children in the UK. I am a British national living in the UK.

My preferred route is to bring her here as my unmarried partner; however, I am to show I have lived with her for at least 2 years, which I cannot do.

It's a long story, so please bear with me. We used to live together in the UK for at least 2 years, resulting in the birth of our first child. I left her for another woman whom I married. Biggest mistake of my life! In the meantime, my non-UK woman left the UK with our child and they've been living in her country since. I went through terrible times with my wife and divorced her last year. I got talking to my non-UK woman and went to visit them last year, resulting in a second child with her. She is in no rush to marry, and so am I.

Now I want to have her and my children back in my life for good and would like to apply for her to come here as my unmarried partner. But I cannot prove we've been living together for at least 2 years since my marriage broke down. Is there something I can do, please?

[vinny]

Marriage.

[anniecc]

She won't meet the criteria to apply as an unmarried partner. The two years' cohabitation needs to be in the period immediately leading up to the application. Unless she meets the criteria to apply for a visa in her own right (e.g. student, entrepreneur) marriage is likely to be your best option.