Hi all.

Does anyone know what this actually means in practice ? -

"Accommodation for a couple may be prospective rather than available on arrival because the

marriage or civil partnership has not yet taken place. The decision maker must be satisfied

that adequate permanent accommodation will be available after the marriage or the civil

partnership has taken place and that adequate temporary accommodation will be available in

the meantime, e.g. provided by family or friends. Evidence relating to the temporary address

and the proposed long term address after marriage or civil partnership should be provided

with the entry clearance application as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner. An entry

clearance application may be refused if the temporary or proposed long term address is not

considered to be adequate accommodation. An application made after the marriage or civil

partnership has taken place should not rely on prospective accommodation."

From - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/452967/IDI_Adequate_Maintenance_and_Accommodation_Appendix_FM_Annex_1_7A.pdf

What IS 'prospective accommodation' ?

Prospective means planned and subject to a final decision after the occurrence of a certain event, in the example of the text you quoted the marriage of the visa applicant.

Prospective means planned and subject to a final decision after the occurrence of a certain event, in the example of the text you quoted the marriage of the visa applicant.

Thanks, but nope, still doesn't make any sense to me in practical terms. I don't think anyone outside of the rarified world of ECOs knows what it means - and they probably couldn't agree on a meaning if pressed hard. Leaving aside semantics, what does a PROSPECTIVE place look like in the real world ? Or, what does the entry on a visa application form look like in terms, if it describes Prospective Accommodation ? Crucially, taking the gvt text word-for-word - a NOT-married couple CAN RELY on Prospective Accommodation, and a Married couple CAN NOT. Wha ??? Surely i'm not the first person on TV ever to have read and been baffled by this paragraph ? The two crucial statements -

"Accommodation for a couple may be prospective rather than available on arrival because the

marriage or civil partnership has not yet taken place"......VERSUS - "An application made after the

marriage or civil partnership has taken place should not rely on prospective accommodation"

"prospective" has nothing to with what a place looks like, and this is not about semantics. "prospective" is a reference to time.

"considered to be adequate accommodation" is the reference to what the place is or looks like and the type of rights you have to use the place. If you are already married, forget about "prospective" and concentrate on "adequate". Put yourself in the place of a visa officer and try to figure out what you would consider adequate long-term accommodation for your settlement. This is probably the only way left to you.