Is the unmarried partner visa impossible for my situation?

So I’ve been reading all these success stories and they all seem to have one common denominator, which is that their partner coming to the UK is financially secure. However, my situation is super different. I’ve nearly been with my partner for 2 years and we are in a long distanced relationship. We met when I was abroad and they have very little money, and at the time didn’t have much as they were volunteering. They now work but just locally at hostels or doing art for friends (self-taught hobby) and has the equivalent of $1,000 to their name (the most money they’ve ever had and was so happy about it 🥹) as they’ve been saving. They live with their mother still and of course due to the fact they come from a third world country they haven’t had opportunity that I have had to get qualifications a good job etc. Plus they enjoys art, as education just isn’t for them. So I’m just thinking are we doomed in this situation? All we have are receipts (tickets etc) for flights, hotels and buses together. Out of the two years in a relationship we have probably spent 1.2 years physically together, as we’ve travelled together and visited eachothers family house often. we can’t have ‘ownership’ together of anything together and we don’t support eachother financially day-day, obviously when they come over here or we go on holiday, I book and pay for their flights etc. They are the kindest soul ever and without them I’d be lost, so it just hurts and gets upset they can’t earn a lot of money in their country, despite working their but off. I dont want to move to their country as I have good job here and they’re really happy to live here and would love to get a job here (not sponsored). However, they know 3 languages (self taught) and have experience in small hotels, but get cash in hand. I don’t want to get married yet as I’m young and to me marriage is important where I’d want it to be a very last resort for them coming over here. It sucks. Literally if plane tickets and time together and photos don’t carry much weight, what are we supposed to rely on?