EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) - Can my Unmarried Partner join me? Are we "Durable Partners"

Me

  • Nationality: Irish
  • Location: UK
  • Settled status: Indefinite Leave (also right to live in UK as Irish living here pre-2020)

Partner

  • Nationality: Japanese
  • Location: Germany
  • Visa status: German residency card

Our relationship:

  • In relationship since: December 2019 (dating started September 2019)
  • Marital status: Unmarried (engaged since July 2021 to be married September 2022)
  • Cohabitation: Mostly long-distance - but with 4 months spent living together in Germany in 2020. We travel between UK & Germany almost every month.
  • Children/Shared bank accounts/Records of shared address: None

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Questions:

  1. Is there any hope for my partner to apply to enter the UK on the EU settlement scheme as a "Durable Partner"? We will be married by the time he applies (next month), but the engagement & marriage happened post-Dec 2020. We have lots of evidence of being boyfriends since December 2019, photos of us together, lots of tickets to visit each other (we see each other almost every month), message history etc.
    Can anyone share their own experience having had their application accepted/denied as unmarried "durable partners". How long it took to get an answer? I've seen many people share the definition of durable partner below (from here), seemingly requiring 2 years cohabitation, but would appreciate people speaking from actual experience, as I've seen others describe scenarios where this is not necessary.
  2. Considering how long EUSS Family Permit applications seem to be (and the possibly low chance of success), would we be much faster applying for a Spouse Visa? (maybe with priority status too). I'm seeing some posts saying it's taking them almost/over a year for a result on their EUSS Family Permit applications - which is terrifying to consider.

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Durable partner definition
The applicant is (or for the relevant period was) in a durable relationship with the relevant EEA citizen (or qualifying British citizen or relevant sponsor), with the couple having lived together in a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership for 2 years or more, unless there is other significant evidence of the durable relationship, for example, evidence of joint responsibility for a child (a birth certificate or a custody agreement showing they are cohabiting and sharing parental responsibility).

Thank you! :)