How to Prepare for "Evidence of Relationship&

[ginapeterb]

Sadly many British Nationals enter into relationships with Philippine Nationals without much thought given to making preparations for the "Evidence of Relationship" that the British Overseas Mission requires to validate an application for a Fiancee Visa or a visa to be issued for someone who is the spouse of a UK national.

Evidence of relationship (Katibayan sa Relationship) is a vital part of the vetting process carried out by the Entry Clearance officers to establish that the application meets the criteria to allow an entry clearance to be granted.


Many British guys do not think about this from day 1 and this is natural as at that time they do not consider this to be an important requirement, however this could not be more wrong, for one thing, if you start a freindship with a Filipina, evidence of this can be started straight away.

Here are a few good tips for gathering evidence of your freindship which can in most situations lead to a relationship, it does not take long before a relationship develops, relationships after all are not limited to romantic or sexual ones.

Relationships are used by business with their customers, their suppliers, government, and all kinds of groups in society, so a relationship with a filipina, can occur very quickly, even if at first its a freindship, the word "RELATIONSHIP" is in itself, a loose phrase that covers lots of situations in life.

In this case we are talking about a romantic relationship, and for the purposes of the British Overseas mission, the longer the relationship is evidenced ! the easier it is to validate that such a relationship exists, remembering now that their is no right of entry just because you are married to a Philippine national, with a fiancee visa or a spouse visa, the process is exactly the same, so you need to think about starting the process now, a frequently asked question is

What do I need to do to satisfy the entry clearance officer ?? when I eventually make my application on Form VAFW2 (2003) ??

Our best advice is as follows

1. Letter Writing, start writing letters, as many as possible, at least 2 a week, putting pen to paper is very important in a relationship of this kind, as I have already discussed in other areas of the forum.

Letter writing is the main source of proof that a relationship exists, and letters do show the serious of the relationship - why is this ?

For one thing, anyone who takes the time to sit down and spend an hour or so writing a letter even if its a 2 page letter and then be prepared to go to a post office and mail it, is considered to be pretty serious about the recipient of such a letter especially in the context of your relationship, postmarks with stamps (not Royal Mail white labels) are good evidence of relationship, a six inch pile of letters from each of you, over say the course of 1 year, shows quite clearly that their is a active relationship between you.

Write lots of letters and keep them, tell your Filipina loved one to do the same, keep them in a safe box of some kind as they will be required at the interview appointment.

2. Photographs, very important for establishing that you have actually met, this is the key to the Entry Clearance officer validating that you have met, take lots of photos, keep a couple of big albums, make sure you are both in the photos, even if the photo shows public affection, i.e. you have actually had a self timed photo of the two of you having a sneak kiss, do it, it shows that romanantic attachment is in place.

Good tip for you, take photos in all situations, not just of her freinds family and yourselves, but take them while you are travelling together, the reason for this, is that it has come to my attention that the ECO's are clever at deciding if the photos were the result of a "Quick photo shoot in a ladies village in the provinces" if you take lots of photos as many as you can when you are travelling together, it shows that you are actually together, and its not a "mail order bride routine".

3. E Mail - many Filipina's have access to E mail now, this is a popular medium for many British-Filipina relationships in the 1st year, use this method of contact as I showed in "How to make contact with a filipina" but what you can do for now is make a print of all your e mail messages, keep them in a loose leaf binder, it takes time to do these things, but trust me they will enhance your loved ones application later on, big time, keep every e mail printed, with the footer and header showing the time of the message, the date etc, and this will go along way to establishing your relationship.

4. Yahoo Chat instant messaging, this is almost certainly the favourite medium of British-Filipina relationships, its cheap, and you can chat for hours for relatively low cost, most chat rooms and Yahoo, now have enabled you to keep a copy or transcript of the chat session, many British Guys forget to do this, use it, print it off at the end, store it in another section of your binder, this is further evidence of a relationship.

5. Telephone Calls.

Most British-Filipina relationships end up on the telephone at some stage, you British Guys spend a fortune on calling, texting etc, if its your mobile phone, ask for an itemized bill, showing the numbers called, the ECO can easily spot that you regularly call your lady, by seeing that the same number is continuously called, keep copies of any calling cards you buy, this is another way of supporting your application later.

6. Sending Money.

If you are now sending money to your fiancee or spouse, this is almost certainly going to be noticed, incidentally, if you are the fiance of a filipina or a spouse of a filipina and you are not financially supporting her from your income, that also could be a stumbling block, if you are saying "We are engaged" but no evidence of support is given, it in itself may not be a problem, but it does not help the application, much better if you are financially supporting your lady.

Evidence of this is very important, keep copies of any bank transfers, Western union receipts, (Western union charges a fee for sending money, but it is the quickest way to get money to your lady) they also give you a copy of the money sent, these should be kept in your file, any other copies of money orders, etc should be kept.

7. Plane Tickets.

This is very important, this is evidence of your visits to the Philipipnes, dont get into the habit of throwing things away, if you are a "throw away person" break the habit now, and start saving everything, boarding cards, plane tickets, (incidentally plane tickets are ok. but boarding card stubs are better, dont throw that little stub away or leave it in the seat in front of you down the pocket.hahahahahah come on dont tell me you havent done this ?? we all have !!!)

Keep everything, staple your boarding card stubs to the ticket, and keep it in your file.

8. Finallly Your Passport !!

Photocopy your pasport pages, this is evidence of your arrival in the Philippines, the more stamps the better hahaha, but dont worry you will have to supply the photocopied pages of your stamped areas in your passport anyway.


9. one last thing, this is important, take some time to explain to your Filipina loved one, the process of "Evidence of Relationship" get her to come to this forum and read it for herself if you want, get her into the habit of doing the same as you, then when you eventually make the application, get a little file, enttiled something like this "Dave and Joys evidence of relationships file" something like that, means that when that day arrives for the two of you to go to the British Embassy for that interview with the ECO you will be armed with just about everything you need to allow a sucesseful entry clearance stamp in her passport.

Good Luck.

[misterfixit]

I am replying as My head needs a stbilising dose of ratification!

I am in the process of preparing evidence of relationship and wanted some advice.

My fiancee and I were introduced (may2004) by my best freinds wife as they were teachers together in Mozambique, My freinds wife then came to the uk after getting married in india (her home).

Cel (my fiancee) And I very quickly fell in love, while she was teaching in africa, I flew to mozambique for her holiday season(aug2004), and was put through the mill of her freinds! And I felt so amazing...!! anyway I came back to the uk to work and Cels classes started again, At christmas I flew her home and I followed and spend 3weeks at Crimble2004 with nanay, tatay, ate 1, ate 2 and cels brothers.. A fantastic time too! I proposed too with a ring I designed and comissioned... (Macel said yes!!).

Back to the uk, and planning the next trip, I then spent a week in May 2005 in africa again, and we galavanted round with freinds and had a fantastic time too!


Now off to Phils again soon for 6 weeks and this time to get married! (24th Aug) an the start the visa process.. and the evidence of relationship.

Here are my questions.

1. Take form or get there? Maybe I'm dense but I cant see a direct instruction and my stolid engineer head is too slow!

2, Macel was teachibng in Africa for 4 years now and since we have been together, the only way have been able to get a letter to her is by DHL £50!!!!!! we have only sent a couple, but my bt bill from the last year is over £2500 and itemised, coupled with a montly cell phone bill of £100ish for the last year.

The lack of letters really worries me but while being in Africa its impossible to send by snailmail and actually recieve or have delivered... is this a problem?

3, My house is rented, I'm on council tax plus all bills, all are payed promptly, but my landlord is a frewind and I have no contract. Have been renting from him for over 3 years now. Have a letter from him saying Cel is ok to stay, but nowt more official than 3 years of bills and the letter to say this is my abode!

4, Have a small deposit saved, (with evidence) and a big addition my parents want to contribute, but I won't buy a house until Cel is here, I want it to be hers as it is mine. i dont want everything to be alien, and feel fixed, I want to settle and start our life with my wife by my side and that includes nesting. Will the ECO uinderstand this?


I have buckets of photos from meeting, payslips good job and all else, but these things niggle away. Pete I know how nervous it makes you! For our wedding, there will be Cels family, my mum and dad, grandma, auntie(godmother), uncles, godfather and freinds. And I worked very hard at the start of our relationship and made my freinds and collegues bloody sure this is for me.

I hold Cel on high and it terrifies me thet a little person who doesn't know us has so much power over our life.

Please just pass comment on how you think our evidence will be recieved! I wonder how many others are worried for similar reasons.

Thanks for the ear peeps.

Richard

P.S. where should I collect the form from?

[andypaul]

Hi

Hey nothing wrong with being an Engineer.

By the Form I presume you mean the one the Embassy require. Its called Vaf 02

and you can download it as a Adobe File from the British Embassy website

Both My wife and I have downloaded it, from the website.

http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/F...d=1029287482597 (http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1029287482597)

I guess your lady can download as well and print out, if not at home maybe at a Internet Cafe? That or wait for you to Bring over.

Me and My Wife are at present Filling in the form and making sure we have all the correct Paperwork etc.

Like you we have few letters, just a few parcels, cards from flowers i sent, but of course loads of Emails, and Pages and pages of Phone Records.

From what I have read of others experiences not all had perfect and complete sets of Edvdence of Relationships.

I would expect the Embassy to realise that people do not have perfect sets of Records.

I wish you well and Goodluck with the Wedding Planning I know how Complicated and hetic it is.

I think what you saying about wanting to buy the House with your Wife sounds like what a good Husband wishs to do with his loving Wife.

I luckily already have my Flat but want to Finish decorating it with my Wife so she feels it is also her own home.

With the form you are advised to write a covering Letter, in this im sure you could explain what you both intend to do about the House Buying.



Well I will let those with more experince in this matter to give you the advice as im like you still trying to work my way though the Maze which is the Visa Process.

[peterdavid]

Originally posted by misterfixit+Jul 7 2005, 10:00 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(misterfixit &#064; Jul 7 2005, 10:00 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'>Here are my questions.

1. Take form or get there? Maybe I&#39;m dense but I cant see a direct instruction and my stolid engineer head is too slow&#33;
[/b]

Download it off the British Embassy website. You want the settlement one.



Originally posted by misterfixit@Jul 7 2005, 10:00 PM
2, Macel was teachibng in Africa for 4 years now and since we have been together, the only way have been able to get a letter to her is by DHL £50&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; we have only sent a couple, but my bt bill from the last year is over £2500 and itemised, coupled with a montly cell phone bill of £100ish for the last year.

The lack of letters really worries me but while being in Africa its impossible to send by snailmail and actually recieve or have delivered... is this a problem?



Your phone bills sounds fine. Explain to them (in a letter) the circumstances of your relationship - sounds plausible to me to explain why there are no letters. Telephone bills alone will show your commitment. Just anticipate any gaps in the story which you think they would try and pick at and explain them in advance in the letter - much better to do that than wait for them to see the gaps - they won&#39;t get back to you to clarify, no matter what it says on the website, they&#39;ll just refuse. They can&#39;t be arsed.

Also, if you have emails, they can help. Better than nothing. Same with photos.


Originally posted by misterfixit@Jul 7 2005, 10:00 PM
3, My house is rented, I&#39;m on council tax plus all bills, all are payed promptly, but my landlord is a frewind and I have no contract. Have been renting from him for over 3 years now. Have a letter from him saying Cel is ok to stay, but nowt more official than 3 years of bills and the letter to say this is my abode&#33;


Hmm - if the landlord is your &#39;friend&#39; - can&#39;t you get him to agree to a contract and backdate it? Or at least a letter from him confirming how long you&#39;ve lived there, the specifics of your verbal agreement, etc? Again, anything is better than nothing. Depending on how friendly he is, copy of mortgage statement of his, or title deeds, plus a letter from him saying it&#39;s ok for you to live there. I presume you pay rent - will this be apparent from your bank account? If so, explain it as such in your letter. It&#39;s all evidence.

Don&#39;t forget - embassy clearance officers are braindead civil servants who have the creative flair of a dead moth. Anything slightly outside the ordinary (ie, not a mortgage or a rental contract) and they can&#39;t cope. Make it as simple for them as possible, otherwise it&#39;s more than their below average GCSE grades can cope with. A nice shiny contract with suitable dates works best, but if this isn&#39;t possible, then just overwhelm them with alternative evidence - the more there is the less inclined they&#39;ll be to go through it and find gaps, they have neither the time nor the inclination. If there&#39;s not much evidence, they have an easy option to refuse - if there&#39;s loads, they&#39;re more hesitant cos they might miss something obvious which would make them look stupid on appeal. So, the more you can get here, the better. But don&#39;t rely on ECOs being an understanding lot who will accept gaps in evidence and have sympathy with your circumstance. They&#39;re soulless droids who would eat the pig that saved their own children.



Originally posted by misterfixit@Jul 7 2005, 10:00 PM
4, Have a small deposit saved, (with evidence) and a big addition my parents want to contribute, but I won&#39;t buy a house until Cel is here, I want it to be hers as it is mine. i dont want everything to be alien, and feel fixed, I want to settle and start our life with my wife by my side and that includes nesting. Will the ECO uinderstand this?


Put it all in your letter. It also helps towards "genuine relationship" matters. You showing you&#39;ve considered what it will be like for her to settle in, etc, is all good, it helps convince them it&#39;s a genuine relationship and not a scam/bargirl trying to make good/westerner trying to buy himself a trophy bargirl wife.

Be VERY CAREFUL in mentioning money from any one else, including your parents, If you inadvertently admit to having to rely on other people&#39;s money to support yourselves (including to buy a home for yourselves) THEY WILL REFUSE YOU as the rules state you must be able to support yourselves. Make it quite clear you CAN support yourselves and if you mention having money from other people, make it quite clear this is a bonus and not in any way needed to support and house yourselves. Don&#39;t give them an excuse to say no.



Originally posted by misterfixit@Jul 7 2005, 10:00 PM

I have buckets of photos from meeting, payslips good job and all else, but these things niggle away. Pete I know how nervous it makes you&#33; For our wedding, there will be Cels family, my mum and dad, grandma, auntie(godmother), uncles, godfather and freinds. And I worked very hard at the start of our relationship and made my freinds and collegues bloody sure this is for me.


Photos, phone bills, evidence of you supporting her, payslips, bank statements showing a regular salary going in and a regular rental payment (or bills, etc) going out, plus a nice heart warming story of how you met and fell in love. Make it clear it was YOUR idea to live in the UK as it is the only way you can continue to support your wife, NOT HER IDEA, and that if refused you would be prepared to either move to the Philippines or another suitable country you could both go if you could find empoyment there. Make sure YOU proposed to HER in your application. Make sure you both can tell the story of your relationship, from first meeting, to falling in love, to how you propsoed, when, where, and she can give good reasons why she wanted to marry you (lovely guy, I love, him, so sweet, so kind, i like his sense of humour, he makes me laugh (with examples) etc) - and that she makes it clear she wasn&#39;t looking for a foreign husband. The more rounded and satisfactory the story, the less it matters about little gaps in evidence, because the ECO will be convinced about the genuineness of your relationship.

If you want to be doubly safe, ask the NSO for a CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage) in respect of your wife (for the time before she married you). The Embassy may well ask for one themselves (it&#39;s fairly routine) and, if they do, and you&#39;ve already got one and know it&#39;s ok, then you can rest safely in the knowledge that the application has been approved (they wouldn&#39;t pay for this request otherwise) and once it comes back clean (about 4 weeks later) everything will be sorted. Or if you&#39;re really lucky, you&#39;ll get approved on the day.

Good luck.

<!--QuoteBegin-misterfixit@Jul 7 2005, 10:00 PM
I hold Cel on high and it terrifies me thet a little person who doesn&#39;t know us has so much power over our life.

Please just pass comment on how you think our evidence will be recieved&#33; I wonder how many others are worried for similar reasons.
[/quote]

It&#39;s a horrible, horrible, soulless process. No matter how solid your application, everyone will feel equally worried because, as you say, so much power over your life rests in the hands of one smarmy little oik of a civil servant in the most unfriendly embassy in the world. Just get everything down on paper in your application - anticiapte your weak parts and answer them beforehand - he&#39;ll be more impressed that his own questions are answered than if he reads it and feels it&#39;s incomplete and full of gaps.

[andypaul]

Hi Peter David

Found your post most useful, some points especially.

Just one point I wish to ask you if i may? You say to get a Cenomar, even if you get Married in the Phillipines?

I can see why it the British Embassy might want to see this information. I don&#39;t think we have this certificate (I would need to check with My wife but she is at present asleep)

Is it easy to obtain this certificate once Married?

Would make sense like you say to obtain a copy to add to the Edvidence.


I hope yourself or someone can advise Me.

[peterdavid]

Originally posted by andypaul@Jul 9 2005, 03:35 PM
Hi Peter David

Found your post most useful, some points especially.

Just one point I wish to ask you if i may? You say to get a Cenomar, even if you get Married in the Phillipines?

I can see why it the British Embassy might want to see this information. I don&#39;t think we have this certificate (I would need to check with My wife but she is at present asleep)

Is it easy to obtain this certificate once Married?

Would make sense like you say to obtain a copy to add to the Edvidence.
I hope yourself or someone can advise Me.

Quoted post


Yes, very easy to get one. There are only 4 options at the NSO, birth cert, death cert, marriage cert and this cenomar thing. You don&#39;t need to submit it as evidence as part of your application, it&#39;s more something to put your own mind at rest really, just so you know exactly what the NSO will say to the Embassy if they ask (the Embassy doesn&#39;t get anything different to what we do, Philippine arrogance doesn&#39;t allow the British Embassy any privileges, they even make some Embassy oik go along and queue in the heat for hours like everyone else, snigger). Being the Philippines, you can&#39;t always rely on their official documentation, you never know if some unscrupulous family member has gone and married in your wife&#39;s name before and stuffed things up, or something like that. A british embassy official told me he&#39;s seen that countless times. Getting one in advance, for your own records, just puts your mind at rest that no nasty Philippine errors are going to come along and spoil things. But you don&#39;t need to submit it as part of the application - just hold it in reserve if ever needed (unlikely).

I&#39;m not sure whether philippine authorities are supposed to require one for the filipina before they snatch the money out of your hand and marry you (because even if they are, it sure wouldn&#39;t stop them marrying you anyway). You don&#39;t actually need to get one, but it&#39;s just an extra piece of paper saying there is no problems with your wife&#39;s past (Embassy people are very suspicious of filipinas and their motives for marrying British people).

On requesting the cenomar, you also state the dates you want it cover - therefore just specify the dates as being from your wife&#39;s 16th birthday until the day before you got married. It should then come back saying there is no record of marriage for these dates, meaning there&#39;s no problem. And if there is a problem, it gives you time to "fix" it before submitting the application - cos once the Embassy sees it, you&#39;re no longer able to "fix" it the Philippine way. If you catch my drift.

[misterfixit]

Hi just a quick thanks to all who have contributed&#33; Cel and I will taking all comments on board,

I know it&#39;s not much but Its means the world to know you are not the only pair of people who are about to go through the mill, and it means loads to have good advice&#33;

Thanks again, I&#39;ll let you know how all pans out. Its hard that all of us are destined to become "experts" in the field of this immigration paperwork&#33;

Still just have to wait patiently now. Not easy with matters of the heart&#33;

Thanks

Macel and Richard;)

[Admin]

Just remember that anyone can post on the forum, even those in the asylum :lol: , that&#39;ll be me then :P

[Eljohno]

Hi,
i am not sure if this is the right section to write this in but here goes anyway.Can anyone give me some advice on a few things;
Firstly i have been out of work for 6 months but have just been offered a job but i was looking to apply for settlement visa asap after i get married this Nov 2005 but i will not have wage slips untill either December 05 or January 06.Will a written contract from my new employers be enough as proof of income or will i need to wait on the wage slips? Also what is needed as proof that i have a mortgage? Is a letter than i normally get once a month enough? One other thing is that because i have been out of work for 6 months my bank account is not that healthy with still having to pay the mortgage, so will this go against me?

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by Eljohno@Sep 23 2005, 03:27 PM
Hi,
i am not sure if this is the right section to write this in but here goes anyway.Can anyone give me some advice on a few things;
Firstly i have been out of work for 6 months but have just been offered a job but i was looking to apply for settlement visa asap after i get married this Nov 2005 but i will not have wage slips untill either December 05 or January 06.Will a written contract from my new employers be enough as proof of income or will i need to wait on the wage slips? Also what is needed as proof that i have a mortgage? Is a letter than i normally get once a month enough? One other thing is that because i have been out of work for 6 months my bank account is not that healthy with still having to pay the mortgage, so will this go against me?

Quoted post


To be honest, it&#39;s not looking good mate. They really want to see proof that you can pay for all the costs, looking after your wife etc, without going on the social.

But, when my wife and I moved to the UK we never even had a house to live in. We had £30,000 in the bank, but no roof over our heads. I&#39;d wait a while until you can get at least a couple of pay slips, then tell them you took a little time off work for some reason or other. Bury them in paperwork and photos, letters, utility bills, visa card bill, bank statements etc.

We&#39;re now starting application to bring my wifes mother over, and the only proof of housing I can give is our monthly mortgage payments on my bank statements, and the reminders they send you whenever the mortgage goes up and down.

[Admin]

You need a letter explaining your work & wages from your employer.

Contact the bank & ask for a letter concerning your mortage. They probably charge for this, but it does look more official.

Get a few quid in the bank first, you need to prove you have &#39;excess&#39; to support the wife.

You can always blag the bank for a £2000 add-on to your mortgage (for a kitchen rebuild&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;), and just put it in your account, explain it appearing on your statement as cash you had in your home safe&#33;

In all honesty, you should have;
a) had all this sorted before planning the wedding &
B) Had contact with the IND to ensure you have everyting in order before arranging the wedding. Now it looks as though you&#39;ve been going behind their back, and they won&#39;t be happy.

[Eljohno]

Originally posted by admin@Sep 24 2005, 08:03 AM
You need a letter explaining your work & wages from your employer.

Contact the bank & ask for a letter concerning your mortage. They probably charge for this, but it does look more official.

Get a few quid in the bank first, you need to prove you have &#39;excess&#39; to support the wife.

You can always blag the bank for a £2000 add-on to your mortgage (for a kitchen rebuild&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;), and just put it in your account, explain it appearing on your statement as cash you had in your home safe&#33;

In all honesty, you should have;
a) had all this sorted before planning the wedding &
B) Had contact with the IND to ensure you have everyting in order before arranging the wedding. Now it looks as though you&#39;ve been going behind their back, and they won&#39;t be happy.

Quoted post


Hi,
thanks for the info.When i first asked my girlfriend to marry me back in May i suppose like some guys i had some info on what was ahead of me but as time has went on i am starting to realise some of what you guys already know.Since i put this post on i have now got a job but it does not start until i come back from the wedding in December which means i will not have two full months wage slips until the end of march as December will at the most only be a week or two of work.Is there no way around this like sending them a letter of confirmation of my new job and what i will be getting each year?

I also think by the time i get the wedding over i might only be in the red by about £500, would this go against me also.

So i will have my own house, a new job and a bank balance of what i have said so should i wait for a while or just apply soon after the wedding.

Having to wait much longer before even applying would be difficult but i do not want to waste time sending all the info in just to be rejected.

J

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by Eljohno@Oct 3 2005, 08:04 PM
Hi,
thanks for the info.When i first asked my girlfriend to marry me back in May i suppose like some guys i had some info on what was ahead of me but as time has went on i am starting to realise some of what you guys already know.Since i put this post on i have now got a job but it does not start until i come back from the wedding in December which means i will not have two full months wage slips until the end of march as December will at the most only be a week or two of work.Is there no way around this like sending them a letter of confirmation of my new job and what i will be getting each year?

I also think by the time i get the wedding over i might only be in the red by about £500, would this go against me also.

So i will have my own house, a new job and a bank balance of what i have said so should i wait for a while or just apply soon after the wedding.

Having to wait much longer before even applying would be difficult but i do not want to waste time sending all the info in just to be rejected.

J

Quoted post


Well, nothing has really changed from the last time we replied, so the advice is still the same: hang on a bit until you&#39;ve got some money and paperwork to your name. Two or three months is not forever, and the requirements do state something like six months bank statements or payslips as part of the &#39;suggested&#39; supporting documentation.

You can have a fairly grand wedding in the PI without busting the bank, so don&#39;t go silly over there trying to impress her family. A lot of guys have been there-done that, and you would be better off saving the money to get your life together on track rather than throwing a wedding party with three lechon baboy, 50 cases of San Mig and 200 guests.

[Admin]

Is there no way around this like sending them a letter of confirmation of my new job and what i will be getting each year?
You get a letter off your employer.

However, being in the red is not proof you can support her, so more than likely your application would be rejected.

Best way around that is to start work for 3 months, get a £2000 loan from the bank (not to spend, tell them it&#39;s for a car), then once that is in, wait another 3 months so you have the bank statements showing you have savings.

As you will agree, you planned the wedding 6 months to early, but you&#39;ll get there. It takes time, took me 2 years to get my missus here from Singapore, it&#39;s taken Pete over a year, and many others. It is not a fast process, and must be well planned at the start. Applications are rejected on a daily basis because people have not prepared the paperwork correctly. They will dump it for the smallest problem.

[ginapeterb]

Originally posted by admin@Oct 4 2005, 08:10 AM
You get a letter off your employer.

However, being in the red is not proof you can support her, so more than likely your application would be rejected.

Best way around that is to start work for 3 months, get a £2000 loan from the bank (not to spend, tell them it&#39;s for a car), then once that is in, wait another 3 months so you have the bank statements showing you have savings.

As you will agree, you planned the wedding 6 months to early, but you&#39;ll get there. It takes time, took me 2 years to get my missus here from Singapore, it&#39;s taken Pete over a year, and many others. It is not a fast process, and must be well planned at the start. Applications are rejected on a daily basis because people have not prepared the paperwork correctly. They will dump it for the smallest problem.

Quoted post



Admins advice is pretty good, you should get your employer to provide a letter of your salary details, however, you cant be in the "RED" that point was made to me by a top lawyer at David Webb Associates last year, they are top Immigration lawyers in London, being in the Red is almost likely to lead to a refusal to issue, you need a work history, and as Pualdo says, at least 6 months bank statements, if your banks statements show you are in the red, the ECO will think you will be close to requiring support from Public Funds, as the others have said, give it 3 months, you have a lot on your plate, like sorting out the wedding, you have to break this down into stages, it doesnt happen overnight, I hope it works out for you.

[Admin]

I said something useful :unsure: Sorry, won&#39;t happen again Sir&#33; :rolleyes:

[tabya]

Hello...I&#39;m new contributing to this forum although i have perused various posting over the past few months...i guess I have, like the rest of you lost my heart to a beautiful filipina from Gn San. I met her on a christian website over a year ago and made my first trip in August of this year and plan to go back in December for a month. I am sending all the required documentation via courier (as I want them to arrive) tomorrow so that my love can return with me in January for her first visit.

I must admit that I never set out to meet anyone from the Phils; I met several women on line but the one that caught my attention and captured my heart was this special lady.

I have, after much courting finally had my wedding proposal accepted. In my case their was a small matter of my being divorced to contend with. Her family and a few friends were unimpressed by that. Nevertheless, my love, faith, consistency, atypical tenacity and my mahal&#39;s affections for me have won through.

Anyway, I just wanted to add to the discussion on &#39;Evidence of relationships&#39;. I have a lever arch file which I established pretty much at the beginning of our communication contaning the following sections (I have not entered everything yet hence their being only 1 folder at this time):

Christian website messages
emails from my mahal
Emails to my mahal
Text messages to my mahal
Text messages from my mahal
Yahoo chat transcripts
Chikka text transcripts

Fortunately, sites like yours informed me to prepare so I hvae kept all 200 calling cards, plane and SuperFerry tickets and stubs. My mahal and i took over 100 photos in Manila, Cebu and Gen San with family, friends and of various locations.

Perhaps i&#39;m overly optimistic bt i believe the various visa processes should be smooth sailing as long as you prepare and have all the items the Government authorities require in order.

I shall keep you guys abreast of developments&#33;

I wish you all continued favour regarding your own situations&#33;

Oh and thanks for setting this site up&#33;

T

[ginapeterb]

Originally posted by tabya@Oct 9 2005, 08:09 AM
Hello...I&#39;m new contributing to this forum although i have perused various posting over the past few months...i guess I have, like the rest of you lost my heart to a beautiful filipina from Gn San. I met her on a christian website over a year ago and made my first trip in August of this year and plan to go back in December for a month. I am sending all the required documentation via courier (as I want them to arrive) tomorrow so that my love can return with me in January for her first visit.

I must admit that I never set out to meet anyone from the Phils; I met several women on line but the one that caught my attention and captured my heart was this special lady.

I have, after much courting finally had my wedding proposal accepted. In my case their was a small matter of my being divorced to contend with. Her family and a few friends were unimpressed by that. Nevertheless, my love, faith, consistency, atypical tenacity and my mahal&#39;s affections for me have won through.

Anyway, I just wanted to add to the discussion on &#39;Evidence of relationships&#39;. I have a lever arch file which I established pretty much at the beginning of our communication contaning the following sections (I have not entered everything yet hence their being only 1 folder at this time):

Christian website messages
emails from my mahal
Emails to my mahal
Text messages to my mahal
Text messages from my mahal
Yahoo chat transcripts
Chikka text transcripts

Fortunately, sites like yours informed me to prepare so I hvae kept all 200 calling cards, plane and SuperFerry tickets and stubs. My mahal and i took over 100 photos in Manila, Cebu and Gen San with family, friends and of various locations.

Perhaps i&#39;m overly optimistic bt i believe the various visa processes should be smooth sailing as long as you prepare and have all the items the Government authorities require in order.

I shall keep you guys abreast of developments&#33;

I wish you all continued favour regarding your own situations&#33;

Oh and thanks for setting this site up&#33;

T

Quoted post


Good Luck with it, if you need to check the process out word for word, go to my website at

http://www.british-filipino.com and go to the Entry Clearance page, or the Marriage Philippines Page, best of luck, nice to hear from you

[Admin]

As long as everything is as simple as A..B..C...for the simple immigration folk, no problems usually occur.....unless your name begins with a &#39;P&#39;.....eh Pete? :o :rolleyes:

[ginapeterb]

Originally posted by admin@Oct 9 2005, 02:33 PM
As long as everything is as simple as A..B..C...for the simple immigration folk, no problems usually occur.....unless your name begins with a &#39;P&#39;.....eh Pete? :o :rolleyes:

Quoted post



Ben Croucher British Embassy...F.....w*****Ker

[tabya]

Thanks for your responses gentlemen. It would appear as though Peter had a tough time of it with Mr Croucher; I&#39;m sorry to hear that&#33; I hope my own situation will go smoothly - thanks also for the steer to the clearance section. All advice and info. is welcome and useful.

Currently, my mahal and i are trying to plan the wedding location, i.e. Gen San or Davao. Fortunately for me, my love is an accountant and whilst is very sympathetic, is very pragmatic and organised and has already dealt with the issue of an extremely large extended family in a manner that has impressed me and increased my admiration for her. Roll on sept 06&#33;

Gotta go&#33; Take care of yourselves&#33;

T

[Admin]

Originally posted by ginapeterb@Oct 9 2005, 06:18 PM
Ben Croucher British Embassy...F.....w*****Ker

Quoted post

That doesn&#39;t start with a &#39;P&#39; :lol: :lol:

[deepete]

Originally posted by admin@Oct 10 2005, 09:26 AM
That doesn&#39;t start with a &#39;P&#39; :lol: :lol:

Quoted post


The person I knew at the embassy was a Mrs Price, only communicated by letter, but I used to try to smooth things along by writing to her first ahead of my in laws applying for visas. It worked well until she was posted elsewhere or retired.

All my wife`s relatives over here in U.K. would ask for my help in their applications and on one visit I accompanied a female (in her late 40s)2nd cousin to the British embassy after she had been refused a visa. Even though she had to return to the P.I. within a few weeks to look after her mother, who was in her 80s, I couldnt understand why she was refused.She just wanted to visit her sisters, both of whom live here permanantly, and do some sightseeing.

Well we went in for the interview, I explained the situation and the guy said no problem she would get her visa in a few weeks. I returned home to the UK a few days later and was being hailed as the best thing since sliced bread.

Guess what, the guy knew i was returning home a few days after the interview, he waited and then refused her. b....... That would have been around the year 2000.
Anyway, no one bothers to ask my help anymore, turned out to be a blessing really.

I am just applying to bring my Brother-in law over for a short visit to help his sister, She is now British and her husband has only a few months to live.He is a trained
carer but we are just appling for a tourist visa. It will be pot luck I suppose

Peter

[Admin]

Guess what, the guy knew i was returning home a few days after the interview, he waited and then refused her. b.......
They haven&#39;t changed then.......I&#39;ve searched the interview in the qualifications needed to work for the immigration in the Phil, but no university over here seems to do a degree in "How to be a complete & utter *anker" :rolleyes:



The person I knew at the embassy was a Mrs Price, only communicated by letter, but I used to try to smooth things along by writing to her first ahead of my in laws applying for visas. It worked well until she was posted elsewhere or retired.
Probably sacked, they are NOT paid to be NICE :blink:

[ginapeterb]

Originally posted by admin@Oct 10 2005, 03:10 PM
They haven&#39;t changed then.......I&#39;ve searched the interview in the qualifications needed to work for the immigration in the Phil, but no university over here seems to do a degree in "How to be a complete & utter *anker" :rolleyes:
Probably sacked, they are NOT paid to be NICE :blink:

Quoted post



Jacquleine Lewin British Embassy Manila Entry Clearance Manager " Failed to get her BA in Charm" needs to go back to school and learn how to be nice .......

[tabya]

My my, all these names of individuals who failed to graduate from charm school...hmmmn, quite disconcerning really. Well, my mahal has all of the required papers from my side, still awaiting papers from her employers HQ. She also is getting a little nervous due to horror stories and concern that her employers will provide all required documentation.

I&#39;m trusting God that will go well as the plan is for her to return to the UK (her first foreign trip) with me at the beginning of Jan.

I trust you have all received successful results now in a your own domestic situations.

So long for now&#33;

T

[walesrob]

Originally posted by ginapeterb@Oct 10 2005, 08:39 PM
Jacquleine Lewin British Embassy Manila Entry Clearance Manager " Failed to get her BA in Charm" needs to go back to school and learn how to be nice .......

Quoted post


I may have mentioned this, but when Elsa got the email telling her to return to the Embassy to collect the visa, the email was signed Mr Lewin. I was under the impression it was a Mr Jack Lewin :lol: :blink:

Oh yeah, the Embassy still have my bank statements and payslips from last year despite repeated requests for them to send them on to me....I feel another visit is on the cards to our Embassy in the next few weeks when Elsa and I will be over there...any tips on how to get into the Embassy Pete? :lol: :rolleyes: Is there a secret code all these "door staff" understand that allow access without hinderance?&#33;&#33;

[Admin]

Grab the guards by the testicles, and ask is it OK to go in :)

[ginapeterb]

Originally posted by admin@Oct 21 2005, 03:15 PM
Grab the guards by the testicles, and ask is it OK to go in :)

Quoted post


The secret Rob is to tell the Filipino guards on the entrance, that you are not going to the visas you are going to the consular section, for services to British Citizens, that stops them hassling you, then when you arrive, you are right next to visas, then ask Oscar at the desk to help you get your paperwork back, then dont leave until you get it, they will find it just to get rid of you, another trick is to say you are going to the British Embassy on the 17th Floor, not Visas, not consular, then say you are seeking information regarding trade issues and information about the bi lateral arrangements on trafficking, really guys the list is endless.


Pete