Newbie needing help about Filipino Woman visitng UK

[londonrascal]

Hello all,

I've read through some of the topics here but they seem to relate to people married and watning to come to live in the UK, wanting to marry and live here etc but my question is pretty simple but having some difficulty finding the answer.

So here is the low down:

My Boss at work is seeing a woman from the Philippines, she has lived here for some years and recently wanted her mother and sister to vist the UK. All I know what that this was a very difficult process from what information he has shared. Long story short I met his partners sister one day, we got on and exachanged details and now she has returned to the Philippines and we are still in contact daily.

She and I have been talking about her visting the UK alone and staying with me. Now I know she would need a Visa for this, but what I am not sure about is how one goes about this. I just foresea problems and it not be simple as here is your air ticket, got Visa and turn up at Heathrow and all be plan sailing (or maybe I worry too much)

If she comes it would be for under a month, 2-3 weeks. She would stay with me when she was here and is not looking to work or study and we are not thinking about getting married. So she would be a tourist.

The issue I have si woudl she have problems coming here because she was not going to be staying in a hotel, and not going to have a great deal of money and so would have to explain that she was staying with me - thus causing eprhaps issues with immigration thinking 'how do we know your going back home in 3 weeks'.

So what is the deal here?
Has anyone else had someone visit for a short time and what, if any problems werre there?


I really don't want to spend a lot of money on air fares and then find at the last hurdle she is not allowed in the country. I am a little bit confused so sorry if this migth also seem confusiingly written...

Thanks in advance for any help.

[nigel]

If you are not interested in marrying this Filipina, then you go visit her in Philippines....If you are interested in marriage then start gathering evidence of your relationship and go for the marriage visa..!

makes sense to me... hehe don't bother with tourist visa...there's a small success rate...visit her in Philippines if you are not having a serious relationship..you'll LOVE Philippines it's great!

[Arthur Little]

:welcomex: to the forum. I can see the logic of your wanting to bring this lady back over to the UK for another visit ... especially since *tourist visas cost a fraction of the Settlement types. But :iagree: with Nigel that the chances of getting *one are, quite frankly, minimal. And it is precisely for the reason you mention - i.e., lack of sufficient evidence to suggest a visitor will definitely return to his/her homeland within the allotted timescale of the visa - that makes it so. The trouble IS, you see, :rolleyes: a significant increase in the number of 'overstayers' in the past, has caused British Embassy Officials to cast a critical eye on non-EU nationals applying for short-term visas.

So your BEST bet WOULD, in fact, be for YOU to visit your friend in the Philippines ... and take things from there ... :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[londonrascal]

Thank you for the two replies so far received.

To 'Nigel' - I most certainly do not want to marry a woman from anywhere right now in my life. However I have indeed looked into going to the Philippines, and found (so thought would share) that one can get there via Kauela Lumpur with Air Asia, and from KL to Manila with Cebu Pacific Airways round trip for under £500.00 all in. This is a lot less than using the normal expedia etc etc sites to search for air fairs.

To 'Arther Little' - It does seem this to be the case, where the Uk can control it's borders they will with all vigar, but when one might be from a poorer country in the EU one can come with inpunity.

In conclusion:

It is rather easy to meet Filipino women already in the UK through the Internet, I have through Match.com and Tagged.com - But that was to go out with said woman, not jsut see again someone you got along with. The issue is (and this may seem rude) can I be bothered to get my **** on a plane and go round the world to see someone, when I can just pay for said someone to come here. Seemingly the lazy option won't work and thus won't see her.

You see if I DID go there I knwo full well I would not simply go to see her and would end up seeing her for a week and then someone else...you get the idea.

Oh well all in all a rather fine mess. Cheers for the replies though.