Newbie here

[Irelandken]

Hi to everyone here.
I've been lurking around here for quite a while and really enjoy the threads, so i thought it was time to join up and introduce myself.
As you can tell from the name ID, My names Ken and surprise surprise i come from Ireland :P .
I am in a relationship already with a beautiful filipino girl called Josephine. We've known each other for ohhh 18 months having met on yahoo. She is not currently in philippines, but working in Casablanca in Morocco. I was lucky enough to get to go there earlier this year to meet up with her, and we had 2 fantastic weeks together. I'm due to go back there in December again, unless her work contract runs out and she goes back to Philippines, in which case i'll be going there instead.
We are currently in preperation to apply for a settlement visa for her to join me here, and the posts both here and on the asawa forum are very helpful ..thanks everyone..
i look forward to sharing experiences with you in the future.....cheers

[walesrob]

Originally posted by Irelandken@Aug 30 2005, 11:15 AM
Hi to everyone here.
I've been lurking around here for quite a while and really enjoy the threads, so i thought it was time to join up and introduce myself.
As you can tell from the name ID, My names Ken and surprise surprise i come from Ireland :P .
I am in a relationship already with a beautiful filipino girl called Josephine. We've known each other for ohhh 18 months having met on yahoo. She is not currently in philippines, but working in Casablanca in Morocco. I was lucky enough to get to go there earlier this year to meet up with her, and we had 2 fantastic weeks together. I'm due to go back there in December again, unless her work contract runs out and she goes back to Philippines, in which case i'll be going there instead.
We are currently in preperation to apply for a settlement visa for her to join me here, and the posts both here and on the asawa forum are very helpful ..thanks everyone..
i look forward to sharing experiences with you in the future.....cheers

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Hi Ken, Welcome to the forum!

[Admin]

Hi Paddy :o ...sorry Ken :D

A little tip, if your thinking of bringing your babe to the UK to marry, your best doing it at the British consulate in Morocco, it'll be way much easier than in the Phil.

[Irelandken]

Originally posted by admin@Aug 30 2005, 09:31 PM
Hi Paddy :o ...sorry Ken :D

A little tip, if your thinking of bringing your babe to the UK to marry, your best doing it at the British consulate in Morocco, it'll be way much easier than in the Phil.

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To be honest thats the preferred plan.
We already tried last march for a visitors visa for josephine from morocco so we could get to know each other a little better, it was refused of course, and if we'd known then what we know now, we wouldn't have bothered. (refused due to her lack of financial stability and the fact she has no family there or any reason to return)
I called the embassy afterwards and to my amazement, the official who interviewed her eventually told me (after i reminded him that as a british citizen who paid his wages there, i was entitled to advice and some answers) to apply for a different visa (settlement) as they very seldom ever give visitor visa's to anyone. What he actually said was. for a settlement visa, we don't care about her financial situation or anything like that, all we look at is the sponsors situation, and is the relationship real.
For the minute, we intend to make our situation at the interview a little stronger by having my second visit to Morocco at xmas. That should show more commitment to the relationship i hope.
It seems much easier to apply for the visa in Morocco as for a start, you can walk in off the street for the interview, and if successful get the visa there and then. Also there's no need for the seminars ect that seem to be such a farce in philippines.
The down side is that they are not very aware of the filipino nature, and are a bit gruff and abrupt when interviewing.
One question i have is, if she gets the visa from morocco, and, as she already has a ticket to fly back to philippines to visit her family if she wishes, will she still need to do the seminars etc if she flies to UK from there? any advice on that one will be much appreciated.

[Admin]

The down side is that they are not very aware of the filipino nature, and are a bit gruff and abrupt when interviewing.
One question i have is, if she gets the visa from morocco, and, as she already has a ticket to fly back to philippines to visit her family if she wishes, will she still need to do the seminars etc if she flies to UK from there? any advice on that one will be much appreciated.

First thing, the staff will in know way be WORSE than the arrogance shown in the British Embassy in Manila, do whatever you can so you don't have to deal with them.

Fiancee visa is the ONLY option open to Filipino's. Less than 3% are granted one to just visit.

Once she has her Fiancee Visa in Morocco, she can only come to the UK, and remain here for 2 years before leaving, otherwise her visa is cancelled, and you have to start again.

[Irelandken]

Once she has her Fiancee Visa in Morocco, she can only come to the UK, and remain here for 2 years before leaving, otherwise her visa is cancelled, and you have to start again.

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[/quote]
Do you mean if she gets her visa in morocco, then she cannot come to uk via philippines. I thought once she had the visa that would be entry clearance nomatter where she was comming from?

[walesrob]

"Do you mean if she gets her visa in morocco, then she cannot come to uk via philippines. I thought once she had the visa that would be entry clearance nomatter where she was comming from?"

Of course she can - the visa is basically entry clearance into the UK - it doesn't matter how you get to the UK, its just a "let me in" at any port of entry to the UK. How you get to the UK, is totally up to you!

[walesrob]

Originally posted by admin@Aug 31 2005, 09:19 AM

Once she has her Fiancee Visa in Morocco, she can only come to the UK, and remain here for 2 years before leaving, otherwise her visa is cancelled, and you have to start again.

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Surely this depends on the visa wording? If it states "Multiple Entry" it means just that, but what your saying Keith is that because Fiance Visas are granted subject to conditions (ie you must get married within 6 months, etc), if these conditions are not fulfilled, the visa becomes invalid. Of course after you marry, you can get the visa status adjusted to FLR, enabling unlimited travel abroad ( I think up to 90 days at a time)

[Admin]

Nope, our niece is going through the process and I had the IND confirm to me that once the visa is granted you should travel from A direct to B, do not call in at C.

They also verified that you must stay in the country for 2 years from the date of entry. This is to prevent marriages of conveinience. If you do leave before then, you have to start the visa process again.

If you get the visa and don't get her to the UK ASAP, you are giving time a chance to make it all go wrong.

[walesrob]

Originally posted by admin@Sep 1 2005, 09:58 PM

They also verified that you must stay in the country for 2 years from the date of entry. This is to prevent marriages of conveinience. If you do leave before then, you have to start the visa process again.



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Hmm, I heard from another Brit/Filipino couple that they got the Fiance Visa, married in UK, then after marraige got a Further Leave to Remain from Croydon, enabling them to go on honeymoon to Malta and return with no problems. They are planning to go abroad again soon, and have been told by IND they will have no problems returning again to UK.

[Admin]

Must depend who you talk to, it does state on the IND that you will only be allowed to leave under exceptional circumstances, ie, funerals, etc.

Here's the info on the Fiancee visa, the 'proof of 2 year relationship' bit has lost me though! :unsure:

http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pa...018721067257#Q3 (http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1018721067257#Q3)

You can ask for another visa after you are married so you can travel, they may grant this. However, if your looking to get the wife a UK passport as quickly as possible, you need the 'Leave to remain in the UK' visa. Under this you CANNOT leave the UK for 2 years.

Any other visa they may grant, will let you travel, but you will be putting back the prospect of a UK passport from 2-3 years, to 5+, and Filipino's have an easier life with a UK passport, especially when travelling home.

[Irelandken]

Thanks for the comments,
I know the best thing is to get my girl here asap, but i also understand that she misses her family, and it would be nice for them to meet me before she joins me here.
The biggest problem is trying to organise all this on net with her. As she is working for a family in morocco the last time they found out she was thinking about going home, they sacked her leaving her with nowhere to live, moving another girl into her position within 2 hrs. Granted they took her back a few days later when the other girl didn't work out, but as an asian in Morocco, she is taken advantage of.
Even my visit at xmas has to be arranged around whether the family will give her time to see me, and if they find out she intends applying for a visa after xmas, heaven knows what will happen...
any way....I dont need to tell everyone there that long distance relationships weren't easy...but she's worth it...as i'm sure you all know from your own relationships.....

[Admin]

..but she's worth it...as i'm sure you all know from your own relationships.....
...Yes, what would we do without the early morning smell, while we relax in bed of fish cooking in vinegar :huh:

[Irelandken]

Originally posted by admin@Sep 4 2005, 07:55 PM
...Yes, what would we do without the early morning smell, while we relax in bed of fish cooking in vinegar :huh:

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well..i guess i have got that to look foreward to :( ..
i have cooked adobo here myself just to see what i was in for, and it did bring tears to my eyes for a while, and a few complaints from the neighbours... :lol:

[peterdavid]

Originally posted by admin@Sep 1 2005, 08:58 PM
Nope, our niece is going through the process and I had the IND confirm to me that once the visa is granted you should travel from A direct to B, do not call in at C.

They also verified that you must stay in the country for 2 years from the date of entry. This is to prevent marriages of conveinience. If you do leave before then, you have to start the visa process again.

If you get the visa and don't get her to the UK ASAP, you are giving time a chance to make it all go wrong.

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In your first two years, you are allowed to leave the UK, eg for a holiday or a home visit for a week or two, as the vias states "multiple entry" - what you're not allowed to do is go off for extended periods. I'm not quite sure what an extended period is, it may be 3 mnths, it may even be 6, but once the initial leave to remain has been granted, you are allowed out of the country for a holiday, or whatever. Just not to spend 6 months back in the Philippines, or anywhere else for that matter.

[peterdavid]

Originally posted by admin@Sep 2 2005, 07:53 AM
Must depend who you talk to, it does state on the IND that you will only be allowed to leave under exceptional circumstances, ie, funerals, etc.

Here's the info on the Fiancee visa, the 'proof of 2 year relationship' bit has lost me though! :unsure:

http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pa...018721067257#Q3 (http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1018721067257#Q3)

You can ask for another visa after you are married so you can travel, they may grant this. However, if your looking to get the wife a UK passport as quickly as possible, you need the 'Leave to remain in the UK' visa. Under this you CANNOT leave the UK for 2 years.

Any other visa they may grant, will let you travel, but you will be putting back the prospect of a UK passport from 2-3 years, to 5+, and Filipino's have an easier life with a UK passport, especially when travelling home.

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I'm not quite sure this is right - with a FLR visa, you can leave for up to 2 years and still come back again. It will delay your chances of a british passport, but it won't terminate the visa. Even if you leae for longer than 2 years, the process you go through to get a new visa is as a "returning resident" - essentially a fasttrack to get you straight back onto indefinite leave to remain.

The requirements for a passport (and indefinite visa) are that you must intend, and show, that the UK is your main home - but you are allowed to travel out the country, eg for a holiday, without affecting your chances of a passport. You must have been living continuously in the UK for three years - but "living continuously" means you haven't lived elsehwere during that time (eg, 6 months in france), not that you can't take a vacation in europe.

As far as I know, anyway.

[waits to be corrected....]

[peterdavid]

Originally posted by Irelandken@Sep 4 2005, 10:12 PM
well..i guess i have got that to look foreward to :( ..
i have cooked adobo here myself just to see what i was in for, and it did bring tears to my eyes for a while, and a few complaints from the neighbours... :lol:

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It's not true adobo unless you ensure you only use parts of the chicken/pig which you would normally throw in the trash.....

Pig's ear for dessert, anyone....?