Sister getting married!

[blessed_ekim0826]

Hi folks,

My sister is getting married in September. She met her fiance in January and they spent time together for 2 weeks. Sister's fiance has Irish blood and so he was asking which route is easier for them to be together in the UK. They need advice on how to get married here in the Philippines and what documents they need to provide - especially for her fiance. Looking forward for any advice.

Thank you!

[Harry T]

Blessed, my only advice is September is a long way off. Met for 2 weeks in January, then in February, they agree to getting married in September. We all know Long Distance relationships are difficult and, due to the distance, they are sometimes what we term "whirlwind romances". :smile:, I presume they have known each other for longer than the bare statistics that you have mentioned. :wink:.

However, back to your question. I would have thought this depends on which passport he has, i.e., whether he has a UK Passport or an Irish Passport. But you said "to be together here in the UK", so if that's the case, normal Fiancee requirements are:


‘Present and Settled’:

The sponsor must be entitled to live and work in the UK without restrictions on their stay. The qualifying sponsor must be either a British citizen, whether through birth, descent or by naturalisation, or a legal permanent resident holding indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or right of abode in the UK.

The sponsor must be ‘present and settled’ in the UK or, if residing overseas on a temporary basis, expect to return to the UK to live before or at the same time as the applicant enters the country on a fiancee visa.


Free to Marry:

Both the sponsor and their foreign fiancee must be legally free to marry at the time of application, or be able to demonstrate that their divorce/dissolution proceedings are well underway. The UK Fiancee Visa application will normally be refused if the examining UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) officials are not satisfied that the applicant and their sponsor are able to get married within six months.


Age Requirement:

Both parties must be at least 18 years of age at the time of application. If the applicant is about to turn 18, and the sponsor is 18 or over, the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) has the authority to issue a fiancee visa on a discretionary basis. The visa will normally be valid from the date the applicant has reached the qualifying age.


Requirement to Have Met:

Sufficient documentary evidence must be provided to show that the sponsor and their foreign fiancee have met in person prior to filing the settlement visa application. It is advisable to spend as much time together as possible, as the UKVI officials tend to be suspicious of couples with no extensive ‘face-to-face’ meeting history prior to sponsorship.


Wedding arrangements:

Both parties must have a serious intention to marry within six months of the fiancee visa validity period. The marriage must take place in the UK.


‘Bona fide’ Relationship:

It must be evident that the applicant and their sponsor have a genuine relationship as defined by the UK Visas and Immigration. Detailed proof must be supplied to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the examining UKVI Entry Clearance Officers that both parties intend to stay together in a committed relationship following their marriage in the UK.


English Language Test:

Effective November 29, 2010 applicants who are not citizens of a predominantly English-speaking country are required to pass a mandatory English language test before applying for a UK Settlement Visa as a fiancee, proposed civil partner, de facto partner or spouse of a British citizen or UK permanent resident. Applicants who have a degree which was taught or researched in English and evaluated by UK NARIC as meeting or exceeding the recognised standard of a Bachelor’s degree in the UK are normally exempt from the new English language requirement.


Financials and Accommodation:

The sponsor must be financially secure and have suitable accommodation in the UK. The Home Office introduced a new threshold requirement on July 9, 2012. A qualifying sponsor must be earning £18,600 per annum for at least six months immediately preceding the date of filing the application (12 months for self-employed sponsors). This rises to £22,400 if there is one dependent, £24,800 for two dependents, £27,200 for three etc. (£2,400 for each additional child included in the settlement application). Sponsors may also rely on other personal financial resources, such as savings or non-employment sources of income and permitted benefits, sufficient to maintain the applicant in the UK without recourse to public funds. Applicant’s savings and non-employment income may also be taken into account by the UKVI officials when making a final determination of eligibility. Both the applicant and their sponsor are required to submit evidence of meeting the new threshold requirements as part of the initial application. The new threshold requirement does not apply to sponsors in receipt of DLA or other related benefits according to UK Visas and Immigration policy guidelines.

However, if they wish to get married in the Philippines, then there are different requirements, but then they will need to apply for a Spouse Visa for the UK.

I'm sure someone who has married in the Philippines will come on and give you advice on the Philippines' marriage requirements, but from what I recall they will need a minimum of 10 days in the Philippines before they can get married.

I wish them both good luck.

[Terpe]

As a first step your sister and or her fiancé should join the forum.
That way they can inform themselves first hand on all the latest requirements and directly benefit from the experience of others.

As a second step have the review some key threads in this forum thread:-

http://filipinaroses.com/showthread.php/51300-Marriage-in-the-Philippines-New-CNI-March-2014

This important British Embassy publication called MARRIAGE IN THE PHILIPPINES (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/284905/Marriage_in_the_Philippines_leaflet_affirmation_or_affidavit_of_marital_status_Feb_2014.pdf) - (Explanatory Notice to British Nationals Contemplating Marriage in the Philippines) must be carefully reviewed and understood.

Your sister's fiance needs to ensure he allows sufficient time on the ground in the Philippines to follow all procedures in getting married. Personally I'd suggest around 3 weeks. Some members have managed it within 14 days with very precise planning and some good luck. Not really recommended as that's very tight.

Sharing advice on the aspects of visa applications is best done when they are forum members.
But here's some guidance and links they must review and understand one the UKVI
webpage - Apply to join family living permanently in the UK (https://www.gov.uk/join-family-in-uk)

Take a look at the application form details here - Application for UK visa for family settlement: form VAF4A (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-uk-visa-for-family-settlement-form-vaf4a ) then ask any specific questions.

A bit out of date in some of the detail but still good background information is this forum thread called How to apply for a spouse visa (http://filipinaroses.com/showthread.php/39740-All-New-Guide-How-to-apply-for-a-Spouse-Partner-Visa )