So near and yet so far

[tatsahdasaygo]

Hi, can anyone help me with this:
My Fiancée, although Filipina is a Canadian citizen and we are applying through Ottawa for the Fiancée Visa and quite by accident I came across something I&#39;d not seen before; to register for a Civil Marriage in UK you need either the &#39;Entry Clearance&#39; (Visa) or &#39;The Home Office certificate of approval&#39;. The problem being if Immigration require a pre-arranged Marriage date for the Visa you would need a &#39;Certificate of Approval&#39; to get said date. Sorry if this seems complicated. anyone care to have a crack at it style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Erm.gif
Regards, Paul.

[ginapeterb]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tatsahdasay &#064; Jun 4 2006, 06&#58;03 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Hi, can anyone help me with this:
My Fiancée, although Filipina is a Canadian citizen and we are applying through Ottawa for the Fiancée Visa and quite by accident I came across something I&#39;d not seen before; to register for a Civil Marriage in UK you need either the &#39;Entry Clearance&#39; (Visa) or &#39;The Home Office certificate of approval&#39;. The problem being if Immigration require a pre-arranged Marriage date for the Visa you would need a &#39;Certificate of Approval&#39; to get said date. Sorry if this seems complicated. anyone care to have a crack at it style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Erm.gif
Regards, Paul.
[/b][/quote]


Hello Paul and welcome to the Forum,

If your fiancee is a Canadian Citizen, your application to the British High Commission in Ottawa, will follow the normal channels for a visa on VF2 Which you will submit to the British High Comission in Ottawa to the Visa section.

You will also submit the usual documents which are on the checklist, including the fee, its unlikely the Entry Clearance officers in Ottawa will expect you to have pre-booked a date for your wedding, this seems only peculiar to the British Embassy in Manila, Philippines, if your fiancee is granted a visa to enter the United Kingdom on a Canadian passport, then she should have no requirment for a certificate of approval by the Home office to marry in the UK.

This measure was introduced to stop Nationals from African Countries marrying EEC Citizens (mainly portuguese) and then trying to get around UK Immigration procedures.

I hope this clears it up.

Go ahead and apply for your fiancee&#39;s visa in the normal way.

[tatsahdasaygo]

Gina and Pete (and all),

Thanks for that, it&#39;s a load off my mind. I&#39;ve sent all the papers I&#39;ve gathered together but they&#39;ve not actually been put through because my fiancée is waiting for a new passport to come through. This site has been very helpful and it&#39;s much appreciated. I know we&#39;re all feeling the strain of the LDR, it&#39;s tough and we have to be strong. I will keep things up to date.

Regards, Paul