Visitors visa query

[Brucep]

I'm afraid I'm very new to this so apologies if this has been asked before – I did a quick search on the forum, but haven't found anything similar. It’s an issue concerning a visitors visa, that hopefully someone may known the answer too. Firstly a bit of background.

I met my Filipino lady about 2 years ago on a works trip out in China where she was singing in the band that was playing at the hotel I was staying at. We’ve been in touch regularly since then and I’ve been out to see her in China several times. She is now back in the Philippines and I’d very much like to bring her over here, but things are not quite straightforward (are they ever?). She has 2 children from her marriage though has been separated for over 10 years and despite starting divorce proceedings several times, these have stalled due to her husband’s refusal to agree to anything. As she is still legally married, a visitor’s visa seems the only option, though a section of it requires details of family and this is where the problem lies. As her children have their father’s surname, and since she’s been using her family name (which is also on her passport) following the separation, I don’t know how this will stand with the embassy. Would they require additional documents, perhaps with regard to the state of the marriage, and if so, what?

Also, with regard to a letter of invitation, how much information should I include, given the application is for a visitor's visa rather than a fiancé visa?

I’d very much appreciate any advice.

Thanks
Bruce

[Mrs.JMajor]

not trying to discourage you bruce but applying for visitor's visa is like lottery, out of 100 sometimes no one won, hold on,i will edit my reply i"ll try to find all the thread about other members have denied visitors visa,but don't be so hopeless i will also give u the link of those who grant their visit visa,.....

brb lol

[darren-b]

The success rate for a visitor isn't as bad as a lottery, it's just a visitor visa is though more likely to be refused than a spouse/fiancee visa.

I guess you realise that a visitor visa is only a short term option and if you want to be together in the UK long term then she needs to get her annulment sorted out.

[pennybarry]

I'm afraid I'm very new to this so apologies if this has been asked before – I did a quick search on the forum, but haven't found anything similar. It’s an issue concerning a visitors visa, that hopefully someone may known the answer too. Firstly a bit of background.

I met my Filipino lady about 2 years ago on a works trip out in China where she was singing in the band that was playing at the hotel I was staying at. We’ve been in touch regularly since then and I’ve been out to see her in China several times. She is now back in the Philippines and I’d very much like to bring her over here, but things are not quite straightforward (are they ever?). She has 2 children from her marriage though has been separated for over 10 years and despite starting divorce proceedings several times, these have stalled due to her husband’s refusal to agree to anything. As she is still legally married, a visitor’s visa seems the only option, though a section of it requires details of family and this is where the problem lies. As her children have their father’s surname, and since she’s been using her family name (which is also on her passport) following the separation, I don’t know how this will stand with the embassy. Would they require additional documents, perhaps with regard to the state of the marriage, and if so, what?

Also, with regard to a letter of invitation, how much information should I include, given the application is for a visitor's visa rather than a fiancé visa?

I’d very much appreciate any advice.

Thanks
Bruce

There are some members here who granted visit visa although her past marriage still exists.
Passport applications in the Philippines has new rules few years ago that if you are married, YOU must state in the application that you are married and you MUST use your hubby's surname. But long years ago, We have the right to use our maiden name
It might be an avenue litigation when it comes to annulment in the PhilippinesEspecially if you are married in the church so I hope you have lots of patience and perseverance
Goodluck !

[gemini63]

There are some members here who granted visit visa although her past marriage still exists.
Passport applications in the Philippines has new rules few years ago that if you are married, YOU must state in the application that you are married and you MUST use your hubby's surname. But long years ago, We have the right to use our maiden name
It might be an avenue litigation when it comes to annulment in the PhilippinesEspecially if you are married in the church so I hope you have lots of patience and perseverance
Goodluck !

im one of these staus...Im still using my ex husband surname.. But i been here in uk how many times,but stay not longer 6 mos in every visit..

[gemini63]

i applied my visa and come here with my own capability.All ive got from my fiancee is the invitation letter...I believe having addressBut its on the part of to visit is a big point..But its on the part also of the applicant to prove capability on visit visa requirements...

[joebloggs]

i applied my visa and come here with my own capability.All ive got from my fiancee is the invitation letter...I believe having addressBut its on the part of to visit is a big point..But its on the part also of the applicant to prove capability on visit visa requirements...

did you state on your VV app your sponsor is your fiancée ?

[RickyR]

BruceP, drop me an e-mail at *************. com and i'll send you a copy of the supporting documents and an example of the application my g/f sent. She is also in the process of annulment atm.

[gemini63]

did you state on your VV app your sponsor is your fiancée ?

not directly, but understandable...I put close friend..it can be, coz its understood if they ask..im capable to have bf..coz im separated long time.. only the problem im not annulled yet.. some reason i cant at this time coz of my children.For their protection...

[joebloggs]

not directly, but understandable...I put close friend..it can be, coz its understood if they ask..im capable to have bf..coz im separated long time.. only the problem im not annulled yet.. some reason i cant at this time coz of my children.For their protection...

only reason i ask, was that if you apply for a fiancée or spouse visa, and you mention you was in a relationship for x years, and you've did not mentioned this on any VV app after the start of your relationship , i don't think its a good enough reason for refusal (but another excuse for backing up and other reason why they could refuse you),. but just be careful when you do apply what dates you put down when you became more than friends

[PeterB]

Joe is correct ... this is the experience of another forum member.

The visit visa is not impossible to obtain - we put in Ruby's application, in blissful ignorance before finding this forum. The visa was granted in less than a week but, probably, only because Ruby had previous travel history, including a trip to Australia.

[Ady]

only reason i ask, was that if you apply for a fiancée or spouse visa, and you mention you was in a relationship for x years, and you've did not mentioned this on any VV app after the start of your relationship , i don't think its a good enough reason for refusal (but another excuse for backing up and other reason why they could refuse you),. but just be careful when you do apply what dates you put down when you became more than friends

I would re-iterate that. Please see my post after consulting an IAS advisor. When we applied for a VV, we also used the term Close Friends to describe our relationship that time - for almost exactly the same reasons as Gemini.

What we said, in our Fiancee visa application, was that the term "close friends" was more apt at that time, because we had not yet met in person. Since when, Shei has been annulled, and we have met twice - and the relationship has developed. It is 2 years since we were refused the VV, so it is natural that things have changed since then.

For dates, we said our relationship started on the day we first met in person. We explained further, in Section 7, that that was the date we first met in person, although our initial contact happened a few years earlier.

Hopefully this covers all bases for us in our application. Just thought I would bring the IAS advice to this question.

[vbkelly]

I'm afraid I'm very new to this so apologies if this has been asked before – I did a quick search on the forum, but haven't found anything similar. It’s an issue concerning a visitors visa, that hopefully someone may known the answer too. Firstly a bit of background.

I met my Filipino lady about 2 years ago on a works trip out in China where she was singing in the band that was playing at the hotel I was staying at. We’ve been in touch regularly since then and I’ve been out to see her in China several times. She is now back in the Philippines and I’d very much like to bring her over here, but things are not quite straightforward (are they ever?). She has 2 children from her marriage though has been separated for over 10 years and despite starting divorce proceedings several times, these have stalled due to her husband’s refusal to agree to anything. As she is still legally married, a visitor’s visa seems the only option, though a section of it requires details of family and this is where the problem lies. As her children have their father’s surname, and since she’s been using her family name (which is also on her passport) following the separation, I don’t know how this will stand with the embassy. Would they require additional documents, perhaps with regard to the state of the marriage, and if so, what?

Also, with regard to a letter of invitation, how much information should I include, given the application is for a visitor's visa rather than a fiancé visa?

I’d very much appreciate any advice.

Thanks
Bruce

i was granted for visit visa when i first came here in uk, what documents i had personally is nothing coz i don't have property or any asset aside for my passport and birth cer. i had work but money is not enough to show to the ECO, so all of my supporting documents are from my bf (now my husband) and just for a day appointment to the embassy and visit visa was granted. and yes i had an interviewed but it was easy.

[Brucep]

Many thanks for all your replies and comments. There is a further concern though regarding this visitor’s visa, which ties in with my previous post.

Jean applied for the same type of visa about 12 months ago, while working out in China. This unfortunately was refused on the grounds of insufficient paperwork to show why she was in China, and also lack of funding to support her trip. This was despite stating that I would be her sponsor and me sending her copies of the required documents as proof of my income, savings etc. I thought that the children would have been taken into consideration too, but then discovered that Jean hadn’t mentioned them on the application. Her reason for doing this, was not only because she had been using her family name for so long, but also that she had stated she was single when applying for her passport. Including the children with their father’s surname on the visa form would have no doubt rung alarm bells at the embassy. I don’t know whether she was given bad advice, but she told me she had done this, in order to get a visa to work in China - a married woman with 2 children is less likely to get a working visa than someone who is single with no dependants.

This time I would like to make sure everything is correct with the application, but if she includes her family details, and her passport says something else, I’m worried it will be denied again, especially since she has been refused already.

[pennybarry]

Many thanks for all your replies and comments. There is a further concern though regarding this visitor’s visa, which ties in with my previous post.

Jean applied for the same type of visa about 12 months ago, while working out in China. This unfortunately was refused on the grounds of insufficient paperwork to show why she was in China, and also lack of funding to support her trip. This was despite stating that I would be her sponsor and me sending her copies of the required documents as proof of my income, savings etc. I thought that the children would have been taken into consideration too, but then discovered that Jean hadn’t mentioned them on the application. Her reason for doing this, was not only because she had been using her family name for so long, but also that she had stated she was single when applying for her passport. Including the children with their father’s surname on the visa form would have no doubt rung alarm bells at the embassy. I don’t know whether she was given bad advice, but she told me she had done this, in order to get a visa to work in China - a married woman with 2 children is less likely to get a working visa than someone who is single with no dependants.

This time I would like to make sure everything is correct with the application, but if she includes her family details, and her passport says something else, I’m worried it will be denied again, especially since she has been refused already.

If she applied her passport when she was still single, you have mentioned she's been separated for 10 years. By that time, she needs to renew her old passport. She has time to declare and use her hubby's surname so there will be no conflict in the future.

I think she needs to be honest this time and be herself when applying her visit visa.
Goodluck!

[gemini63]

only reason i ask, was that if you apply for a fiancée or spouse visa, and you mention you was in a relationship for x years, and you've did not mentioned this on any VV app after the start of your relationship , i don't think its a good enough reason for refusal (but another excuse for backing up and other reason why they could refuse you),. but just be careful when you do apply what dates you put down when you became more than friends

close friend is understood in some cases to be more than just friends between man and woman...I dont think so that the co is so thick minded about it...It can be acceptable coz eco knows that theres no divorce in phil..loads are separated and can have bf..CAn you not visit a BF? it can right? so there no reason it could be a refusal for visit visa...If u will visit a fiancee as long as the eco found out that your capable to do so...

[gemini63]

I would re-iterate that. Please see my post after consulting an IAS advisor. When we applied for a VV, we also used the term Close Friends to describe our relationship that time - for almost exactly the same reasons as Gemini.

What we said, in our Fiancee visa application, was that the term "close friends" was more apt at that time, because we had not yet met in person. Since when, Shei has been annulled, and we have met twice - and the relationship has developed. It is 2 years since we were refused the VV, so it is natural that things have changed since then.

For dates, we said our relationship started on the day we first met in person. We explained further, in Section 7, that that was the date we first met in person, although our initial contact happened a few years earlier.

Hopefully this covers all bases for us in our application. Just thought I would bring the IAS advice to this question.

Yes thats right...It will be my reason too if il apply next time, with another status if we got married already into spouse visa..That i said close friend, not denying any...Coz they dont interview me.And im ready if they will, for the reason i put close friend coz im stil married and i dont deny that..and eco can understand coz no divorce in phil..I think eco is clever enough to read situations if youR a woman then saying" Close Friend" referring to a guy..

[gemini63]

i was granted for visit visa when i first came here in uk, what documents i had personally is nothing coz i don't have property or any asset aside for my passport and birth cer. i had work but money is not enough to show to the ECO, so all of my supporting documents are from my bf (now my husband) and just for a day appointment to the embassy and visit visa was granted. and yes i had an interviewed but it was easy.

In my case, i wasnt interviewed even once,got it easily.I put in my application i have children coz its one idea for the eco that i will return or comeback to phil coz i have children...Ive got 3 application of visit visa approved...the last 1 got 2 yrs multiple entry, without interview.

[joebloggs]

close friend is understood in some cases to be more than just friends between man and woman..
..CAn you not visit a BF?

but you put close friend , and not BF?

not the same thing to me,, I'm just warning you i have read of a few cases where people were refused a visa for not mentioning they were in a relationship..

the reason why some people did not reveal it, was becuase they thought if they said they were in a relationship they wolud be refused, becuase of the greater risk they wouldn't want to go back.

[gemini63]

but you put close friend , and not BF?

not the same thing to me,, I'm just warning you i have read of a few cases where people were refused a visa for not mentioning they were in a relationship..

the reason why some people did not reveal it, was becuase they thought if they said they were in a relationship they wolud be refused, becuase of the greater risk they wouldn't want to go back.

MY plan next..if im ready to be annuled and got it, me and fiancee will get married in phil, then il apply for another status" spouse visa". I can tell them if intervied thats why i get visit visa only coz not ready to marry yet..But now wr married so i apply for another status."Close friend can be a bf, its understood sometimes.Ok lets put this way...Can a woman close friend cannot marry her close friend in the future?

[joebloggs]

some advice from a well known immigration site.



A person who has been to the UK frequently and has stayed for long periods (i.e., up to six months per year) would naturally expect a longer and more probing interview because a travel history like that may indicate that the person is not a genuine visitor. The same can be said for people who appear to be concealing something, such as traveling to meet a boyfriend/girlfriend they met on the internet. It is ironic to note that some people who have sought to contrive a purpose for their visit because they though their circumstances were too complex to explain were eventually refused entry - when had they been candid, they would have sailed right through!.

and

There is nothing in the rules prohibiting travel to the UK to pursue an internet relationship, and given the applicant meets the rules they will generally be successful in obtaining entry as a visitor. However,

Some IOs were surprised, and suspicious, when people travel to spend time with someone they hardly know or have never met. If people are going to visit someone in another country, IOs assume they will have had recent or regular contact and will know something about the other person. Internet relationships attract particular attention.
...
Where the sponsor is a boyfriend or girlfriend, the IO may be wary that the passenger will attempt to settle, or get married without a visa. If passengers lie about having a partner or romantic interest in the UK, or about the nature of the relationship, this can seriously damage their chances of being allowed to enter the country. Sometimes when IOs are not happy with some aspect of a story, they may put out a call to see if anyone is meeting the passenger in the arrivals hall; on occasion this produces a partner or spouse.
...
Officers commented that internet relationships tend to generate a lot of cases, and are a particular problem among American passengers. If the passenger is young, single and unemployed, there are concerns that he or she may be trying to start a new life in the UK.

-Extract from "Exploring the decision making of Immigration Officers: a research study examining non-EEA passenger stops and refusals at UK ports" (Home Office Research & Development Service, January 2007)

as i said before just be careful of your dates when you became more than close friends !

[darren-b]

MY plan next..if im ready to be annuled and got it, me and fiancee will get married in phil, then il apply for another status" spouse visa". I can tell them if intervied thats why i get visit visa only coz not ready to marry yet..But now wr married so i apply for another status."Close friend can be a bf, its understood sometimes.Ok lets put this way...Can a woman close friend cannot marry her close friend in the future?

This might be the case in the Philippines, but in the UK (well at least in mine and joeblogg's opinion) a close friend is not a BF/GF, it is just a very good friend.

[singkit]

It might be an avenue litigation when it comes to annulment in the PhilippinesEspecially if you are married in the church so I hope you have lots of patience and perseverance
Goodluck !

...And loads of money too Cheers!

[gemini63]

[QUOTE=darren-b;108268]This might be the case in the Philippines, but in the UK (well at least in mine and joeblogg's opinion) a close friend is not a BF/GF, it is just a very good friend.[/ I dont know if the eco is not clever enough to understand,coz we have the invitation letter attached to it.wr not denying..Maybe the eco have the idea ...thats why dont bother to interview me..Maybe i just show them that im capable and meet the criteria. I just show my own capacity not because i was sponsored by anybody...

[gemini63]

some advice from a well known immigration site.



A person who has been to the UK frequently and has stayed for long periods (i.e., up to six months per year) would naturally expect a longer and more probing interview because a travel history like that may indicate that the person is not a genuine visitor. The same can be said for people who appear to be concealing something, such as traveling to meet a boyfriend/girlfriend they met on the internet. It is ironic to note that some people who have sought to contrive a purpose for their visit because they though their circumstances were too complex to explain were eventually refused entry - when had they been candid, they would have sailed right through!.

and

There is nothing in the rules prohibiting travel to the UK to pursue an internet relationship, and given the applicant meets the rules they will generally be successful in obtaining entry as a visitor. However,

Some IOs were surprised, and suspicious, when people travel to spend time with someone they hardly know or have never met. If people are going to visit someone in another country, IOs assume they will have had recent or regular contact and will know something about the other person. Internet relationships attract particular attention.
...
Where the sponsor is a boyfriend or girlfriend, the IO may be wary that the passenger will attempt to settle, or get married without a visa. If passengers lie about having a partner or romantic interest in the UK, or about the nature of the relationship, this can seriously damage their chances of being allowed to enter the country. Sometimes when IOs are not happy with some aspect of a story, they may put out a call to see if anyone is meeting the passenger in the arrivals hall; on occasion this produces a partner or spouse.
...
Officers commented that internet relationships tend to generate a lot of cases, and are a particular problem among American passengers. If the passenger is young, single and unemployed, there are concerns that he or she may be trying to start a new life in the UK.

-Extract from "Exploring the decision making of Immigration Officers: a research study examining non-EEA passenger stops and refusals at UK ports" (Home Office Research & Development Service, January 2007)

as i said before just be careful of your dates when you became more than close friends !

Tnx for the info and advice.Yeah im ready about it if ever il apply a different status next time..But no plan really to apply just for a reason to stay permanent in uk coz if ever il get marry i stil love that we wl stay in phil permanent,Just for now i comes here becoz he cant stay with me in phil at this moment coz of his son..nobody will take care except him..But me no plans to stay permanent.il just wait for him to follow in phil if his ready,coz i have my life too to take care in phil..

[joebloggs]

good luck with what ever you do

just wanted to warn you about this thou, and not make the mistake some other have, i don't see why you or any family member cannot just come to the uk, but because of visa abuse by a number of people, it will only get more difficult to get a visa...

[gemini63]

good luck with what ever you do

just wanted to warn you about this thou, and not make the mistake some other have, i don't see why you or any family member cannot just come to the uk, but because of visa abuse by a number of people, it will only get more difficult to get a visa...

[Brucep]

If she applied her passport when she was still single, you have mentioned she's been separated for 10 years. By that time, she needs to renew her old passport. She has time to declare and use her hubby's surname so there will be no conflict in the future.

I think she needs to be honest this time and be herself when applying her visit visa.
Goodluck!

I'm pretty sure that was the case with her passport before she got married, but she renewed it a couple of years ago at the Philippines embassy in Beijing, giving the same details, her family name and that she was single. This new passport has another 3 years to run.

[darren-b]

This might be the case in the Philippines, but in the UK (well at least in mine and joeblogg's opinion) a close friend is not a BF/GF, it is just a very good friend.[/ I dont know if the eco is not clever enough to understand,coz we have the invitation letter attached to it.wr not denying..Maybe the eco have the idea ...thats why dont bother to interview me..Maybe i just show them that im capable and meet the criteria. I just show my own capacity not because i was sponsored by anybody...

I think you're missing the point..

Saying you're close friends at this point isn't actually an issue. It might become an issue if when you applied for a visitor visa you said you were close friends, but then at a later stage you applied for a fiancee/spouse visa and stated your relationship as BF/GF started prior to the date you applied for a visitor visa. You may argue close friends is the same as BF/GF, but I'm not sure the ECO would see it that way.

If you never apply for a fiancee/spouse visa then this is irrelevant to you.

[pennybarry]

I'm pretty sure that was the case with her passport before she got married, but she renewed it a couple of years ago at the Philippines embassy in Beijing, giving the same details, her family name and that she was single. This new passport has another 3 years to run.

She can apply ammendment of her passport anytime as long as she has docs which I am sure she has. That is, if she wants to use her hubby's surname to apply visit visa in the UK.