Fiancee visa

[steadyfornow]

hello..we have concerns regarding the fiancee visa because we are kinda worried if we can be able to prove that our relationship is solid..because we are certain that we can prove that the realtionship is real but the thing that we worry is the time of span that we've been together...he'll be coming back this december but then we're not sure if we can provide enough evidence because we got official after he went back home which was on june this year..and we have several pictures but then those were for merely 2 nights that we've been together..is there a specific time for you to be together before applying..because if we are thinking of filing it by october..if that so we only have 4 months of being in a relationship..and one more thing he wants to be there by the time ill be interviewed..so i dont know..im real lost..who will schedule the interview?but we've actually been communicating even before he came..but nothing really serious cause this is far from what we've imagined..we really didnt expect this to come along..and i dont think we have loads of pictures..but we do have some....bec its really upsetting to be apart..and we're both scared that if we wait a little longer..this is really crazy..and long distance affair is new to both of us..its really great to feel the connection and love between us but yet so hard because we cant be fully happy because of the distance.. thanks..hoping you guys could help..

[Mrs.JMajor]

No specific months or time that you need to engaged to prove it was genuine relationship, second, you dont need to give

loads of pictures to prove you met each other, 4 pcs will do, just to show you met personally, third, keep all the archives of

your chat or how you contact each other will help for the ECO's decision, and once they are satisfied to all your documents of

how genuine the relationship, you dont need to worry about the interview, they only conduct interview if they are not

satisfied how real the relationship is...

Good Luck !!!!

[joebloggs]

starting writing letters to each other, say every 2 weeks, my misses use to write like a weeks diary to me , how your getting , oh you miss each other, oh i'm going all

keep the envelopes , you cannot get better evidence than snail mail with a letter in an envelope stamped with the date on

[Arthur Little]

you dont need to worry about the interview, they only conduct interview if they are not satisfied how real the relationship is ...

... that's certainly true! My wife wasn't interviewed when she applied for her spouse visa.

Incidentally, IF your "fiance-to-be" can afford to prolong his stay in the Phils, I would recommend getting married THERE and then go for the SPOUSAL route. That's what WE did! But then again, with my being retired, I COULD spare the time. And besides, it enabled us to collate all the necessary documentation [TOGETHER], to ensure nothing was missing/omitted. Not only that ... it's much cheaper to wed in the Philippines ... all the moreso if you opt for a Civil Ceremony. This way, your local Municipal Civil Registrar will release the original copy of the marriage certificate for *NSO Verification (an *essential part of the process) much more quickly than say, the Catholic Church ... and it means you can, in turn, proceed sooner rather than later with the submission of your visa application.

Of course, that is only MY suggestion, Michelle! It's entirely up to BOTH of YOU to decide what would be best suited to your particular circumstances. I just feel that by opting for a Fiancee Visa, you'd be landing yourselves with the additional expense incurred in applying for 'Further Leave to Remain' in the UK once here. And you DON'T want to have to fork out another [almost] £500 quid six months down the line.

[steadyfornow]

No specific months or time that you need to engaged to prove it was genuine relationship, second, you dont need to give

loads of pictures to prove you met each other, 4 pcs will do, just to show you met personally, third, keep all the archives of

your chat or how you contact each other will help for the ECO's decision, and once they are satisfied to all your documents of

how genuine the relationship, you dont need to worry about the interview, they only conduct interview if they are not

satisfied how real the relationship is...

Good Luck !!!!

Thank you so much ma'am..im really happy to hear that..so all we need is to prove that the relationship is genuine and thats it..thank you so much..one concern resolved though i know there's more to come as we move on.. but its a lot easier now knowing youre all there to help..thank you so much..we appreciate all your help..godbless..

[acs]

Hallo again Michelle, theres is no maximum or minimum time both of you and your fiance be engaged as long as long as you can show that you have met your fiance in person, and i guess both of you have done that. And only when the consul is not satisfied with your documents he/she will ask for an interview with you. Your fiance by the way if in case you will be interviewed will not usually allowed/ask to be with you when they do it. The one who will receive your documents is the vfs global...there website is www.vfs-uk-phil.com and they will forward it to the British Embassy located at British Embassy

120 Upper McKinley Road
McKinley Hill
Taguig City 1634

Manila

Telephone: (+63) (2) 858 2200
Fax: (+63) (2) 858 2237

Office hours (Local time):
Monday-Thursday: 08:00-16:45
Friday: 08:00-13:00

Office hours (GMT):
Monday-Thursday: 00:00-08:45
Friday: 00:00-05:00

[acs]

and read as much as you can also on the other threads, posts and advises here, they are very helpful. Goodluck on your application in advance.

[steadyfornow]

starting writing letters to each other, say every 2 weeks, my misses use to write like a weeks diary to me , how your getting , oh you miss each other, oh i'm going all

keep the envelopes , you cannot get better evidence than snail mail with a letter in an envelope stamped with the date on

thank you joe..yes we are indeed planning to send each other letters.. but i sent him one for his birthday but now we'll do that often..though we both know that email is more convenient..lol..but its no big deal compare to what we''ll get when everythings done..we'll be following you guys..you know better..thank you..

[joebloggs]

of course text and email still, but a written letter is the best evidence you can have of a genuine relationship, more personal than a typed email or txt

[steadyfornow]

and read as much as you can also on the other threads, posts and advises here, they are very helpful. Goodluck on your application in advance.

yes.we will definitely keep that in mind..thanks..

[Arthur Little]

thank you joe..yes we are indeed planning to send each other letters.. but i sent him one for his birthday but now we'll do that often..though we both know that email is more convenient..lol..but its no big deal compare to what we''ll get when everythings done..we'll be following you guys..you know better..thank you..

email's fine ... Myrna & I communicated this way - for almost a whole year in fact - and it ended up looking almost like a book! But that was just US! Indeed when it came to submitting Xerox copies, we wondered if the ECO would even bother going through it all with a fine toothcomb.

And besides, the British Embassy staff are well-aware of the problems involved in relying on handwritten letters sent by "Snail Mail".

Keeping a daily log, or diary - as Joe suggests is a good idea too.

[steadyfornow]

Hallo again Michelle, theres is no maximum or minimum time both of you and your fiance be engaged as long as long as you can show that you have met your fiance in person, and i guess both of you have done that. And only when the consul is not satisfied with your documents he/she will ask for an interview with you. Your fiance by the way if in case you will be interviewed will not usually allowed/ask to be with you when they do it. The one who will receive your documents is the vfs global...there website is www.vfs-uk-phil.com and they will forward it to the British Embassy located at British Embassy

120 Upper McKinley Road
McKinley Hill
Taguig City 1634

Manila

Telephone: (+63) (2) 858 2200
Fax: (+63) (2) 858 2237

Office hours (Local time):
Monday-Thursday: 08:00-16:45
Friday: 08:00-13:00

Office hours (GMT):
Monday-Thursday: 00:00-08:45
Friday: 00:00-05:00

well..i just hope we can satisfy them so i dont have to go through the interview process cause its nerve wracking..thanks again..

[steadyfornow]

email's fine ... Myrna & I communicated this way - for almost a whole year in fact - and it ended up looking almost like a book! But that was just US! Indeed when it came to submitting Xerox copies, we wondered if the ECO would even bother going through it all with a fine toothcomb.

And besides, the British Embassy staff are well-aware of the problems involved in relying on handwritten letters sent by "Snail Mail".

Keeping a daily log, or diary - as Joe suggests is a good idea too.

A diary?like a real diary of what im doing everyday?lol..

[Arthur Little]

of course text and email still, but a written letter is the best evidence you can have of a genuine relationship, more personal than a typed email or txt

handwritten letters always LOOK BETTER than emails because they ARE more 'personal' but, as I've just said to Michelle, the ECOs are well-aware of the problems vis-a-vis the Philippines' postal service [if it can be called such!]. I mean, you and I both know only too well that it would extremely difficult for two people to sustain a long-distance relationship if they relied on "Snail Mail"!

Yes, it's a good idea to send perhaps a few written communications as an adjunct. But Myrna and I emailed one another practically every day and, apart from exchanging Festive cards at Christmas 2007, all our correspondence was conducted electronically. And evidently the Embassy was satisfied with that arrangement since her visa was approved in what I understand was 'record-quick time' - and without the need for an interview!

[steadyfornow]

... that's certainly true! My wife wasn't interviewed when she applied for her spouse visa.

Incidentally, IF your "fiance-to-be" can afford to prolong his stay in the Phils, I would recommend getting married THERE and then go for the SPOUSAL route. That's what WE did! But then again, with my being retired, I COULD spare the time. And besides, it enabled us to collate all the necessary documentation [TOGETHER], to ensure nothing was missing/omitted. Not only that ... it's much cheaper to wed in the Philippines ... all the moreso if you opt for a Civil Ceremony. This way, your local Municipal Civil Registrar will release the original copy of the marriage certificate for *NSO Verification (an *essential part of the process) much more quickly than say, the Catholic Church ... and it means you can, in turn, proceed sooner rather than later with the submission of your visa application.

Of course, that is only MY suggestion, Michelle! It's entirely up to BOTH of YOU to decide what would be best suited to your particular circumstances. I just feel that by opting for a Fiancee Visa, you'd be landing yourselves with the additional expense incurred in applying for 'Further Leave to Remain' in the UK once here. And you DON'T want to have to fork out another [almost] £500 quid six months down the line.

but after we get married then apply for a spouse visa..its no longer necessary for me to go back to the Philippines..right?we might wanna come up with that idea but the problem is he doesnt have much time to stay here..

[Arthur Little]

A diary?like a real diary of what im doing everyday?lol..

Well ... yes ... like Joe and his missus evidently did!

[steadyfornow]

handwritten letters always LOOK BETTER than emails because they ARE more 'personal' but, as I've just said to Michelle, the ECOs are well-aware of the problems vis-a-vis the Philippines' postal service [if it can be called such!]. I mean, you and I both know only too well that it would extremely difficult for two people to sustain a long-distance relationship if they relied on "Snail Mail"!

Yes, it's a good idea to send perhaps a few written communications as an adjunct. But Myrna and I emailed one another practically every day and, apart from exchanging Festive cards at Christmas 2007, all our correspondence was conducted electronically. And evidently the Embassy was satisfied with that arrangement since her visa was approved in what I understand was 'record-quick time' - and without the need for an interview!

yes..we will write letters once in awhile but we do email often..but i remember i sent him a file on his birthday..its a movie presentation..are we allowed to include cd's as well?

[joebloggs]

Well ... yes ... like Joe and his missus evidently did!

oh i didn't write to her once or keep a diary , but the misses sent me a letter every couple of weeks, she added a bit to the letter everyday for a week or so then sent it, when we applied for a visa i sent the letters and envelopes, the letters and cards were spread over years

the more evidence the better, but i don't think they will take your cd

[Arthur Little]

...but after we get married then apply for a spouse visa..its no longer necessary for me to go back to the Philippines..right?we might wanna come up with that idea but the problem is he doesnt have much time to stay here..

Okay! Say you got married in the Philippines, as I suggested. Your local Municipal City Registrar would forward the ORIGINAL marriage certificate to the National Statistics Office in Manila [hopefully forthwith] to be verified. Whilst awaiting verification, you and your then husband should be able to collate all the other documents that will accompany your application for the visa. As soon as the NSO returns the marriage certificate duly validated, you can place it with all the other necessary paperwork and submit the application to VFS Global in Manila. My wife and I actually flew to the capital to present it personally at the undernoted address:

UK Visa Applications Centre,
VFS Services Philippines Inc.,
Phil-Axa Building, 2501-02 [25th Floor]
1286 San Gil Puyat Avenue,
Corner Tindalo Street,
Makati City,
MANILA

You should be aware, though, that before travelling to the Phils, your husband-to-be will need to visit his local Registry Office in the UK to obtain a 'Certificate of No Impediment' [CNI]... which normally takes around 17 Working Days to be issued. Likewise, you must acquire what is called a CENOMAR (basically these documents are required as proof that neither of you are already married). Then, in order to comply with Filipino law, it will also be necessary for your husband-to-be to exchange his British CNI for its Philippines' equivalent as soon as possible after his arrival. This is normally done at the MacKinlay Hill premises and NOT at the Phil-Axa building.

I hope the foregoing goes some way towards answering your various questions. However, should there happen to be any other points needing clarification, we're here to advise.

Not an Expert ... I only try to help!

[jam07]

Okay! Say you got married in the Philippines, as I suggested. Your local Municipal City Registrar would forward the ORIGINAL marriage certificate to the National Statistics Office in Manila [hopefully forthwith] to be verified. Whilst awaiting verification, you and your then husband should be able to collate all the other documents that will accompany your application for the visa. As soon as the NSO returns the marriage certificate duly validated, you can place it with all the other necessary paperwork and submit the application to VFS Global in Manila. My wife and I actually flew to the capital to present it personally at the undernoted address:

UK Visa Applications Centre,
VFS Services Philippines Inc.,
Phil-Axa Building, 2501-02 [25th Floor]
1286 San Gil Puyat Avenue,
Corner Tindalo Street,
Makati City,
MANILA

You should be aware, though, that before travelling to the Phils, your husband-to-be will need to visit his local Registry Office in the UK to obtain a 'Certificate of No Impediment' [CNI]... which normally takes around 17 Working Days to be issued. Likewise, you must acquire what is called a CENOMAR (basically these documents are required as proof that neither of you are already married). Then, in order to comply with Filipino law, it will also be necessary for your husband-to-be to exchange his British CNI for its Philippines' equivalent as soon as possible after his arrival. This is normally done at the MacKinlay Hill premises and NOT at the Phil-Axa building.

I hope the foregoing goes some way towards answering your various questions. However, should there happen to be any other points needing clarification, we're here to advise.

is that true arthur? spousal visa is more likely to be approved than fiancee visa? but which is more time consuming in terms of gathering necessary documents, application and the time of its approval?

CENOMAR? is this the same as 'certificate of singleness'? how long before your wife get it?

[Sophie]

CENOMAR? is this the same as 'certificate of singleness'? how long before your wife get it?

Yes and you can just request an authenticated copy of your birth certificate and cenomar from NSO.....
you can go to NSO or you can request via online....I requested online and after i got the confirmation email, i went to the accredited bank to pay
for the fees and i got my BC in 3 days and my Cenomar in 1 week, mailed to me via fedex...

[Arthur Little]

is that true arthur? spousal visa is more likely to be approved than fiancee visa? but which is more time consuming in terms of gathering necessary documents, application and the time of its approval?

Yes, it seems so! When Myrna called at the Phil-Axa building to present her application and its supporting paperwork, the VFS clerkess duly checked over everything, thanked her and, pointing to where the biometric fingerprinting would be done, added: "Ma'am, you should be made aware that a Settlement Visa normally takes around 3 months to process ... but no SPOUSAL visa [is] ever refused without very good reason!" I specifically remember those being the EXACT words the woman used. As to the amount of time taken to assemble the necessary documents, submit them and await the outcome, I believe there's very little difference [if indeed any] between the two.

In the event, we were, I suppose, a good deal luckier than most, as Myrna's visa was approved after just four and a half weeks.

CENOMAR? is this the same as 'certificate of singleness'? how long before your wife get it?

Again ... yes. In Myrna's case, it took 21 WORKING days. However, the waiting period can ... and does ... vary from person to person according to circumstances.

But it's easily obtained, as Sophie's experience clearly illustrates.

[jam07]

Yes, it seems so! When Myrna called at the Phil-Axa building to present her application and its supporting paperwork, the VFS clerkess duly checked over everything, thanked her and, pointing to where the biometric fingerprinting would be done, added: "Ma'am, you should be made aware that a Settlement Visa normally takes around 3 months to process ... but no SPOUSAL visa [is] ever refused without very good reason!" I specifically remember those being the EXACT words the woman used. As to the amount of time taken to assemble the necessary documents, submit them and await the outcome, I believe there's very little difference [if indeed any] between the two.

In the event, we were, I suppose, a good deal luckier than most, as Myrna's visa was approved after just four and a half weeks.



Again ... yes. In Myrna's case, it took 21 WORKING days. However, the waiting period can ... and does ... vary from person to person according to circumstances.

But it's easily obtained, as Sophie's experience clearly illustrates.

wow! i guess it eases the mind of the someone who has the dilemma of choosing between the two

thanks a lot for that information

one more question though, does your wife needs to ammend the lastname on her passport first before applying for a spousal visa?

hey, steadyfornow, i guess you should listen to arthur and go for spousal visa that is, if you are ready to spend the rest of your life with your bf

[jam07]

Yes and you can just request an authenticated copy of your birth certificate and cenomar from NSO.....
you can go to NSO or you can request via online....I requested online and after i got the confirmation email, i went to the accredited bank to pay
for the fees and i got my BC in 3 days and my Cenomar in 1 week, mailed to me via fedex...

so its the same... its the first time I heard of it

thanks sophie for clearing that out

[Arthur Little]

one more question though, does your wife needs to ammend the lastname on her passport first before applying for a spousal visa?

No. My wife's passport was issued in her maiden name at the end of September last year. We were married less than three months later, and she was told it would be quite in order for her to have it updated to her new status once she was living in the United Kingdom. So no problem there.

[gracia143]

well..i just hope we can satisfy them so i dont have to go through the interview process cause its nerve wracking..thanks again..

It just not so easy but as long as you provide them as much evidence as you can, we are most certain you will get the visa. Good luck!