Beginning the climb

[prythee]

Hello all

I guess i've been lurking around this forum for several months now, finally decided to join ! Originally I was just after good advice on applying for the Fiance Visa,,,which i found in abundance..Thanks...I intend to apply in Sept or at least my love does...and although there has been several threads relating to my concern i would really appreciate additional opinions.

I have been to the Phils 3 times this year ..a month on each occasion...i will spend another month there in Sept, all this time will and has been spent with my intended. I believe we have enough evidence to show a sustained relationship which seems to be the main stumbling block. All other requirements stated are met.

However, my intended, an adopted child, has never worked, has never had a bank account, no savings and quite simply has lived all her life, quite happily, with her adopted family looking after various members children, the household and generally been what can only be termed as basically a housemaid. As such there is no work records, no wage slips, no nothing. Since we met she has aquired a passport, which was a nightmare as the adoption was dubious and there was no birth certificate, opened a bank account which I have subsequently furnished with a few hundred thousand peso, all this was completed in the last month.

My question is, will the history, or lack of it, be detrimental to the application
as the bank account is new, the passport is new and before that there is nothing really to show, of course we have the birth certificate now...even though we had to approximate her age !! but it is all legal...took for ever....also any advice on how to sustain any semblance of normality during the long seperations would be helpful, i do struggle !!

Thanks all

[Jay&Zobel]

Hello all

I guess i've been lurking around this forum for several months now, finally decided to join ! Originally I was just after good advice on applying for the Fiance Visa,,,which i found in abundance..Thanks...I intend to apply in Sept or at least my love does...and although there has been several threads relating to my concern i would really appreciate additional opinions.

I have been to the Phils 3 times this year ..a month on each occasion...i will spend another month there in Sept, all this time will and has been spent with my intended. I believe we have enough evidence to show a sustained relationship which seems to be the main stumbling block. All other requirements stated are met.

However, my intended, an adopted child, has never worked, has never had a bank account, no savings and quite simply has lived all her life, quite happily, with her adopted family looking after various members children, the household and generally been what can only be termed as basically a housemaid. As such there is no work records, no wage slips, no nothing. Since we met she has aquired a passport, which was a nightmare as the adoption was dubious and there was no birth certificate, opened a bank account which I have subsequently furnished with a few hundred thousand peso, all this was completed in the last month.

My question is, will the history, or lack of it, be detrimental to the application
as the bank account is new, the passport is new and before that there is nothing really to show, of course we have the birth certificate now...even though we had to approximate her age !! but it is all legal...took for ever....also any advice on how to sustain any semblance of normality during the long seperations would be helpful, i do struggle !!

Thanks all

Welcome here Prythee!

Basically, you have nothing to worry regarding the application. All she needs to present are her: PASSPOST, CENOMAR (Certificate of No marriage), Birth Certificate/ Certificate of Adoption. She doesn't need to have a job nor savings (I guess it's not that relevant).

The important requirements are coming from you:
6 mos bank statements
mortgage / rent / accommodation documents
letter of support/ invitation
and others...

[aromulus]

As you said she has a birth certificate and a passport....
I don't see a problem there.

Ideally you should marry her in Philly, apart from the fact it will be a hell of a lot cheaper than overhere, it will save you one lot of visa fees.

The ECO will concentrate more on your own circumstances than your fiancee/wife's.
You will have to supply proof of income, accomodation, receipts of having visited her,maybe chat logs, phone cards, etc.
All she need really would be small things compared to your lot of documentation.

Welcome aboard and good luck..

[trader dave]

in my opinion i dont think it will be a problem she has her passport now??

and as i know that was not easy to get

from now on there are realy interested in what you have to support your intended

i have been in the same situation as you my wife [now] had no parents .has a child and has not worked for a couple of years


once you are married [i would suggest in the philippines] it is hard for them to refuse you to live together as man and wife

its a long and costly road

ldr's are not easy

[Jay&Zobel]

Hello all
also any advice on how to sustain any semblance of normality during the long seperations would be helpful, i do struggle !!

Thanks all

Ahhh LDRs!!! Tell me about it lol We've all been there and done that. I guess the best part is after you have obtained the VISA, there's NO MORE WAITING hahaha lol... Me just saying IT'S ALL WORTH IT!!!

[Jay&Zobel]

Ideally you should marry her in Philly, apart from the fact it will be a hell of a lot cheaper than overhere, it will save you one lot of visa fees.

once you are married [i would suggest in the philippines] it is hard for them to refuse you to live together as man and wife

its a long and costly road

ldr's are not easy

Marry in the PI

[Sophie]

Hello all

I guess i've been lurking around this forum for several months now, finally decided to join ! Originally I was just after good advice on applying for the Fiance Visa,,,which i found in abundance..Thanks...I intend to apply in Sept or at least my love does...and although there has been several threads relating to my concern i would really appreciate additional opinions.

I have been to the Phils 3 times this year ..a month on each occasion...i will spend another month there in Sept, all this time will and has been spent with my intended. I believe we have enough evidence to show a sustained relationship which seems to be the main stumbling block. All other requirements stated are met.

However, my intended, an adopted child, has never worked, has never had a bank account, no savings and quite simply has lived all her life, quite happily, with her adopted family looking after various members children, the household and generally been what can only be termed as basically a housemaid. As such there is no work records, no wage slips, no nothing. Since we met she has aquired a passport, which was a nightmare as the adoption was dubious and there was no birth certificate, opened a bank account which I have subsequently furnished with a few hundred thousand peso, all this was completed in the last month.

My question is, will the history, or lack of it, be detrimental to the application
as the bank account is new, the passport is new and before that there is nothing really to show, of course we have the birth certificate now...even though we had to approximate her age !! but it is all legal...took for ever....also any advice on how to sustain any semblance of normality during the long seperations would be helpful, i do struggle !!

Thanks all

As long as she already secured a birth certificate, she'll be fine.....
She got a passport already and she can just secure an NSO authenticated copy of her Cenomar and Birth certificate when she applies for a visa....
And as zobel said, more will be needed from your end rather than your gf's.
So i wish you all the best on your application

[Arthur Little]

Welcome to the forum. Like my colleagues, I would certainly advocate marrying in the Phils ... having done so myself ... and then apply for a spousal visa - with YOU as sponsor.

Good luck on your eventual application.

[Ana_may365]

welcome aboard,and all the best to u and to ur fiancee

[Florge]

welcome and mabuhay!!!

[prythee]

Thanks for the replies, generally i feel reassured ive got everything covered, Now the next hurdle approaches

From what I read here the Embassy service seems to be a bit of a joke...600 quid and they take around 4 months to decide...come to think of it "Service" is hardly the appropriate word. Where else would you pay up front for something that someone says "I'll do it in 4 Months" talk about a captive audience, I'm developing a certain sense of indignation for the people who get paid from my hefty deductions!!

[darren-b]

Thanks for the replies, generally i feel reassured ive got everything covered, Now the next hurdle approaches

From what I read here the Embassy service seems to be a bit of a joke...600 quid and they take around 4 months to decide...come to think of it "Service" is hardly the appropriate word. Where else would you pay up front for something that someone says "I'll do it in 4 Months" talk about a captive audience, I'm developing a certain sense of indignation for the people who get paid from my hefty deductions!!

4 months is about the longest, it may get processed quicker. One reason why it takes a while for a visa to be issued is that the Embassy requests information about the applicant from government agencies in the Philippines which don't necessarily respond that quickly.

[joebloggs]

4 months is about the longest, it may get processed quicker. One reason why it takes a while for a visa to be issued is that the Embassy requests information about the applicant from government agencies in the Philippines which don't necessarily respond that quickly.

the embassy might say the delay is because of 'local checks', but i'm not so sure, do they do these checks on people who want to come and work, study, visit here or even those who apply for 'family permits' if not why not ? , I would have thought there would be less chance of a spouse of a brit being a terrorist or criminal than someone in one of the other visa categories who doesn't have any ties with the uk.

funny when i nearly waited 3 months years ago, i complained to the embassy and the misses got a call from the embassy to pick her visas up the next day

[trader dave]

the embassy might say the delay is because of 'local checks', but i'm not so sure, do they do these checks on people who want to come and work, study, visit here or even those who apply for 'family permits' if not why not ? , I would have thought there would be less chance of a spouse of a brit being a terrorist or criminal than someone in one of the other visa categories who doesn't have any ties with the uk.

funny when i nearly waited 3 months years ago, i complained to the embassy and the misses got a call from the embassy to pick her visas up the next day

hassle hassle them write emails ,phone calls are no good an email you have a record at the end of the day they are providing a service A ITS NOT GOOD ENOUGH

[darren-b]

the embassy might say the delay is because of 'local checks', but i'm not so sure, do they do these checks on people who want to come and work, study, visit here or even those who apply for 'family permits' if not why not ? , I would have thought there would be less chance of a spouse of a brit being a terrorist or criminal than someone in one of the other visa categories who doesn't have any ties with the uk.

funny when i nearly waited 3 months years ago, i complained to the embassy and the misses got a call from the embassy to pick her visas up the next day

Looking on various forums suggests that many fiancee/spouse visas are taking a while to be processed (even from the US) and the suggested reason why seems to be because they run checks in the UK on the sponsor.

I'm sure if the BIA could offer a same day service with the 'appropriate' fee they would, as most people would pay it to get it over and done with.

[darren-b]

hassle hassle them write emails ,phone calls are no good an email you have a record at the end of the day they are providing a service A ITS NOT GOOD ENOUGH

Emails are too easy to ignore.. Your only way of really hassling them is to turn up at the embassy in Manila.

[joebloggs]

hassle hassle them write emails ,phone calls are no good an email you have a record at the end of the day they are providing a service A ITS NOT GOOD ENOUGH

well, when my misses kept telling me the embassy said they were waiting because of 'local checks', i started emailing the embassy and each time i replied to their email, i got an email back saying the person had gone on holiday, was on a training course, was ill, kidnapped by aliens, after a month of this, i had enough


i emailed every department manager at the embassy, saying is there anyone there who is not on holiday, on a training course or ill, and I've been messed around for more than a month and if your going to refuse the visa, just do it, so i can appeal !, the next day i got a copy of an email from one manger to another, saying would they help me out, because i wasn't having much luck with the embassy. and my misses got a call the next day to pick up her visas

both of the managers had British surnames, maybe i got lucky with a brit who understands the frustration of waiting