Visa Application

[rogedavi]

Hello Ladies and Gents,

This is my first posting on this site and would really appreciate some advice on my situation because I have no idea where to start...

I have been to the Philippines twice within the last 6 months and fell for a girl there who I have ended up asking to marry me. I am 26, financially wealthy (although currently unemployed - finance worker and victim of the recession) from the UK and she is 19. She has a year of nursing study completed although she doesnt study anymore and does not work either.

I would really like to bring her over here. Is it best to try to apply for a 6 (can u get this long?) month tourist visa or a fiancé settlement visa? What are the processes and the chances of success?

Any information you could help me with this would be great. I really have no idea how to go about doing this...

Many thanks in advance!

David

[MarBell379]

A visitor visa will be almost impossible if shes not working and has no obvious reason to return to Philippines.
A fiancee Visa will be the best step forward if you're ready to make the commitment.
The process is realtively straightforward, but you will need a lot of paperwork to make it all happen.

Check out Petes site - http://www.british-filipino.com/
Be aware that the Visa application form has changed and make sure you download the right one from the British Embassy site (at work atm and can't spend too long digging around for it).

The main things you need are
proof of relationship - pictures, phone logs/ chat logs etc, copies of letters?
Finances in a good state - bank statements etc (not sure how unemployment might affect this)
Proof of accomodation and its suitability (mortgage statememnts / description of house?)
prrof of your own identity - birth certificate etc.

I think the submission we put in must have weighed 1.5KG plus! theres a LOT of paperwork to make sure everythings covered.
Make sure you write a good cover letter / letter of sponsorship as well. Theres some examples on the forum of you search.

Good luck

[pumpkins]

hi rogedavi welcome here..you can use the search function here if you want to read other experiences that you can relate to.
other members here can give you advice..
goodluck to you both

[rusty]

I agree that a visit visa will be near impossible to get if she has no job and therefore no reason to return when the visa has expired.

Also the miniumum age for settlement visa, spouse or fiance is 21, therefore you can not apply yet.

[Bluebirdjones]

Fiance visa is a "no-go".

The UKBA / British Embassy in the Philipiines will NOT issue a fiance visa to
young women / ladies UNDER THE AGE OF 21 (so I believe)

.. I'm sure others on here will verify this.

My advice ?
Get her to return to college, and arrange from time-to-time to meet her
OUTSIDE the Philippines... eg Thailand, Malaysia.

So, when you do actually apply, you/she have a "track record" of visting other
countries, and NOT overstaying. The ECO will add a lot of credit/credence to
that.

[rogedavi]

thankyou for the help guys. im pretty disappointed in truth then because it looks like it will be a long time before anything can be arranged.

are there any other ways around this? what about marriage - say in the Philippines and then applying for a 'wife visa'?

[Arthur Little]

Hello Ladies and Gents,

This is my first posting on this site and would really appreciate some advice on my situation because I have no idea where to start...

I have been to the Philippines twice within the last 6 months and fell for a girl there who I have ended up asking to marry me. I am 26, financially wealthy (although currently unemployed - finance worker and victim of the recession) from the UK and she is 19. She has a year of nursing study completed although she doesnt study anymore and does not work either.

I would really like to bring her over here. Is it best to try to apply for a 6 (can u get this long?) month tourist visa or a fiancé settlement visa? What are the processes and the chances of success?

Any information you could help me with this would be great. I really have no idea how to go about doing this...

Many thanks in advance!

David

Welcome to the forum, David.

Firstly, I'm sorry to learn of your redundancy. There's no doubt, that the current recession has "bitten into" the Jobs Market ... although, hopefully, the outlook will steadily improve here for you and others like you.

Secondly, I hate having to pour "cold water" on your marital plans. But, last November, the British Government introduced legislation that effectively prevents people under the age of twenty-one applying for either a Fiancee or Settlement Visa to come to the UK.

Thirdly, Tourist/Visitor Visas are normally issued for a period of up to 6 months and, on the surface, would seem a logical means of fulfilling your objective. Having said that, these are pretty much an impossibility to obtain ... especially in the current economic climate.

However, by your own admission, you are financially solvent. And, given your temporary "freedom from the shackles of workaday life", it wouldn't be unreasonable to combine your enforced spare time with at least some of any redundancy payment to visit your mahal for a prolonged period ... during which you could build up photographic evidence of the two of you together ... in preparation for when she comes of age and will be able to apply for either of the two alternatives mentioned in my second paragraph.

Moreover, an extended visit would give you sufficient time to qualify for a marriage licence in the Philippines [regardless of her age] should you both feel so inclined. The MAIN drawback with THIS approach, of course, would be that, in the event of your return to the UK, you'd be living apart until your partner turned 21.

Sadly, we live in an imperfect world, and I only wish I could resolve your dilemma more satisfactorily.

[rogedavi]

how about a student visa?

[rogedavi]

what about going down the student visa route?

i refuse to believe that nothing can be done. where there is a will there is always a way

[Bluebirdjones]

Not ignoring the question....but....

.... most on here went down the fiance / spouse route, so most not qualified
to give advice on the student visa idea.

... but if u wait a while, someone will pop up with some relevant info.

BTW .... were u at ABN-AMRO or Barcap ?

[rogedavi]

u must have access to Bloomberg to be able to narrow it down to just two banks!

[Bluebirdjones]

.... I'm ex-mkt too.....

Continental Illinois before our take-over by BofA.... so ended up there by default!

So.... I was on the right track ?

[rogedavi]

yes you are - lucky guess then?

[Bluebirdjones]

... still work on the fringes of the market (securitisation.... ssshhhh, dirty word !)
and the FSA's register is a good source of info.

[darren-b]

what about going down the student visa route?

i refuse to believe that nothing can be done. where there is a will there is always a way

Student visas are always an option, though more difficult than they were. I believe that she will need to be accepted by an approved education provider and have ~£7000 in a bank account with her name on it (could be joint with someone else) for at least 28 days if you apply after the 1st October.

If you can sort it it for a couple of years or so and live together you can then go to an unmarried partners visa if you didn't want to get married.

[Tiggers0608]

Anyone correct me if I'm wrong please

But the rules now regarding fiancee and spouse that they have to be 21years old before applying for fiancee or spouse visa, dont know if they changed it again

but anyways good luck to both of you

[darren-b]

Anyone correct me if I'm wrong please

But the rules now regarding fiancee and spouse that they have to be 21years old before applying for fiancee or spouse visa, dont know if they changed it again

but anyways good luck to both of you

The over 21 rule has already been mentioned by 3 other people on this thread already

[pumpkins]

The over 21 rule has already been mentioned by 3 other people on this thread already

tiggers0608 might have not read the others replies..
sometimes i do like that.. i only read the main post and then reply.. no time to read what others say

[rogedavi]

is there a list of approved education providers anywhere?

[darren-b]

is there a list of approved education providers anywhere?

Here's more information about applying

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/st...dult-students/

Here's the list of approved education providers

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/si...nsorseducation

Most of the students who post to this forum seem to come here on an NVQ scheme (often through an agency) to work in a care home, though I'm not sure how many of them have applied since the 31st March when the rules changed.

[joebloggs]

some people on here have managed to get a visit visa with them having no money, job or property in the phils. yes they were lucky but not impossible.

student visa is one possible way.

also if your well off, you could try the surrinder route- might not be so straight forward, but a possible way of being togther, move to another EU country, exercise your treaty rights, south of france, somewhere sunny
http://www.ncadc.org.uk/archives/fil...ews17/don.html

why dont you go and live in the phils for 2yrs until shes 21 !.

[darren-b]

also if your well off, you could try the surrinder route- might not be so straight forward, but a possible way of being togther, move to another EU country, exercise your treaty rights, south of france, somewhere sunny
http://www.ncadc.org.uk/archives/fil...ews17/don.html

I thought exercising your treaty rights actually meant being economically active (ie earning money), but this suggests you could just be a work seeker.

[rogedavi]

please excuse my ignorance on the subject but what exactly are treaty rights?

[darren-b]

please excuse my ignorance on the subject but what exactly are treaty rights?

It's the rights given to you by the Treaty of Nice

Basically your rights to live and work as a EU citizen in any other EU country.

Why Joe has mentioned it is that unlike UK laws, EU laws would allow you to bring a spouse to the UK even if they are under 21. But the only way you can force the British government to treat you as a EU citizen rather than a British citizen is if you exercise your treaty rights in another EU state for a period of time.