Applying for a Fiance or Spouse Visa - A quick guide

[pumpkinbee]

THE WURZEL----Hi Stuart, I am new to the site and have read your post. I am in the same situation as your fiance...was married in 1989 and was also separated in 1989, the marriage basically last for 3wks only and I have had no contact with him since then.
Me and my partner have decided to apply for a fiance visa, had started our research and stumbled on this issue...
Do you mind telling me exactly what you guys did? I tried to search for the UNMARRIED visa and couldn't find it
I look forward to hearing from you

[Robert86]

hello id like to know could you help me?? im planning to bring my filipina wife here to the uk on a spouse visa.. i work full time as a care assistant and have a current savings total of £3000 she will also have £3000 in her account.. is this sufficient enough?? please help..

[melovesengland]

now, how about a really good detailed VISIT visa tips? anyone??

Base from my personal experience. http://filipinaroses.com/showthread....ps+and+advices

[melovesengland]

Very informative POST! Whooohoo! Most of my QUESTIONS are ANSWERED! Thumbs up to this!

[lykayu01]

hello id like to know could you help me?? im planning to bring my filipina wife here to the uk on a spouse visa.. i work full time as a care assistant and have a current savings total of £3000 she will also have £3000 in her account.. is this sufficient enough?? please help..

wow i think thats enough... ;') my hubby is from newtownabbey

[sexyvictoria]

Hi l dont know how to post a question l am sexy victoria fiance. i want help answering this question.
When my my fiance is here we wont be claiming public funds. But we will be living in my parents house but my mum is claming housing benfit as a public fund. BUT as l am not and my fiance will not be on the housing benfits so no public funds in our names. Do you think it will be ok when we appy for the visa.

[Robert86]

hello there lykayu, yes newtownabbey is not far from me..

[lykayu01]

hello there lykayu, yes newtownabbey is not far from me..

yeah i guess its just 15mins away....nice to meet u both here

[Robert86]

hi lykayu have you applied for spouse visa yet?? we will apply later in the year

[lykayu01]

hi lykayu have you applied for spouse visa yet?? we will apply later in the year

i will apply this Feb im just waiting for my hubby's docs

[MarkR]

Hi
Does anyone happen to have a copy of the Spouse visa checklist that is linked on the first page of this posting? The link no longer works and googling for Settlement_sponsored_by_spouse.pdf isn't coming up with anything useful either!

[melovesengland]

http://filipinaroses.com/showthread....)-tips-advices

That was my visit visa experiences. Hope it will help.

[Marie]

Thank you Ricky...me will apply soon....

[iamghee]

At some point in your relationship you may feel that you want to be together in the UK, and will have the first big hurdle to overcome of getting a spouse or fiance visa. Well it can all be made a bit easier, knowing that all of the official information is on the internet to support you.
Of course you need to first decide whether you will marry in the the Philippines or the UK, but regardless the process for the visa is much the same.
Long before you apply for the visa you should be collating evidence to support the application. It will be your responsibility to prove that you have a genuine relationship with items such as photos, e-mails, chat logs, phone bills, evidence of trips to the Philippines/UK, reciepts from money transfers (including western union etc). Without enough evidence, there is a good chance your application will be refused.

The information and guidelines on settlement visas for Husband, Wives and Partners is available on the Border Agency website here: http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoap...swivespartners

Two extracts which I feel are the most important from this are


One of the important points to take away from this is the 'no help from public funds', this means that if you are claiming benefits, then you fiance/spouse cannot be dependant on you. This is a point which can be very challenging to overcome.

Apply for the visa
When you apply for the visa, the application is firstly made online at the UK Border Agency website and is printed out. Then you need to schedule an appointment to submit the application and supporting documents at VFS in Makati, Manila. VFS is a private agency that processes the applications for the visas. This appointment is NOT an interview, it is simply where you attend to submit the documents and have you biometrics taken.
Your visa application will be sent to the British Embassy by VFS, where an Entry Clearance Officer will assess that the documents and evidence submitted meets its requirements for the issue of the visa. If they need more information, they may ask you to attend the British Embassy for an interview. Normally within a month you will receive a text message to collect your passport, and only once you have collected your passport from the Embassy will you know whether you have been granted the visa or not. If the visa has not been granted, this could be because you cannot show enough funds to support yourselves, or did not show enough evidence. You do have the opportunity to appeal, and that information will be given to you with a letter that explains why your application was rejected.

On the VFS website is a full guide to the application:

http://www.vfs-uk-ph.com/applying.aspx

1. Gather evidence pertaining to your relationship
2. Read the guidance on http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoap...swivespartners
3. Complete the application form accurately at http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/applyonline
4. Schedule an appointment to submit your documents at https://www.vfs.firm.in/pl-apptsyste...ppwelcome.aspx
5. Prepare the evidence and documents as per your relevent checklist http://www.vfs-uk-ph.com/images/Sett..._by_fiance.pdf or http://www.vfs-uk-ph.com/images/Sett..._by_spouse.pdf
6. Read through your application again, checking for mistakes or inconsistancies. Check that you have all the documents and evidence as per the checklists. Have as much evidence as you can provide, it's better to have too much and them reject it. Organise the evidence into neat files, which make it easy to find information.
7. Have your sponsor write a good letter to the Embassy supporting your application, and outlining how long you have been together and important events and meetings between yourselves. He will also have provide copies of his passport and the stamped pages.
8. Attend the VFS Appointment and submit your documents, then wait for upto 30 days. Prepare yourself and consider what kind of questions might be asked should you be called for interview.

I hope this brief guide makes it a little easier for those people applying for visas, and makes it seem a little easier. The information is correct as of 2nd September 2010, but I'd recommend you always check and read the latest guidance on the VFS and UK Border Agency website to make sure that you have the correct information to hand.

couldn't thank you enough for this I'm so glad that there are so many great people around here in this forum. May God bless you all

[BriaNoreen]

hi imagine.

The sponsor will be you and no body else as you are the husband.

The fact that you're on benefits might make her application difficult. It would be best if you have a job before she applies.

Although you may sufficient amount of savings, the embassy wants to know that your partner won't depend on public funds (maybe for the rest of her life, not just when she arrives) and £12,000 wont really last more than a year with you not having a job right?.

The best way of proving that she wont recourse to public funds is for you to have a stable job of which you have to show 6 months payslips. Which means you have to be working for at least 6 months. Some people have submitted 3 months payslips and were approved their visa, but 6 months is your best bet.

You cannot be denied a visa simply because you're on benefits - you have the same rights as a citizen whether you are unemployed, disabled, working, or very rich and living off your own private income.

Recourse to public funds is your only sticking point - in your case you can show you have adequate funds and both of you are willing to work in future.

If you were refused on some odd grounds that "well, you know, uh, your benefits or employment circumstances might change in the future or your bank could collapse [not impossible!] so you'll have no savings - therefore we're not satisfied you can afford this" is unreasonable - for who can predict the future except people with crystal balls and magical powers?

And that would mean only the very wealthy with funds in Coots bank could afford to marry whoever they wish, wherever and whenever.

[Terpe]

You cannot be denied a visa simply because you're on benefits.....................

True in principle, but you still need to prove ability to support yourselves without recourse to public funds or additional public funds, just the same as every applicant.

Currently you would need to show evidence of £105.95 per week for a couple and £62.33 pounds per week for a dependent child after any regular non-discretionary expenditure.

If the govt actually presses ahead with expected changes it could prove to be much more difficult.
Watch this space!!

[tiger31]

stuart are you saying you got a settlement visa for your partner even though she has,nt got annullment .if so you have just givin me hope although im divorced we have been together 2 years ive lived with her for 1 year in phillipines and just returned to uk .can you give me some idea on what to say in letters etc and do i apply on her behalf or does she have to do it from cebu thanks

[ghen]

this thread is very much helpful to me..im new here and i was married with an english girl from chester last year...im still here in manila and we are planning to file my spouse visa soon..pls give me some advice regarding to all the papers i need to submit in the embassy and is it ok that we are one year away from each other before applying?

thanks everybody and looking forward for your response

[maya12]

hi everyone i am new to the site and i find it very helpful. I am applying for a fiancee visa but i dont have a job at the moment. I was in the UK for 5mos been in PH for almost 6mos now.My fiancee has a permanent job, is it still possoble to get a visa if i dont have a job here and i dont have that much money in my account. need advice pls....


I am looking for advice/tips pls. Thanks and godbless

[songz777]

Quote: you have suitable accommodation, which is owned or lived in only by you and your household, and where you and your dependants can live without any help from public funds

Question? I live in a nice country cottage with my parents more than enough space for my future wife to have our own spacy room for privacy. The kitchen would be shared with my folks. According to guide lines 1 room = max 2 people apart from under 1 years old child. Can you clarify that my abode would be ok for us both? We also have 2 other rooms which are storage at the monent but will be made smart for when she lives with us.
Mnay thanks John

[Terpe]

Quote: you have suitable accommodation, which is owned or lived in only by you and your household, and where you and your dependants can live without any help from public funds

Question? I live in a nice country cottage with my parents more than enough space for my future wife to have our own spacy room for privacy. The kitchen would be shared with my folks. According to guide lines 1 room = max 2 people apart from under 1 years old child. Can you clarify that my abode would be ok for us both? We also have 2 other rooms which are storage at the monent but will be made smart for when she lives with us.
Mnay thanks John

John take a look here:-
http://filipinaroses.com/showthread....-A-Spouse-Visa

Scroll down to "- Evidence of your accommodation"

You should be fine according to existing rules (which are not planned for any changes)

[Mrs.P]

Hi guys do u think it will be helpful to get immigration advisers to assist in the application documents? My husband had a meeting with a member of this reputable immigration company in the UK and he was charged of £125 for the consultation and if we choose to continue it's going to be £1500.

And since then I've tried harder to look for some info on how to apply and maybe rather than getting their service we can just save it instead. And this is how i came across to this site, i had confidence we can get this done without the advisers. however, i'm nervous. questions like, do we have enough docs when we apply? will these be enough to convince them? so the burden is on me because i convinced my husband not to get advisers anymore.

and here's the documents we plan to supply when we submit our application


2. evidence of your age and your partner's age
o (BIRTH CERTIFICATE)
3. your marriage or civil partnership certificate
(MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE NSO copy and CIVIL REGISTRAR copy)
4. evidence that you were both free to marry or enter your civil partnership, if either of you was previously married or in a civil partnership
o (CNI/CENOMAR CERTIFICATE)
5. evidence that you have met
o (PHOTOS)
6. evidence of your English language ability
o (ENGLISH EXAM)
7. evidence that you can can maintain yourselves and any dependants adequately without needing public funds
o (BANK STATEMENT)
o (LETTER FROM THE BANK)
o (Certificate of Employment if possible salary is mentioned)
8. evidence of your accomodation
o (PICTURES)
o (MORTGAGE TITLE)
o (LETTER FROM LAND OWNER)

[cheekee]

Thank you so much.

I really learned a lot from this post.

[Pippa]

Hi

Could anyone offer me any advice

I met my Filipino boyfriend over 2 years ago when we worked together on a cruise ship, I am a British citizen. We are now a couple and next year want to try and apply for him to come to the uk. I don't know which visa would be the best option for us, is it better to marry in the Philippines and then try for a spouse visa or is it better to apply for a fiancé visa.

I am aware of the fianancial requirements and have a job due to start that will give me the 18,600 salary that I require. I live at home with my parents who have met my partner and this is where we will be living, they have a 4 bedroom house and it would just be the 4 of us living here.

Any help or advice would be very much appreciated

Thanks

[Bluebirdjones]

Horses for courses..... as the ECO (Entry Clearance Officer) will not discriminate betwen the fiance or spouse route.
If you conform & comply with the regulations and your proof of relationship is strong, then either way should guarantee success.

FYI ... via a spouse visa, can he work immediately upon arrival in the UK.
Under the fiance route, you'll first have to comply with the visa conditions (ie you get married), then you have to apply for FLR (more money !), and only after approval of the FLR can he work.

Hope this is of help

[waytogo297]

This was exactly the information I was looking for thank you very much for this post.

[Terpe]

This was exactly the information I was looking for thank you very much for this post.

Be aware that it's now completely out of date.

[desmortess]

all of your replies really helps

[RickyR]

Thread Closed.

The information is now outdated, and other threads have more upto date information.