Quote Originally Posted by keith britten View Post
Hi, I have just joined this site after being a browser for many months and have gained a lot of usefull information from here, thanks to you all.
I met a Filipina lady online nearly six months ago and over that time we have definately fallen in love and we will meet for the first time in the spring. I plan to marry her and then live in the Philippines. Neither of us are spring chickens, I'm 64 and she's 40 and I know thats a big age difference but despite my attempts to point out the disadvantages of marrying an older guy she still wants to go ahead and so do I. We have all the documentation needed or a marriage licence an idealy I would like to marry her on my first visit but it seems to take 7 weeks to get the marriage licence which would be to long, does anyone know how to fast track it? After we are married I will come back to uk alone and sort out my affairs then hopefully go back to the Phils to live. Here lies my concerns about the Non Quota Visa, ok I have no criminal record and have been a respectable citizen of the uk all my life but the medical scares me to death. Firstly does anyone know how much it will cost to get this medical, I assume that I can't get under the National Health. Secondly, I have'nt seen a doctor for over 50 years and I assume that I'm in good health, but what happens if they discover something at the medical, will this impare my visa application?
Sorry for rambling on so much but I have a lot of questions and can't seem to get the answers. Thanks for reading.
Keith ... to the filipino/uk forum.

As I understand it, you're planning to travel to the Phils come the Spring. And that's fine. Now, it's none of my business ... but I cannot help feeling that it IS a bit premature for a couple to be contemplating marriage without having actually met in person. You mention being 64 years old - and the lady in question being 40 - a sizeable age gap [by western standards] although not all that unusual in "the greater scheme of things".

But first and foremost, I do feel you need to meet and spend as much time as possible getting to know one another well; indeed, the British Embassy insist on this as a prerequisite to applying for a Spousal Visa on behalf of a Non-European subject - lest the union be construed as a 'marriage of convenience' - IF (and I'm aware you've said you plan to live in the Philippines) you intend bringing your partner to the UK at some stage in the future.