Visa Documents Submitted, But Did Not Realise About CFO Seminar Attendance . HELP!!

[New Shoes]

I've started this thread in response to my thread in the 'Courting' section.

My gf has just (Wednesday morning) handed in her visa application to be processed by the ECO in Manila. All was going well, until I've been informed that she needs to to a CFO seminar

Here's the current situation:-

She's a done the A1 English test BUT>>>>PANIC!!! She's not done the CFO Seminar
I'd totally missed that requirement. Does this mean her visa application will fail? Or can she attend a CFO seminar once she has got a visa?
All of her documents are now with the ECO / visa staff

I'm going to do some searching for information.

It would be nice if she could arrange a seminar while she is in Manila, but that depends on what documents she needs to show. Like I said, all of her personal documents are now with the visa people.

Oh man, I gone from being confident that we'd done all that was required and now find out about the CFO.

Any helpful infprmation would be VERY gratefully received!!

[purple]

The CFO seminar is normally done when she received her visa. But whilst waiting for the decision from ECO she can attend the CFO seminar (SMEF-COW and once the passport arrives with visa stamped in it then she can get CFO sticker.

OR

wait when she's granted with visa.. then attend the seminar to get the certificate and have the passport stamped with CFO sticker at the same day. Your gf needs to be at the CFO centre very early.. around 7am. And it will depend which centre since they have different schedules for different countries.

CFO seminar and sticker is required for filipinos who leaves the Philippines for good.

[New Shoes]

Many thanks for the reply.
Initially I thought that she needed the CFO cert / stamp to be submitted with the visa application.

Now I knowe that they are two separate things. That's a HUGE relief!!!

I think she might as well wait until she has her passport returned to her with (hopefully) the visa inside. And then she can arrange to attend a seminar and have the CFO sticker put in her passport on the day.

Many many thanks !!!!!!!!!

For a moment I was in a blind panic thinking that I'd missed a really important requirement for a successful visa application!!!!

Thanks again....

[Arthur Little]

I've long-maintained that VFS premises OUGHT to post a prominently-located notice advising Settlement Visa applicants of the obligation to attend a CFO Seminar once they've received their visas. Others don't necessarily agree with my philosophy ... THEIR "argument" being that it's a Philippines' Government Directive - purportedly for the purpose of keeping tabs on the welfare of their citizens emigrating abroad - and nothing whatsoever to do with the British Embassy.