The British Embassy Afternoon Session
At 2pm we all returned to the front of the LV Locsin building and said our Goodbyes kenny and I again chatted outside, the time seemed to drag, until about 4.30...now another 2.5 hours of hanging around, we were told we could go around the back of the LV Locsin Building and there was a coffee shop..hahaha if you could call it that.
We went around the back, its more like a mini mart, with a few seats and tables, the coffee is basically, a cup with dried coffee and you help yourself to hot water, its about 20 P a cup, actually, we did not sit their long as we were both worried that the girls would come out and we would miss them, again as I have previously stated, there is no way to know if your partner has emerged.
We saw plenty of Filipina's coming out, who we stopped and asked them what they had applied for, there had been many refusals, but as I had previously thought, and now can put it to rest, the majority of applications in the daytime are for Student, Work and dependant Visa's a category which we have rarely discussed on the Forum.
Dependant Applications are for Filipino's who have relatives in the UK on permament work visas, I.E. Nurses and other skilled people under the "Skilled Migrant programme"
Most of the refusals we met, were dependants who had applied to join their relatives, there were we found out, only 7 Applicants who had gone up to the Embassy that day, (we got this information out of the Guard, who told us how many Settlement applications had slipped pas him)
The interesting thing I then found out, was that any applicant who showed up for an afternoon appointment was actually being interviwed before my Gina who had arrived at 10.15am, a bit shitty but true, Gina was in fact the last applicant to be interviewed that day.
When Gina arrived at 10.30am, she told me she sat until 11.00am, and was relieved of the following.
1. The VAFW2004
2. The current Fee P27,300
3. A Covering Letter I had written.
4. Our NSO Marriage Certificate
5. Her NSO Birth Certificate
6. Her Passport.
These were the only things taken, it was not until her Interview was she then asked to produce the following
1. My Divorce Decree Absolute.
2. 2nd Copy of Legal Capacity for Marriage
3. Evidence of Accomodation.
4. Bank Statements.
5. Letter from my Employer Stating Salary and Commissions for last 2 years.
6. Copy of NSO Marriage Certificate.
Although I had made it known to the ECO that I was at the Embassy, and available to be interviewed if necessary, a good thing in my view as I shall show you later, the ECO did not once ask for me, the decision to grant the visa was purely made on the basis of the Application with the Applicant and her responses.
The Interview
The reason I am able to relate the interview word for word, is that when Gina went on Tuesday at 3pm to collect her Visa, they Embassy I think has made a mistake in that they gave us a full transcript of the Interview and i can reveal the following.
1. The Interviewer now transcribes the Interview and does not write anything, having a PC Available in the Room.
2. The Interviewer also makes a summary of his her opinion on the Applicants Sincerity, and the decision to grant or refuse a visa is arbitrary, and not objective as we had been led to beleive, something of which i find disturbing.
So how did it go...something Like this.
1. Hello Mrs Bennett I understand you have applied in your Maiden name, did you complete this application ?
A Yes i did.
2. Are you fit and well to be interviewed today ?
A Yes I am.
3. Would you prefer the Interview to be completed in your native Language or in English.
A English please.
4. Very well..So this is your application, are the answers contained within this document you have submitted correct ?
A Yes they are.
5. Can you tell me How you first made contact with your husband ?
A I met Peter on Yahoo chatting and we exchanged E Mails.
6. So why were you on the Internet ?
A Just looking for a freind ?
7. Come on, surely you were looking for a husband to get you out of the Philippines were you not ?
A No I was just looking for a nice freind, but yes actually a foreign one.
8. So really then, it would be true to say, you wanted a foreign husband, isnt that the case ?
A Not really, but I suppose I would prefer a foreign husband to my own kind.
9. Why is that ? is it because you want to go to UK For a better life ?
A No I am happy here with my Job as an office Manager I never really thought about the UK in that sense.
10. Come on you can do better than that, is that the real reason, are you really expecting me to beleive that you dont want a better life ?
A. Well everyone does dont they, but as long as I can take care of my husband I will be happy if he lives here in the Philippines.
11. Did your husband ever talk of coming to live with you here in the Philippines ?
A Yes he loves it in my country, but he does not think he could make a living here.
12. I see. so how much does he earn then ?
A He earns xxxxx to xxxxx but he has not earned as much as he has been to see me 4 times last year.
13. When did he propose to you or did you propose to him ?
A He proposed to me in Ilo Ilo City on 12th March 2004.
14. So if i decide to refuse you a visa, what will you do, end your life or something like that (ECO Laughs)
A No actually I will ask my husband to come and live with me, although i think he will never be happy as he cant make the money he makes in UK.
15. So what attracted you to your husband ?
A His qualities
16. Come on you can do better than that, their must be things you can tell me why you were attracted to him ?
Well he is generous, and loving, he is caring, I like his sense of humour, and honest with me, and I trust him.
17. So would you say then that this is the reason you wanted a foreign husband, because that is what you wanted wasnt it ?
A Well not neccessarily a foreign husband, but a husband with those qualities, I always thought British men were like that...
18. Why does your husband not own a house ? oh yes I Can see, he is divorced recently isnt he ?
A Yes he was, he lost the house to the former wife.
19. Oh yes So the ex wife got it all did she (ECO Laughs) ?
A Yes she got it all..but my husband has rented a house for me to live in.
20. Does you husband have family ?
A Yes he does, his Mother is called...xxxx his Father is xxxx his Sister is xxxx and her children are called xxxxxxx.
ECO Says : "Mrs Bennett I am satisfied with your application and your answers, I am happy to grant you a visa, will you please come back tomorrow at 3pm, as it is too late to issue it today, I will then have all your documents returned to you, before you go, were you happy with the style of interview, and how you have been treated today. ?"
A well..its ok
ECO Says: (Laughing) come on, just ok ?
A Well i am happy to receive my visa thank you.
ECO Thank you also...Enjoy the rest of your day.
