We Are Approved

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by ginapeterb@Sep 13 2005, 10:19 PM
STOP PRESS.

Found out today, that British Embassy Manila are not accepting any more interview appointments this year, applicants are now being directed to apply by post, through the CAVA Service, documents including fees and all other evidence should now be submitted using the Courier Assisted Visa application service, the cost is P250.00, the courier will call at your home, collect the documents from the applicant, the British Embassy Visa Section will scrutinize the documents, if a formal interview is required, they Embassy will now advise in writing and an appointment will be made.

This is the latest folks....trust me...it came through this morning.
Pete

Quoted post

Thanks for the update. I've been waiting for my wife to call the embassy again about this, since it was first mentioned here a week ago. BUT, she still runs on Filipino time sometimes, so she has managed to forget every day so far. It's HER mum she wants over, so I've told her SHE can sort it out, as I have done enough hair pulling, teeth gnashing and sleepless night routines trying to sort visas and stuff out for 'us'. Now it's her turn to fret and worry.
Cheers, Paul

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by walesrob@Sep 14 2005, 08:03 AM
So it seems they've relaxed the compulsory face to face interview requirement and gone back to CAVA AGAIN! That will be a relief for anyone applying for a visa soon....I wouldn't wish anyone to go thru' the hassle you and I had at the hands of the sometimes bumbling, incompetent & rude Embassy staff :unsure:

Quoted post

Just a thought, but does this new ruling mean people have to stuff a bunch of cash into that couriers envelope, as well as passport, personal papers, important documents etc?

Hmmm, call me cynical, but if Joe Average postman lacky type in the PI knows there is fifteen or twenty thousand Pesos in a bag he&#39;ll do a runner with it and never be seen again?:o :mellow: :( <_<

[Admin]

Going by past goverment software, it should be just about in BETA by 2012

[walesrob]

Originally posted by admin@Sep 15 2005, 09:06 AM
Going by past goverment software, it should be just about in BETA by 2012

Quoted post

...and then it&#39;ll crash and they&#39;ll have to pay ££££s to get it fixed. :lol:

[peterdavid]

Originally posted by Pauldo@Sep 14 2005, 07:47 PM

Hmmm, call me cynical, but if Joe Average postman lacky type in the PI knows there is fifteen or twenty thousand Pesos in a bag he&#39;ll do a runner with it and never be seen again?:o :mellow: :( <_<

Quoted post

Nope, only a manager&#39;s check or whatever they call a banker&#39;s draft in the PI. That is the only form of payment they accept - they won&#39;t accept cash via courier. Nor will they accept a personal cheque, or a cheque in sterling (despite quoting the fees in sterling and then converting them to pesos at their inflated rip off embassy exchange rate - how would they con you out of an extra £30 if they let you pay in sterling?) - it has to be a bank managers check drawn on a filipino bank. So basically, if your mother in law doesn&#39;t have a bank account, or that much money in her account, she can&#39;t get a cheque, and therefore can&#39;t submit the visa. Even PI banks, under new money laundering laws, think twice now about issuing a bank managers check for "cash with a &#39;tip&#39;", if you don&#39;t have a bank account with them.

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by peterdavid@Sep 15 2005, 12:10 PM
Nope, only a manager&#39;s check or whatever they call a banker&#39;s draft in the PI. That is the only form of payment they accept - they won&#39;t accept cash via courier. Nor will they accept a personal cheque, or a cheque in sterling (despite quoting the fees in sterling and then converting them to pesos at their inflated rip off embassy exchange rate - how would they con you out of an extra £30 if they let you pay in sterling?) - it has to be a bank managers check drawn on a filipino bank. So basically, if your mother in law doesn&#39;t have a bank account, or that much money in her account, she can&#39;t get a cheque, and therefore can&#39;t submit the visa. Even PI banks, under new money laundering laws, think twice now about issuing a bank managers check for "cash with a &#39;tip&#39;", if you don&#39;t have a bank account with them.

Quoted post

Thanks for the info. I should have guessed it would get complicated and scam ridden, however the enbassy end up doing it.

The mom in law has a bank account over there, so she&#39;ll have to do battle with the manager.

[ginapeterb]

Originally posted by Pauldo@Sep 15 2005, 11:20 AM
Thanks for the info. I should have guessed it would get complicated and scam ridden, however the enbassy end up doing it.

The mom in law has a bank account over there, so she&#39;ll have to do battle with the manager.

Quoted post

Hi Paul,


Have to confer with Paul there, (peterdavid) they will not accept cash in the courier envelope, s he says, it is a Managers check, but only on banks approved and certified by British Embassy, as my wife did pay cash, this was only because she was in attendance at the time, this again causes problems for applicants, the applicant of course will need to check with the British Embassy as to which banks they can have managers check drawn on, ??? more aggravation...

[peterdavid]

Originally posted by Pauldo@Sep 15 2005, 11:20 AM
Thanks for the info. I should have guessed it would get complicated and scam ridden, however the enbassy end up doing it.

The mom in law has a bank account over there, so she&#39;ll have to do battle with the manager.

Quoted post

If she&#39;s got an account, she shouldn&#39;t have too much problem getting a bankers draft from the bank (usual bank fee required, probably some id these days too). Cheques accepted from the standard (or they used to be, anyway), such as PNB/PSB, BPI and Metronet (I think).

I&#39;m not sure the status of &#39;proper&#39; banks there, eg HSBC. Whether they&#39;d accept a bankers draft in pesos from HSBC Makati, I&#39;m not sure. You know the Embassy, they&#39;ll send the application back simply because you forgot to put a full stop at the end of a sentence on page 12 just to slow the process up for you - however, BPI and PSB, et al, should be ok.

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by peterdavid@Sep 15 2005, 06:34 PM
If she&#39;s got an account, she shouldn&#39;t have too much problem getting a bankers draft from the bank (usual bank fee required, probably some id these days too). Cheques accepted from the standard (or they used to be, anyway), such as PNB/PSB, BPI and Metronet (I think).

I&#39;m not sure the status of &#39;proper&#39; banks there, eg HSBC. Whether they&#39;d accept a bankers draft in pesos from HSBC Makati, I&#39;m not sure. You know the Embassy, they&#39;ll send the application back simply because you forgot to put a full stop at the end of a sentence on page 12 just to slow the process up for you - however, BPI and PSB, et al, should be ok.

Quoted post

Thanks folks, I&#39;ll put it on the list of things to check on. As you say, they won&#39;t volunteer the information if they don&#39;t have to, which is what used to infuriate me the most living there: just waiting for some pissant peasant to refuse you over that proverbial missed full stop

[peterdavid]

Originally posted by Pauldo@Sep 15 2005, 08:37 PM
Thanks folks, I&#39;ll put it on the list of things to check on. As you say, they won&#39;t volunteer the information if they don&#39;t have to, which is what used to infuriate me the most living there: just waiting for some pissant peasant to refuse you over that proverbial missed full stop

Quoted post

The Embassy seems to act as if it is still 1836 and no-one&#39;s actually told them the Empire has long since crumbled, we no longer rule half the globe, civil servants are no longer admired for their &#39;prestigious&#39; positions and, actually, we&#39;ve discovered these new concepts in the public services of equality, respect, civility and helpfulness.

They run it like a mini fiefdom over there.

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by peterdavid@Sep 15 2005, 11:13 PM
The Embassy seems to act as if it is still 1836 and no-one&#39;s actually told them the Empire has long since crumbled, we no longer rule half the globe, civil servants are no longer admired for their &#39;prestigious&#39; positions and, actually, we&#39;ve discovered these new concepts in the public services of equality, respect, civility and helpfulness.

They run it like a mini fiefdom over there.

Quoted post

Maybe they have taken some lessons off the Filipinos, for their petty, pitiful officialdom, and their unfailing ability to kiss-ass to their superiors and treat their inferiors like something they found on their shoe?

Nothing like a good &#39;class&#39; system to keep the dispensable and unimportant working man firmly in his place :unsure: It&#39;s very similar to old India in a primitive &#39;Raj&#39; kinda way.

[moi]

Originally posted by Pauldo@Sep 12 2005, 09:18 AM


And in case anybody is wondering, Filipinos can still keep their Philippines nationality as well as take up British. New laws came in a couple years back, which is my wife now has two passports/nationalities.
Cheers, Paul B

Quoted post

Hi Paul B, Did your wife go to the Philippine Embassy for an Oath Taking to retain her Filipino citizenship?

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by moi@Sep 16 2005, 01:24 PM
Hi Paul B, Did your wife go to the Philippine Embassy for an Oath Taking to retain her Filipino citizenship?

Quoted post

No. She has never lost her PI citizenship. It is only people who are re-claiming their old citizenship who have to do the oath taking.

[moi]

Originally posted by Pauldo@Sep 16 2005, 02:53 PM
No. She has never lost her PI citizenship. It is only people who are re-claiming their old citizenship who have to do the oath taking.

Quoted post

But the Consul secretary sent me an e-mail to go and have the Oath Taking after getting my British Citizenship which I think is another sort of application and fees to pay and of course trip to London with my family.
Both re-claiming and retaining needs to attend the Oath Taking as it says on the FAQ in their website.I just want to keep mine if I could without taking another Oath.

Excerpt from the FAQ&#39;s about dual citizen

What is Republic Act No. 9225?

Republic Act No. 9225 is an Act making the citizenship of Filipinos who acquire foreign citizenship permanent, amending for the purpose Commonwealth Act No. 63.

RA 9225, which took effect on 17 September 2003, declares that former natural-born Filipino citizens who acquired foreign citizenship through naturalisation are deemed not to have lost their Philippine citizenship under conditions provided in the Act.

There former Filipinos can re-acquire/retain their Philippine citizenship by taking the oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines.

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by moi@Sep 16 2005, 04:32 PM

RA 9225, which took effect on 17 September 2003, declares that former natural-born Filipino citizens who acquired foreign citizenship through naturalisation are deemed not to have lost their Philippine citizenship under conditions provided in the Act.

There former Filipinos can re-acquire/retain their Philippine citizenship by taking the oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines.

Quoted post

The bold words are the ones we are going on. My wife isn&#39;t a former Filipino. She is still a Filipino, and has lost nothing.

I think the act you quote deals with Filipinos who took foreign citizenship before the above act came into power, so they did lose the Filipino citizenship, but can now have it back.

Basically, all the Filipinos who cut out of the Philippines to make a fortune elsewhere are now clamouring to come home, now that the PI has go itself sorted a bit, and they&#39;ve realised just how much their overseas dollars can buy &#39;back home&#39;

Anyway, my wife has a new PI passport, given to her two months ago, so I don&#39;t think Joe Shmoe on the PI immigration will know whether she is a Filipino or Brit Plus, the daughter and I get one year Balikbayan visa if we all fly into the PI together.

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by Pauldo@Sep 17 2005, 12:05 PM
Anyway, my wife has a new PI passport, given to her two months ago, so I don&#39;t think Joe Shmoe on the PI immigration will know whether she is a Filipino or Brit Plus, the daughter and I get one year Balikbayan visa if we all fly into the PI together.

Quoted post

Come to think of it, when my wife e mailed the London PI embassy asking where to get the application form for that new passport, stating "I AM A FILIPINO CITIZEN LIVING IN THE UK and I need to apply for a new passport as my current one has expired"......

Ten days later she recieves a reply (usual Filipino time) stating IF YOU ARE A FORMER FILIPINO NATIONAL WISHING TO REGAIN YOUR FILIPINO NATIONALITY you must attend the embassy for an oath taking ceremony blah blah.

I wrote back on her behalf:

Dear ********
"In my message, attached below, you will see, clearly stated, "I AM A FILIPINO CITIZEN LIVING IN THE UK". Can you please specify which part of that statement you do not understand?.
Also, you have failed to answer the issue I wrote to you TEN days ago inquiring about: where can I get the application form for a new FILIPINO passport?"

Typical Filipino attitude: "But I thought......." :blink:

We recieved a polite e mail reply next day telling her exactly where the application form was to be found

[moi]

Originally posted by Pauldo@Sep 17 2005, 11:05 AM
The bold words are the ones we are going on. My wife isn&#39;t a former Filipino. She is still a Filipino, and has lost nothing.

I think the act you quote deals with Filipinos who took foreign citizenship before the above act came into power, so they did lose the Filipino citizenship, but can now have it back.

Quoted post

Filipinos who took foreign citizenship before the Act took effect (Sept 2003) can reclaim their Filipino citizenship and retain theirs if they took other citizenship after Sept. 2003 and has to apply for Petition for Dual Citizenship and Issuance of Identification Certificate (IC) pursuant to RA 9225.
I am on the same situation as your wife Paul and might keep my passport as it hasn&#39;t expired yet but will we be considered DUAL CITIZEN if we didn&#39;t apply for a petition to be Dual and have the Identification Certificate?

[peterdavid]

Funnily enough, we were at the PI embassy in London the other week and spoke with the consul there. As always, it&#39;s impossible to get a straight answer and I&#39;m still not quite sure of the process, and to be honest, i don&#39;t think she was either, but perish the thought she would "lose face" by being honest about it.

From what i could gather, even though british citizenship has been obtained, if you have a PI passport and it&#39;s due to expire and you want to renew it, then you can renew it - as they haven&#39;t a clue whether you&#39;ve obtained british citizenship or not (similar to what happened to Pauldo, I think...?) However, if you don&#39;t bother to renew the PI passport and then try to obtain one later on (having let the old one expire) then you MAY need the oath nonsense. Or you may not. Like I said, I don&#39;t think she knew herself, and was obviously uncomfortable at the loss of face she was already experiencing at our suggestion we&#39;ll probably just let the PI citizenship slide because, let&#39;s face it, who would want it when you have a british passport?

So, I think, if you really do want to retain dual citizenship, the easiest way to do it is to renew your PI passport upon expiry of the old one, and ignore their oath taking suggestions. Don&#39;t forget, it&#39;s actually harder to open a bank account in the high street than it is to get a philippine passport so, like Pauldo, providing you&#39;re simply renewing, you shouldn&#39;t have too much trouble, british citizenship or not.

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by moi@Sep 17 2005, 12:37 PM
Filipinos who took foreign citizenship before the Act took effect (Sept 2003) can reclaim their Filipino citizenship and retain theirs if they took other citizenship after Sept. 2003 and has to apply for Petition for Dual Citizenship and Issuance of Identification Certificate (IC) pursuant to RA 9225.

Quoted post

Moi, where did you quote that from? I can see nothing like it in any of the RA9225 info I&#39;ve found.

From what every website I&#39;ve seen tells me, there is nothing that says you have to reaffirm your Filipino citizenship, by any way or means, if you have never lost it.

As mentioned in the last post, nobody seems to know the facts, even Philippine embassy officials, and they have no intentions of ever uttering the cursed and heinous, face losing three words: "I don&#39;t know" :unsure: :blink: :o

[moi]

Originally posted by Pauldo@Sep 18 2005, 11:07 AM
Moi, where did you quote that from? I can see nothing like it in any of the RA9225 info I&#39;ve found.

From what every website I&#39;ve seen tells me, there is nothing that says you have to reaffirm your Filipino citizenship, by any way or means, if you have never lost it.

As mentioned in the last post, nobody seems to know the facts, even Philippine embassy officials, and they have no intentions of ever uttering the cursed and heinous, face losing three words: "I don&#39;t know" :unsure: :blink: :o

Quoted post

The Philippine Embassy Canberra Australia website.Their website is more useful i think than the London one.I&#39;ve checked the Swtzerland Phils. Embassy site as well.

I agree with you Paul,why take an OATH if you have never lost it? But according to the Act, in order to retain it, you should take an Oath of Allegiance. <_<

[peterdavid]

Originally posted by moi@Sep 19 2005, 02:46 PM
The Philippine Embassy Canberra Australia website.Their website is more useful i think than the London one.I&#39;ve checked the Swtzerland Phils. Embassy site as well.

I agree with you Paul,why take an OATH if you have never lost it? But according to the Act, in order to retain it, you should take an Oath of Allegiance. <_<

Quoted post

B*gg*r that. They&#39;ll never know. If you want to keep a PI passport, then just keep renewing it, and if you don&#39;t, because as a travel document it&#39;s about as effective and useful as a kidney infection, then don&#39;t bother renewing.

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by moi@Sep 19 2005, 03:46 PM
The Philippine Embassy Canberra Australia website.Their website is more useful i think than the London one.I&#39;ve checked the Swtzerland Phils. Embassy site as well.

I agree with you Paul,why take an OATH if you have never lost it? But according to the Act, in order to retain it, you should take an Oath of Allegiance. <_<

Quoted post

Moi,
I&#39;m seeing this on the Canberra website:
Those who lost their Philippines citizenship before 17th September 2003 may re-acquire it by taking the oath of allegiance. Those who lost if after 17th September 2003 will also need to take the oath of allegiance to enable them to retain their Philippines citizenship

Is this what you&#39;re looking at?
http://www.philembassy.au.com/download/Q&A...25-C-210105.pdf

The words "those who LOST it after 17th September 2003" is where it comes into play for both yourself and my wife. You never actually LOST it.

I don&#39;t think you have anything to worry about Moi.

Cheers, Paul

[ginapeterb]

Originally posted by Pauldo@Sep 20 2005, 07:25 AM
Moi,
I&#39;m seeing this on the Canberra website:
Those who lost their Philippines citizenship before 17th September 2003 may re-acquire it by taking the oath of allegiance. Those who lost if after 17th September 2003 will also need to take the oath of allegiance to enable them to retain their Philippines citizenship

Is this what you&#39;re looking at?
http://www.philembassy.au.com/download/Q&A...25-C-210105.pdf

The words "those who LOST it after 17th September 2003" is where it comes into play for both yourself and my wife. You never actually LOST it.

I don&#39;t think you have anything to worry about Moi.

Cheers, Paul

Quoted post

well that just about takes care of this one..hehehehe,

[ginapeterb]

Hi Guys, can anyone remember this thread from last June hehehehe, remember when my MP wrote to me about the reason that was holding up Gina&#39;s visa....how about this for a good LOL.



15th February 2006



Hon Simon Burns
MP Chelmsford
House of Commons
London SW1



Dear Mr xxxxxx



I am writing to say that I have made further enquiries to the Home Office Minister in connection with your wife&#39;s entry to the United Kingdom.

The Minister has since completed his enquiries, and has been informed by UK Visas, that your wife has been granted a visa on the 2nd September of 2005, I will now leave it for you to follow up the matter with the British Embassy in Manila.

Please accept my apologies that is has taken so long in replying to you, I would expect you would want to make arrangements for your wife to come to the United Kingdom, if you have not been informed of the decision to grant a visa for your wife.

If I can be of any futher assitance, please do not hesitate to contact my secretary at the constituency office in Chelmsford.


Yours sincerly,

Simon Burns.





Petes commentary



Derrrtrrrrrrr she has been here 5 months Mr Burns...but thanks for the prompt follow up.

[walesrob]

Never mind its all over now..your story just reminds us how useless our MPs can be sometimes. I once wrote to ours about 3 years ago about a charity I was working for, and although we got an acknowledgement, that was it, no follow up, nothing.

Glad to say the MP lost his "safe" seat at the last election :lol:

[andypaul]

:unsure:

Oh my gave me a good laugh but scares me that this Man is an elected member of parliment.

[ivor&mel]

Hi,

Have a look at Pete's site - there's a sample interview from an ECO there, and I think it's also in a thread here. There's loads of information on Pete's site and on the forum, so have a look round and you should find answers to most of your questions.

There is no need for a medical if you are coming to the UK, so no need to worry about that

Can't advise you at all about hotels, but I'm sure others can

Ivor and Mel

[ginapeterb]

Hi,

Have a look at Pete's site - there's a sample interview from an ECO there, and I think it's also in a thread here. There's loads of information on Pete's site and on the forum, so have a look round and you should find answers to most of your questions.

There is no need for a medical if you are coming to the UK, so no need to worry about that

Can't advise you at all about hotels, but I'm sure others can

Ivor and Mel

Ivor has pretty much covered this one, as he says, a Medical is a requirement of the K1 or K3 or I-130 Petition for Alien Relative, since the British Embassy do not process those applications, a medical is not a pre-requisite to UK Entry Clearance !

As for affordable hotels, the Great Eastern Hotel/ Aberdeen Court is on Makati Avenue, its about 1 mile or 15 mins by taxi from the cross section with Ayala avenue, its just to the far side of P Burgos Street, the hotel is reasonable at around P1700 for the night, has a dim sum or continental breakfast included, the rooms are air conditioned, large, and comfortable, private bathroom etc, a taxi to the Ayala Centre is about 10 mins.

The British Embassy is in the LV Locsin Building 15-17 Floors, its opposite the Shangri La, you can walk to it from Greenbelt, there is a cafe next to the LV Locsin Building, wedged in between the entrance door, ( you can go to the cafe, if husbands want to wait in there but you have to get past the guard at the podium)

Also there is a 7-11 Cafe style deli around the back of the LV Locsin building, if your hubby is there, he can buy a coffee and sit down, (Rob knows this place well).

The Ayala Museum is just 5 mins walk to the left of the LV Locsin building, it also has a nice air conditioned restaraunt, very plush, a nice place to hang out and sip an aperitif while waiting for the wife coming out, (you only find these things out after trial and error).

Hope that helps.

Pete

[scotsfiancee]

Hi there!

Thanks for your advice, i am really glad here to know that there is no need of medical as what US embassy do to there applicaNT,which is mean to say that i just have to come in manila like once just for the interview. How long will be the papers will be process then,(embassy will call for interview)the time when you applied?? I guess i will stay in Millenium Plaza soon as i have my appointment its just straight away to shang-rila,guess what its only 1,800 per night the room is vewry huge,air conditioned,big tv,showers,kitchen..We have stayed there for one night only last we went there.Its straight to Glorrieta.Yes i am looking to the site you had given below, i really hope i wont get denied! so if they will grant you a visa after your interview,does it takes hours,days or 1 week to wait?they will just send it through courier to your home?

[ivor&mel]

Hi there!

Thanks for your advice, i am really glad here to know that there is no need of medical as what US embassy do to there applicaNT,which is mean to say that i just have to come in manila like once just for the interview. How long will be the papers will be process then,(embassy will call for interview)the time when you applied?? I guess i will stay in Millenium Plaza soon as i have my appointment its just straight away to shang-rila,guess what its only 1,800 per night the room is vewry huge,air conditioned,big tv,showers,kitchen..We have stayed there for one night only last we went there.Its straight to Glorrieta.Yes i am looking to the site you had given below, i really hope i wont get denied! so if they will grant you a visa after your interview,does it takes hours,days or 1 week to wait?they will just send it through courier to your home?

The basic application process is (a) get all your documents together (b) arrange with UKVACS for the courier to pick them up (c) wait for the Embassy to contact you. There's no hard-and-fast time scale for this, it depends on how fast the Embassy is processing applications; in our case, it took about a week for the Embassy to contact Mel to invite her for interview, and they gave her about 3 weeks to prepare for it. Of course, you may be one of the lucky ones who gets a visa without having to be interviewed - it does happen

If they do invite you for interview, then use the time to prepare well, and work on it together with your fiance. Read about it on Pete's site... read it again... and again... Understand the process... the type of questions you will have to face... the way the ECOs' minds work...

If you do have to have an interview, you should know the outcome the same day if your case is straightforward; if the Embassy need to make further checks, then it may take another week or so before the outcome is known for certain. In the former case, if successful, you will get your passport back - with visa - at the end of the day of interview; not sure about the latter case: would the Embassy send the passport via courier or expect the applicant to pick it up in person?

The other thing to consider is the CFO process: this can be done either in Manila or in Cebu, whichever is more convenient for you.

Ivor and Mel