Hi everyone

[maintman]

Hello everyone,
I'm Brian form Milton Keynes
I've been reading some of the posts in this site, very informative and I wish I'd found this place earlier. I've recently returned form a visit to my love in Metro Manila. We'd been chatting online for almost a year and she had applied twice for a visitor visa to come here but had been refused both times. I went there to visit because of the refusals and had an amazing time. I've looked at some of the advice here, seems you have to jump through hoops and overcome many obstacles to get entry to the UK. Because we chat online there's not much in the way of emails or paper based communication and we both use prepaid phones so no phone records!!! Hindsight is a marvellous thing. Anyway, because our relationship flourished into more than just an online romance and after looking at the different options it seems maybe the best way to be together would to be married in the Philippines and apply for the settlement visa.

[imagine]

hi maintman, welcome to this friendly forum,
what about your records of chatting online? yahoo,skype,msn?
the more evidence you have the better, would be a plus if you have saved your flight tickets,hotel bills, bookings ect, and photos of you both in phil, and you both with her family, would all be an advantage

[Steve.r]

Welcome Maint'

[Tawi2]

Hey Maint.

[Maria B]

welcome maintman

[Terpe]

Hi there maintman, welcome to the forum.

Some good advice from imagine in post #2

Applications for spouse visa still need evidence of genuine relationship and marriage.

You've found the place to be for all the help you need.

[grahamw48]

Hi maintman.

Don't worry too much, just search out and keep all the records of your relationship that you have (there will be stamps in your passport too of course), as it may be quite a few months before any visa application is submitted.
It won't do any harm to exchange one or two 'snail mails' starting now, but both of you should hang on to them upon receipt, so you can show them later.

By all means marry in the Phils (I did), but make sure you have all the correct documentation that YOU need to submit, with you when you're there.

Most important is to start keeping your bank account in the black at all times, with evidence of regular salary going in, and also give consideration to providing suitable accommodation for you and your future spouse in the UK. Have full details of that copied and to hand also. Renting is fine, but not shared with someone else.

[Arthur Little]

Hello, Brian ... to the filipino/uk forum - a virtual "lifeline" for British people seeking to bring their sweethearts from the Philippines to the United Kingdom for settlement - as your research ... coupled with the friendly and informative replies you've received in response to your introductory thread ... already indicates.

[Moy]

welcome

[Farmerg]

[tone]

Hi mate
I'm frequently in MK so ping me a pm and we can meet for a beer sometime.
Good luck with the processes I'm waiting for my fiancee visa at the moment hopefully we will hear something real soon!
Cheers

Tone

[stevie c]

Hi maintman you have certainly come to the right place in finding all the info you need for a succesfull spouse visa application.

Good luck with youre marriage in the phils i too chose that route & have never looked back since as me & my wife were married on sept 27th 2010 & my wife was here in the uk with me on 9th november 2010 as others have said save as much proof of youre relationship as you possibly can

[frencheska]

Welcome to us Maint, I've been reading around and decided to join here. You got pretty interesting love story there.

[worthingmale]

hello

[alanmf1]

Hello Brian,
Welcome here , all the advice you will need is in the forum!
Either in old posts or replies to questions you raise!

Good luck

[maintman]

Thanks people for the friendly welcome and advice. I have records of yahoo chats so that's good. I kept my boarding cards and e-tickets for the flights on my recent visit and we stayed in a couple of hotels on the visit to her family in the province, nothing in manila as I was staying with her. Of course we have lots of photos, like you said imagine, with both her and her family so that's all good. Thanks graham for the tip, I'll send a few snail mail letters over the next few months. I sent her a valentines card back in Feb that I know she has kept because she showed me. Thanks again lads and lasses for the welcome.

[imagine]

looks like your well on your way maintman
check the forum post for any relevent information you might need,
if you need to know anything or any questions there is always someone here can help with answers and or point you in ther right direction,

[grahamw48]

Thanks people for the friendly welcome and advice. I have records of yahoo chats so that's good. I kept my boarding cards and e-tickets for the flights on my recent visit and we stayed in a couple of hotels on the visit to her family in the province, nothing in manila as I was staying with her. Of course we have lots of photos, like you said imagine, with both her and her family so that's all good. Thanks graham for the tip, I'll send a few snail mail letters over the next few months. I sent her a valentines card back in Feb that I know she has kept because she showed me. Thanks again lads and lasses for the welcome.

Sounds like you've already kept the most important stuff....especially photos.

Good luck.

[maintman]

Thanks again guys, I'm sure I'll need more advice later. I'll keep you posted.

[Alona]

hello can u help me find filipinos here in coventry,i want to meet friends here.

[Alona]

what is the reason of the refusals?
are u working,is your money in the bank enough to support her stay here...
she should apply a visitor visa after you visited philippines to prove u met already and have pictures together..Is she had work in the philippines to come back,because if she dont have any work the embassy will think she will not comeback to the philippines...
if you are applying for a settlement,you should get your singleness papers,if your divorce then better bring your divorce papers when u go to the philippines.

[maintman]

hi alona, the first refusal was because she mistakenly put down her 18 year old daughter as a dependant and they thought she was abandoning her with no income for the time she would have spent here, second time was a discepancy between her tax return and the income she stated in the philippines, also they said that the fact we hadn't actually met was a problem. silly mistakes i guess. she is self employed there with a few business interests there. we have met now because i was there for 2 weeks recently and have the pics to prove it. I've learned a lot in this forum reading all the posts and also with some good advice from members here. I'm actually widowed so i guess i'll have to visit the local registry office to get the certificate of no impediment. all ongoing at the moment