Important Notice To All Visa Applicant

[zheanney]

Hi everyone just happened to visit the british embassy website and i learned that...

From 31st May 2007 there will be two major changes to the application process:

- All applying for a UK visa must lodge their application through the British Embassy – Manila’s commercial partner, VFS Philippines Services Private Inc. at Unit 2501-2502, 25th Floor Phil. AXA Building, 1286 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue cor. Tindalo Street, Makati City 1200.

- All visa applicants, irrespective of nationality, will have to apply in person to the Visa Application Centre (VAC) and have their fingerscans and digital photograph taken.


- The Visa Section of the British Embassy Manila has a new call centre. For information and inquiries on visa procedures and requirements you can contact them with the numbers listed at the end of the page.

- The current UKVACS’ last day of operation at their Rufino Office will be on 24 May 2007. The new UK Visa Application Centre will be open to the public on 31 May 2007. Processing delays could occur during this period so we suggest you lodge your application as early as possible.


PLEASE NOTE:

- As there is no certainty that a visa can be issued, applicants and sponsors are advised not to buy any air ticket if delay or refusal of the visa application will result in financial loss.

- No cell phones, bags including ladies handbags will be permitted inside the Visa Section of the British Embassy. These items must not be brought inside the Embassy premises and should not be left with 2nd or 15th floor guards or at the reception desks. Any person trying to bring these items will be refused entry to the Embassy. Applicants who need to visit the Visa Section should bring some photographic identity other than their passport or credit cards.

- Beware of touts or “fixers”. They will take your money but no matter what they promise they cannot guarantee you a visa. All cases involving touts or illegal operations will be passed to the Philippine authorities for whatever action they consider appropriate.

- The Honorary Consuls do not provide a visa service.

- The Consular section of the Embassy does NOT deal with visa matters. Please go to the Consular page for general information on the Consular Section.


THE UKVAC contact details are:

VFS Philippines Services Private Inc.
Unit 2501 –2502
25th Floor Phil. Axa Building
1286 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue cor. Tindalo Sts.
Makati City 1200


Website: www.vfs-uk-ph.com
Email: info@vfs-uk-ph.com

Office Hours:

09:00 – 15:00
Monday - Friday

Call Centre Hours:

08:00am – 08:00pm
Monday – Friday

08:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday


For PLDT/Smart/Touchcard Subscribers: 1-909-8584727 or 1-909-UKVISAS
For Globe/Innove/Touchmobile Subscribers: 1-900-8584727 or 1-900-UKVISAS
For Bayantel Subscribers: 1-903-8584727 or 1-903-UKVISAS
For International Callers: 00 632 884 2661



This service is available nationwide through-NDD enabled telephones. It is available through a toll charge costing Php32.00 per minute for landline calls (excluding VAT and applicable NDD charges for calls made outside Metro Manila). Additional rates may apply for calls made through payphones, prepaid phone cards or mobile phones. Recorded information is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.





Exchange Rate: Php 100.00 = £1.00 (with effect: 11 May 2006)

http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/ser...=1025869672751

[andypaul]

Yet another change to for people to get there heads round. They change the process more than some people do their underwear

[KeithD]

They change the process more than some people do their underwear

Unless your a Manc

[eljean]

its really getting tougher this time.....goodluck to the new applicants

[joebloggs]

Unless your a Manc

yes well at least we wear underpants, unlike scousers who go ,as they cannot be potty trained

all these changes are to make it more expensive, time consuming and difficult to get a visa, as i've said in the past, they cannot stop the europeans comnig to the uk, so they will make it more difficult for those out side europe..

anyone see the news, was it thursday or friday night about roma kids/ teenagers being sent to the uk,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/b...re/6649049.stm

is this the start of somethnig new , it showed one teenage girl, who has been given a flat, and gets state benefits of £45 a week..

[tiger@tigress]

Its a big change!

[empott]

Now i'm really worried! I should have applied months ago. I should have not taken that Culinary Arts course!

[STU3UK]

Hopefully it will be sorted when we apply in late July. Following a similar procedure as the old one

[tiger@tigress]

Now i'm really worried! I should have applied months ago. I should have not taken that Culinary Arts course!

Dont worry u will be fine!

[empott]

Dont worry u will be fine!

Hope u r right Maa, u r going to help me, right? Thanks by the way.

[KeithD]

What happened to UKVACS.....Oh yeah.....it was working fine....so they must complicate & break the system again. Don't blame the embassy staff, this is the morons in London who have nothing better to do than wind down time before they get a hefty pension for screwing with peoples lives.

[gingxrick]

Yes I saw it Joe, 15 year olds with babys applying for help, etc, etc, etc,

[KeithD]

We're just copying off the Yanks, they have exactly the same problems with the Mexicans, and 30% of the prisons full of them, so the real criminals are not jailed.

[joebloggs]

iam just wondering how they let teenagers thru immigration/customs, did they have id? .. i would have thought social servicess and immigration would find their parents and send them back,, not let them stay and live here in the uk, is this is a scam they have worked out, and will there be 1000's more.. romania and bulgaria are subject to immigration controls, i think for the next 7 years, with a limit of 20,000 a year work permits, but that dont stop people coming here visiting or being self employed... send your kids to the uk, they get a flat and benefits. then go and join them.. something dodgy going on here ???? time will tell

[john532]

I dont like the bit that says there is no certainty that a visa can be issued Has anyone here had there hoped wife denied Visa to the UK ?
Thanks again for all your help John

[aromulus]

I cannot log on, onto the embassy website.
All the links go to blank pages.
Is it me???

[andypaul]

I cannot log on, onto the embassy website.
All the links go to blank pages.
Is it me???

Worked for me just now i think the embassy still upset with you, for not having to pay a fee to them

[andypaul]

I dont like the bit that says there is no certainty that a visa can be issued Has anyone here had there hoped wife denied Visa to the UK ?
Thanks again for all your help John

There have been cases of people having visas denied to them so the application should not be taken lightly. But many of us everyday folk have been fine and applied sucessfully

[joebloggs]

I dont like the bit that says there is no certainty that a visa can be issued Has anyone here had there hoped wife denied Visa to the UK ?
Thanks again for all your help John

not many on here, and i cannot remember anyone on here who has had a spouse visa denied, but on a thai forum i go on, there have been a few spouse, dependant child visa's and vistor visa's turned down, usually becuase they dont believe a relationship exists, not proved sole responsibilty of the child. not proved the applicant would go back when applying for a visitor visa. most come down to not providing enough and correct evidence, but some look like they get turned down for no real reason

if you do as the form says and supply everythnig they ask, and read about others on here, you shouldnt have a problem

[john532]

Very helpful thanks very much

[andypaul]

not many on here, and i cannot remember anyone on here who has had a spouse visa denied, but on a thai forum i go on, there have been a few spouse, dependant child visa's and vistor visa's turned down, usually becuase they dont believe a relationship exists, not proved sole responsibilty of the child. not proved the applicant would go back when applying for a visitor visa. most come down to not providing enough and correct evidence, but some look like they get turned down for no real reason

if you do as the form says and supply everything they ask, and read about others on here, you shouldnt have a problem

I know the same site you are talking about i think.

Some of the people seemed shooked that they didn't get a visa when the brit had no money no house or the applicant had no reason to return yet others report sucesses when you read the background they should have been turned down.

From all the applicants from this site and others it pays to know the process inside and out. As people have made little mistakes somewhere along the line which can cost or even mean visas are denied.

I have mentioned it on here before but when my wife went to the CFO to get a letter so she could have her name changed for her phill passport.
Ladies were there who had although got their visa had forgotten to get a cfo stamp so they could leave Phill.
This cost money in getting the filght rebooked but may of course had other problems like what happens if the lady had wait untill the 26th day to fly after her visa was issued and now due to the delay would fly a more than 28 days after it was issued. This would mean that you would have to fork out for an extension to your spouse visa to cover a few days before you could fork out to get an ilr.

Another Lady didn't know where her husband lived in the UK and didn't have some of the correct paperwork such as a cni processed by the brit embassy and nso marriage cert. We have no idea what happened to them but it maybe that the marriage was not officially recognised and would cause problems with both the brit and phill authorities.

At the moment many of these terms most likely mean nothing to you like they did to many of us on this site untill we got involved in the process.

For John and all others going though the process the most important thing that you can do for your Loved one during the process is read up on alll the current laws/procedures and any proposal in the near future.
Your girlfriend and family will know someone who has got a visa to the US or somewhere even the UK. But the procedure will be totally different and you need to let her know whats need for the brit visa your going for, not what they are told by a friend of a friend. I have experienced it myself and heard of many others where a simple comment or misunderstanding has caused much confusion.


Treat it like the most important project you have and get some folders for all the paperwork. Back up all the emails, chats and telephone bills for evidence. Keep mulitple copies make sure they are kept in a safe place.
I kept all the bits in one of those metal folder boxes with the handles so if my flat caught fire i would pick that up and the one with all my household paperwork and scarper. Its that precious trust me.

Your girlfriend should do the same and when you go to meet her like others suggest make sure you take as much of the paerwork out each time so you save on fedex costs.

I would also draw up a flow chart of all the steps you both need to carry out, best to get a diary or calender with all the steps planned out. Forgetting to apply for your cni in time in the UK could wreck all your plans and cost a lot of money.

Ask her to find out if she has anyone who has contacts or themselves works at the local town hall or her church if you plan to get married in phill.

Also the other very very important thing to set up is a way of sending money cheaply and efficently.

Very few phills will be in the situation to pay the visa fees and everything else (trips to cfo, nbi etc) and you may feel once your engaged/married you wanna sent money (the discussion when and how much is in other threads on this site)
There are various ways remittance shops like westen union and cebuna lehillier (did i spell that right folks?) these are quick but sometimes quite costly, there are remittance services which are dedicated to just sending to phill cheaper normally but sometimes slower.
Another way for big sums or emgencies is to send over a debit/credit card (for various reasons i would recomend one of the prepaid versions).


Sorry for the long post but your asking the right sort of questions so deserve some feedback.

[prettyd30]

why do they have to change the procedure... they're giving applicants especially those who came from the province, Mindanao in particular, a hard time....

[acs]

Your right pretty30...now it's going to be a hard time specially us from mindanao to apply... It's getting more complicated.

By the way where you from? im from Cagayan de Oro City.

[prettyd30]

You'll be fine Ailene don't worry... We're applying for a Fiancee Visa, still gathering all the docs we need making sure we supply everything. When did you get married? Asa sa UK imong bana? iadd nalang tika sa yahoo msgr unsa imong ID? Online ko pirmi sa skype ug yahoo ipm lang ko kung makaonline ka ha. Ayoayo nganha!

[acs]

thanks pretty30 . Not yet married... we are on the process in marrying here in ph too, thats why i mention spousal visa. And my honey is from Perth, Scotland. I am going to send my i.d. in yahoo messenger to you on skype chat. Hope to chat you soon.
Hope you got all your docs complied soon.
Salamat.

[prettyd30]

thanks pretty30 . Not yet married... we are on the process in marrying here in ph too, thats why i mention spousal visa. And my honey is from Perth, Scotland. I am going to send my i.d. in yahoo messenger to you on skype chat. Hope to chat you soon.
Hope you got all your docs complied soon.
Salamat.

Hi Ailene!

Thanks girl, Jullian sent the docs yesterday hope to receive it soon so i can submit it early next month. Magchurch or civil wedding mo? Gang congrats daan ug good luck sa preparation ha, kulba?

[acs]

hello joy...church amo gkasabotan...and i'm hoping for the best for you and your Jullian too. And yes...nervous but excited too

Hello pud jta...i'm from Consolacion, Cagayan de Oro City.Wala pa mi nakaparegister. I think ang imoha sa inyo na munisipyo sa Opol. You can go to your local civil registry sa Opol para parehistro. Saturdays and Sundays are not included in the 10 working days thats what i have known of. Good luck daan...hehehe. June bride diay ka.

[acs]

just read your other post jta...i read you decided to be married in cdo just go to the local civil registrar ubos sa tourism hall sa city hall. Naa ra sa kilid ang tig rehistro. Mao na lage to 10 working days wala labot ang sat ug sun.Again good luck and safe travel going back here in cagayan de oro

[equaliser]

hi prettyd30

my wife is currently in davao if you want to get in touch with her. We got a fiancee visa last april and got married in Northern Ireland last August. She will be there until the end of june when i go out for a week and then we both come back to u.k together.

Brian

[prettyd30]

Hello Brian!

Thank you so much it would be nice to talk to her about it. Where does she live in Davao? She can pm me at yahoo and skype. Thanks again it really means a lot.