Worth applying for visa for visit? Can I ask advice?

[Iani]

Hi guys

Just joined the forum, and I wonder if I can ask - as you are more knowledgeable than me - some advice?

My girlfriend is currently working in the middle east, originally from Phillippines, but hasn't been home for a few years - long and personal story.

We originally met through a friend of a friend on Facebook, got on like the proverbial. We've met twice, and I'm going over to visit whenever I can.

A bit about her, she has savings, and owns property in the old country (Which her parents live in).

My divorce is pending, should be sorted by summer this coming year. There is no question this will happen, my ex and I have a very good post-marriage relationship. We just weren't compatible, married for the wrong reasons, are closer friends now than before....yes, crazy world isn't it.

I was wondering if she could possibly come to visit me in the UK this August-September.

A search though on this forum, suggests this is a non-starter lol.

There would be no question I could support her - it's the "can it be proven she will leave" bit. Of course she will - but that's what they all say, is what UK borders will think.

Regarding the proverbial fiancee visa - the other sort of visa - well it's early days in our relationship. I think it will come to that, I've never felt this way about anyone before (awww - fetch a bucket ), but as I said, it's early days, and my divorce isn't settled, so I can hardly apply for one of those...or can I?

I'm an adult, if you think it's frankly "Forget it Ian for now", that's fine. I just wanted to ask all your opinion.

Be great if she can come visit, bonding and all that (and I intend proposing to her about this time, not that she knows this mind), but if it can't be, then it can't be.

Thanks in advance. I'm looking forward to contributing on this forum too.

[Iani]

Hi there

I'm Ian from the sunny West Yorkshire, one of the great natural beauty spots of the world, rivalling the grand canyon, sunset over the bay of Naples, who needs to be sat on a beach in Phuket when you can have a mug of tea in Wimpey in Huddersfield.

Anyway, great to make your acquaintance you all

Umm, well - sex is male (or hardly ever if you take the question from a Carry On movie script), I work in accounts, so that makes me duller than murky ditchwater.

I spend time on the xbox, if anyone wants my gamertag to thrash me at COD then pm me.

That's all I can think of really

[Arthur Little]

I spend time on the xbox, if anyone wants my gamertag to thrash me at COD then pm me.

... hmm ... : you at *"COD" ? Now, to me, that = *'Cash on Delivery', RIGHT?

[Arthur Little]

I'm not really much of a gambler myself, Iain. So ... rather than take up your "challenge" ... I shall, instead, address the issues you've raised in your INITIAL thread - into which, I've since incorporated its follow-up - to keep BOTH introductory posts in the one place.

[joebloggs]

its worth trying for a visit visa for her as she has some immigration history, , its not that expensive and if she is refused, it shouldn't effect her getting a fiancee or spouse visa later on.

something like this should give you an idea http://www.londonelegance.com/transp...tionLetter.pdf

[grahamw48]

Hi there

I'm Ian from the sunny West Yorkshire, one of the great natural beauty spots of the world, rivalling the grand canyon, sunset over the bay of Naples, who needs to be sat on a beach in Phuket when you can have a mug of tea in Wimpey in Huddersfield.

Anyway, great to make your acquaintance you all

Umm, well - sex is male (or hardly ever if you take the question from a Carry On movie script), I work in accounts, so that makes me duller than murky ditchwater.

I spend time on the xbox, if anyone wants my gamertag to thrash me at COD then pm me.

That's all I can think of really

Welcome to the forum Ian....from another Yorkie (Pontefract originally....so common as muck. lol).

My best mate is from Uddersfield....still can't tell what the hell he's talking about half the time, even after 40 years.

You'll find all the help and advice you need on here.

I play online Xbox too but only car racing. I'll have to pass you over to my son for C.O.D...MW3 etc.

Stick around. Lots of knowledgeable people on here.

I'm thinking that if your partner has a work contract in place in the mid-east, that can only help, because our govt. are only interested in whether or not she's likely to overstay here.

[Iani]

Thanks guys, and thanks mods for merging the threads.
I never thought of just making one thread, I thought my question belonged in the visa forum - but it's no biggie is it.

Well, her employer is very VERY supportive, and bizarrely loves me to bits.

I wonder if she signed another years contract if that would help the matter - ie she'd have a good reason to leave - but then again, borders might just think "well an illegal immigrant would just break this because the grass is greener etc".

I know for a total cast iron fact she would leave, if she didn't it would screw up our entire future obviously as she'd never then get a spouse visa, but I'm preaching to the converted here..

So you actually think it's worth a bash applying for a visitor then?
I just got the impression it was extremely difficult to impossible, but you guys will I think have more idea than me.

[Arthur Little]

Hi guys

Just joined the forum, and I wonder if I can ask - as you are more knowledgeable than me - some advice?

Firstly ... to the friendly, online filipino/uk community.

My girlfriend is currently working in the middle east, originally from Phillippines, but hasn't been home for a few years - long and personal story.

No worries ... you're g/f is not alone in this respect.

We've met twice, and I'm going over to visit whenever I can.

That's good; it looks like a promising relationship from what I've read - even better you've met - and YOU plan to visit again!

A bit about her, she has savings, and owns property in the old country (Which her parents live in).

My divorce is pending, should be sorted by summer this coming year. There is no question this will happen, my ex and I have a very good post-marriage relationship. We just weren't compatible, married for the wrong reasons, are closer friends now than before....yes, crazy world isn't it.

I was wondering if she could possibly come to visit me in the UK this August-September.

A search though on this forum, suggests this is a non-starter lol.

There would be no question I could support her - it's the "can it be proven she will leave" bit. Of course she will - but that's what they all say, is what UK borders will think.

Regarding the proverbial fiancee visa - the other sort of visa - well it's early days in our relationship. I think it will come to that, I've never felt this way about anyone before (awww - fetch a bucket ), but as I said, it's early days, and my divorce isn't settled, so I can hardly apply for one of those...or can I?

I'm an adult, if you think it's frankly "Forget it Ian for now", that's fine. I just wanted to ask all your opinion.

Be great if she can come visit, bonding and all that (and I intend proposing to her about this time, not that she knows this mind), but if it can't be, then it can't be.

Thanks in advance. I'm looking forward to contributing on this forum too.

Seems to me, you're BOTH pretty~well~organised - added to which, you've been doing a fair bit of research into UK 'Tourist Visas' ... are evidently more aware than most of the obstacles to be confronted ... plus the main reasons for refusal - and hence already conversant with the pitfalls involved ... without the need for further explanation.

Having said that, with the logic behind ANY couple's reluctance to go "the whole hog" until the respective parties are ABSOLUTELY clear in their minds that THAT is what they BOTH want !! And this is where the 'System' falls down in failing to provide a viable compromise.

So ... IF you feel confident enough about being in a position to present a "cast iron" application - along with the relevant supporting documents (stipulated in the Embassy Guidelines) - then I say, "Go ahead & goodluck !"

[Iani]

Thanks
Thing is, I'm not sure what a cast iron application would be...........yet.

Oh well, fun times, and I guess plenty of time to plan. I'll have to do a search on here for some more pointers on exactly what to do.

[Terpe]

Hi Ian, welcome to the forum.

The visit visa is a very inexpensive option and well worth applying.
The circumstances you give look like a good bet.

As long as the visit can be justified and fully financed, and she can convince the ECO that she has no immigration intentions and will leave UK before visa expiry then should be OK.

The most common reason for refusal is insufficient reason to leave UK.
The benefits to leave UK should outweigh the benefits to stay.

[Iani]

Thanks again, think we'll give it a go in the new year, make sure things are going well etc.

[Nick30]

Welcome to this very friendly forum Iani

You're in more or less the same situation as me as my mahal is in Kuwait and she's from the Philippines and we plan to apply for visit visa first week of February.
It's exciting.
Hope you and your mahal had a nice Christmas Day and Happy New Year to you both mate.
God bless you both

[Iani]

Thanks Nick, you too fella, hope the new year's a good one

[Nick30]

Cheers mate

[Iani]

Hi

Really sorry to be a pain, though at least it's good to excel at something I guess.

I'm thinking I might as well try applying for this visitor visa thing, for the (relatively) low cost.

Doing a search on here, I'm having trouble finding just the info I'm looking for. Most threads seem to be about fiance visas - which is great of course in it's own way.

Anyway, getting to the point, if I was to apply to give back up to her visa application for the difficult to get visit visa, would I need to do the providing of information of how we met, photos together, copies of my passport stamps when I went to visit etc - or is that just extreme overkill, more for fiancee visas, and for this sort, I'd just need a covering letter with some bank statements and a promise to kick her out when her visit ends

I know this is probably a crazy question, but one of my favourite expressions is - " it's only easy if you know how"

Thanks in advance