Hi!
Just joined the forum, but often reading the advice here, thanks everyone.
I'm english, 34, and my partner is filipino, 28. She was born male but lives as a woman, and therefore has a male passport and we need a civil partnership visa.
We've known each other since meeting online in 2005 and I first visited in 2008.
I have a good job (60000 salary), own my own 2 bed house, and we got 'married' in Baguio unofficially in 2011, with a certificate of holy union at a ceremony conducted by a splinter LGBT friendly catholic sect there.
I've been supporting her financially for years and have various receipts from CBN, Xoom, WU over the years to show. As well as emails, txt messages and photos.
We applied in 2009 for a holiday visa for her to come here for a few weeks, before we could afford the spousal visa, but it was rejected on the basis that she has nothing to go back to, although her parents were still there at the time (they are now in America).
Neither of us are married before. Neither of us have criminal record.
I'm interested in talking to someone about preparing our papers, how much cash I need to show I have at hand, how long the application will take. If you've recently been through it, I'd love to have a chance to talk to you please. And if you live in London, perhaps we could all be friends too.