Hello, new here

[Kevin Brown]

Hi, my name is Kevin and I have just joined Filipino UK because I have a filipino fiance and thought that maybe I could get some good advice here and we could make some new friends.

I will keep this short as do not want to overdo it first time. I have been to The Philipines to visit her, we got engaged and now we wish for her to visit me here. Only trouble is we are worried about getting her a visit visa because she is from a poor family. Supporting her here is no problem and getting her here. We just have to prove she won't be staying here past her visa date.

We plan to get married on Jan 30th 2015. Because I had an operation we delayed from next year as I have some recovery time.

Any tips or adivce would really be appreciated before we apply.

Thanks for Reading

Kev

[stevewool]

hi there Kev, first thing first welcome, dont worry about the so called poor thing, we are all poor in one thing or another, are you hoping to get married here or over in the phils,

[Kevin Brown]

Hi Steve,

We plan to marry in the Philipines. The ECO said we stood a better chance of a visa if we were getting married sooner, but I don't want to force the marriage early, we want to do it properly.

[stevewool]

its hard to get a visit visa, not impossible but hard,
There has been lots of changes since myself and my wife took the steps you are taking, Ems came over here on a fiancee visa and we got married within the 6 months, and we both have never looked back,

There will be lots of great advice from many more people who have more knowledge on what you are asking,

[Kevin Brown]

That's my fear Steve. We are honest and will not lie on our application, but it seems you are deemed to be lying unless you can prove you're not, which is hard to do. I think it is important that she see's the UK first before we marry. I am good at writng letters but how do you prove things? She has the chance of saying she owns a fishpond, signed over to her for a fee, but she doesn't and if caught then could be banned for 10 years.

I am an ex Mayor of my town so just wondered if that has any sway as to my integrity

[Dedworth]

Hi Kev - welcome aboard and good luck with your mission.

I can't assist with visa advice and so forth but you will find this forum and many members a mine of information.

I was down in Gosport a month or 2 back - Fleetlands interesting place

[Kevin Brown]

thanks Dedworth, yes I know Fleetlands well.

[stevewool]

My wife owns nothing in the phils, she had a job but had to give that up because of family happening, so if that is poor then that would not stop you girl from coming here,
Its best to tell the truth from the beginning in all you say and do, you are on a very long road

[Kevin Brown]

Steve that is interesting that she had no job. How did you convince them that she would return to The Philipines?

[Arthur Little]

Steve that is interesting that she had no job. How did you convince them that she would return to The Philipines?

, Kev. I think I'm right in saying Steve & Emma applied straightaway for a Fiancee Visa following their engagement ... thereby presenting a convincing case to the authorities of their intention to marry - as opposed to the much less expensive option of going for a *Visit Visa - where it's a lot more difficult to prove the applicant will definitely return to her homeland within the *allotted timeframe.

[Kevin Brown]

Hi Arthur,

Thanks for your reply. I understood a fiancee visa is if you intend to get married during the visit, which we don't. The ECO even told me that if only we were getting married it would be easier. I will check again about fiancee visa. Thanks

[joebloggs]

your main area of concern with getting a visit visa for your fiancée is convincing the ECO that she would return before her visa expires, for many not an easy task, the chances might increase if she is working, has property or business but then some people have been lucky in getting a visa with nothing and some who had property a job etc have been refused.

this might give you an idea about a letter of invitation
http://www.londonelegance.com/transp...tionLetter.pdf

[Kevin Brown]

Thanks Joebloggs, that was a very useful letter and I will probably use it as a template. Thanks again.

[gWaPito]

your main area of concern with getting a visit visa for your fiancée is convincing the ECO that she would return before her visa expires, for many not an easy task, the chances might increase if she is working, has property or business but then some people have been lucky in getting a visa with nothing and some who had property a job etc have been refused.

this might give you an idea about a letter of invitation
http://www.londonelegance.com/transp...tionLetter.pdf

My mother in law had and still has diddly quart...she had to go to a solicitor with trusted family members to make signed avidavids that she will be coming back.

The difference being, my wife already here with history of reliability with visa compliance so I dont really know where this case stands.

There was a guy on here a day or so ago who managed it 3 times..if i remember his girl had a reason to go back..a child.

I'll shut up

I'm trying, alright

[marksroomspain]

Hi Kevin and welcome to our friendly and very informative forum, may I assure you that there is a wealth of knowledge here from the members.

Regarding proof of return to the Philippines what the ECO looks for as well as other things is as Joe has said job, property and one more thing family ties, basically more favourable if she has a family to return to.

Also as a low cost application fee of £80 there is nothing to lose what I mean by that is it wont affect any subsequent visa applications whether visitor, finance, spouse etc, I am sure more advice will come but good luck anyway..

[Terpe]

.....Any tips or adivce would really be appreciated before we apply.

Hello Kevin, welcome aboard Filipino UK

The approval or otherwise of a General Visitor (tourist) visa application is principally based on the discretion of the ECO who will be looking to see if the aspects of the applicants life that binds them to their country outweigh those aspects that may cause them to be unwilling to return home.

There's no hard and fast rules. I've known many who have been granted a visa without any employment or bank account. I've also known many with good secure employment and more than sufficient funding held in bank accounts get refused.

A good well written supporting invitation letter can certainly help.

The UKBA page specifically for UK Visit Visa's can be found here with additional detailed information which can be found here and also explains what you are allowed to do while you are in the UK as a visitor.
It's well worth taking a good look around and checking out all of the links provided in those pages.

Anyone considering 'sponsoring' a visitor to UK should also review the UKBA webpage Sponsoring a General Visitor

You can downdload the application form and guidance notes from this page

Understand how to apply by reviewing the page Applying for a UK visa in the Philippines

The positive aspect of visit visa application is that of it's very low cost. Approx £80
So nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Just get the application submitted with full supporting documents.Refusals will clearly state the reason(s) why and this in itself will enable subsequent visa application to counter those reasons.

As a sponsor intending to totally support the visit this is a listing of fairly typical supporting documents that should be provided:-

- 6 months Bank statements
- 6 months pay slips
- Proof of address (eg utility bill, Council Tax etc)
- Accommodation details (including owner's agreement / rental agreement)
- Sponsors passport copy (Photo page, any relevant stamp pages)
- The main reasons for wanting the applicant to travel at the specific time

There's no way you can prove an intention. The best you can do is to present a well thought out scenario that the ECO can easily relate to.

[Kevin Brown]

Thanks Terpe, that was a great help as well. I have done most of what you wrote, got my statements, payslips etc. I have written a letter, I wonder if it would be appropriate to place it here first for members to have a look at and make any comments that may help. what do you think?

[Terpe]

Writing a good invitation/sponsorship letter for a visitor can take quite some effort.
It's important to include all needed information. There is no specific method, style or magic wording.
It's based on personal circumstances.
ECO's work to performance targets and quality procedures. Keep your invitation/sponsor letter concise and be sure all the required evidence is easily visible for the ECO.

Don't be complacent. Provide all the supporting evidential documents you possibly can.
Although refusal is not a disaster it's important that this first application represents your very best shot.

Focus on provision of sufficient funding and most importantly on leaving the ECO in no doubt she will return home.
It's always a fine balance but do give proof that the relationship is genuine and with a provable timeline. Do not divulge any form financial support you may have previously provided.
Give evidence of your visits to the Philippines and of contact over time. Emphasise the reasons why this visit is important at this time. Is your family aware of her? Do they welcome a visit from her etc etc
Then think carefully about all those genuine compelling reasons that really 'anchor' her within Philippines.
Just having material goods and some savings in the bank are not compelling reasons to return home in the mind of the ECO

Don't leave anything to chance and try to not leave obvious questions unanswered.

It's really a personal choice Whether or not you post your letter here in a public forum for comment.

The facts are whatever they are. No one here can magically come up with reasons to return home where there are none.

Just trying to help.

[Kevin Brown]

That's some great advice, thanks Terpe. There was a couple of things I hadn't thought about such as my family welcoming her and evidence of dates of our chats etc. I will finish my letter and post it here, hopefully someone may spot something I have left out or could say better. Really greatful for all the help.

Kev

[Michael Parnham]

Welcome to the forum Kevin, good luck with your future plans!

[andy222]

Hi Kevin and welcome. I think the main point has been said in that you need to convince the ECO that your fiance will return to the philippines after her visit. It could be a stumbling block if she does not have anything to go back for.

[highlander01]

I'm very much a beginner here but as you are intending getting married anyway , what would be the harm in applying for a fiancé visa anyway?

Assuming you subsequently don't marry in the UK, she leaves after a few months & you then marry in the Phils within a short time period - surely that's a perfectly normal scenario , without any dishonesty intended. Most women want to marry in their homeland with all their relatives present as none of them would be able to travel to the UK presumably.

Surely one of the points of a fiancée visa is that the claimant gets some experience of life in a new country & gets to know her fiancé better?

Would that create further problems down the line? I would have thought if she is unemployed & has no obvious ties to guarantee that she will return to the Philippines, her chances of getting a visitor visa are pretty much nil.

[Kevin Brown]

Thanks Everyone for your advice. What am finding more and more worrying is that it looks easier to lie and say you are getting married than to be truthful and explain the purpose of the visit. However, we will stay truthful and honest and hope it is clear to the ECO etc. Here is a draft of my letter. Any comments would be gratefully recieved. I am sure I have missed something somewhere but it is late.


December 1st 2014

To: VFS Services Philippines Private Inc.,
Mezzanine Floor,
Ecoplaza Building,
Unit 606 2305
Pasong Tamo Extension
Makati City,
Metro Manila

Subject: Girlfriend, Filipino Citizen, DOB:1 June 1991

Attachment

1. Sponsorship Declaration Form
2. Employment Contract with Company Ltd
3. Earnings history (previous six months of salary slips)
4. Financial history (previous six months of bank statements, Santander Acc no.)
5. Property Utility Bill of house I own with a mortgage,
6. Passport pages, Kevin Brown
a. Portrait page
b. Entry stamp issued by The Philippines
7. Two photographs annotated on the reverse sides
8. Copy of letter to Parents of Girlfriend
9. Copy of Evidence of contact history

To the Entry Clearance Officer:
I am pleased to provide this letter of sponsorship for my fiancée, Girlfriend, as a general VISITOR.

I have invited my Girlfriend to visit me next February; and following the guidelines shown on your web site, I have prepared this letter as support. I am a British citizen, divorced, born and living in Gosport, Hampshire. I have worked for the past 3 years at My company Ltd as a Quality Manager and earn £26,500 pa.

Briefly, Girlfriend and I became acquainted on the Internet using a popular dating website, Filipino Cupid. As we chatted every day and we got to know each other better, we realized we had a lot of feeling for one another, so much so that we arranged for me to visit in May 2013 where I spent 10 days meeting and getting to know her and her family. I stayed in a hotel with a friend along with Girlfriend and her cousin, all clean and above board. What became very evident to me was how close she was to her family and what she does to help her parents and siblings. This appealed to me greatly, her love of family life.

At the end of my visit we became engaged. Initially, we planned to get married in The Philippines in January 2014 but, sadly, I had to have an a major operation which has required me to have time off work and because of the result of the operation, I am not prepared to marry until I am healed. We had originally planned for Girlfriend to visit October 2013 in order that she could see my country, get a feel for our culture and also meet my family who are keen on getting to know her before we get married. However, when my operation was booked, we knew this would appear as if she was caring for me during my convalescence which, in turn, could be deemed as working, so we decided to delay the visit.

I propose to sponsor Girlfriend for a period of 3 months to begin during the February 2014 through to early May 2014 and have estimated the all-in costs of her visit to be:

Air tickets £705
Transportation to/from Heathrow £50
Meals £450
Private health insurance £75
Entertainment & Misc £200
Accomodation £0
Total £1,480

This is roughly the equivalent of 2 weeks' net earnings for me, and I have set this amount aside in anticipation of Girlfriend’s successful application. Additionally, I have earmarked a contingency budget of £250. She will be staying at my property, a 5 bedroom house with 3 occupants. I am aware that there are no provisions for Girlfriend to extend her visit or to alter her status during the course of her visit. I helped my Girlfriend complete her VAF1A form, which we downloaded from your website. I hope you find these arrangements suitable and can proceed with granting my Girlfriend the entry clearance she seeks. Should additional information be needed, I prefer to be contacted via email at the address given below.

Yours sincerely



Kevin Brown


Thanks for reading.

Kev

[Dedworth]

Any news on the visa application Kev ?