need help-tourist visa, what relationship status should i use?

[sweet_cookie08]

hello!

i need help regarding my tourist visa application. I'm really confused on what to indicate on my application form with regards to my relationship with my sponsor.

on 2006, i was sent off by my company to London for a 2 months training. that time, i used my old passport bearing my ex-husbands surname. we've been separated for 7 years. to make the long story short, i met a nice, gorgeous looking man from my company and inshort we are now engaged. I need to go to London again by dec for us to talk about wedding stuffs and to meet his parents. I just dont know what should I placed in my application. I just received my nullification decision (divorce) from my previous marriage. Now I will be applying for a tourist visa using my old passport(bearing my ex-husband's surname). Actually I have inquired this with the embassy, if i can use my old passport bearing my ex's surname, and they said its OK, i just need to provide them the copy of certificate of my annulment.

Now my problem is, should I put in my application that my relationship with the person that will sponsor me is my fiance??? We are set to get married on April 12, 2008 here in the Philippines and i have documents/receipts of our reservations with the venue, caterers, etc for the wedding. My fiance will sponsor everything with regards to my trip to the UK on dec. My question is, will it be alright to state there that he is my fiance? should i include all our receipts for our wedding? should i include there also, picture of us to prove that he is indeed my fiance and should I need to include there certification from my company that i'll be returning on a specific date? will this not affect my spouse visa when apply for it after our wedding?

some of my friends say that i just put there, "FRIEND" as my relationship with my fiance because the consuls might deny my application if i put there "FIANCE". I'll just apply for a tourist visa because, i just need to see him to talk about wedding stuffs and meet his parents.

im so confused. please enlighten me, i cant afford to be denied.

thanks in advance for all your help.

cheers!

[ginapeterb]

Based on the facts you have placed before us, it seems that your tourist application is likely to be denied, however it may not be, this is a chance you yourself will take, its not an exact science, but on a tourist visa, you have to prove that you can support yourself without recourse to anyone else for your stay in the UK

Sponsors only come into the equation when its a Fiancee visa application, or (Marriage visa) if you want the correct term.

Marriage visa's are the sure way for you to be granted a visa to enter the UK, since you met your fiance in the UK, there is no reason why you cannot be granted such a visa, however, I can see what you are trying to do, but it may not work in the way you want.

You have nothing to loose in applying for a tourist visa, if you have been to UK before and can prove that, and you have returned satisfactorily within the time frame allowed, you have proved you are not an overstayer, the chance are that you have more than an average chance of being successful, either way, a tourist visa is cheaper and if you are declined, then at least you will know which visa to apply for.

Take your chances and see what happens.

You might even find that the visa is issued by post meaning you will not have to attend for an interview.

Best of luck

[KeithD]

Can't you get a new passport, it would make it easier for the future with your hubby if it matched your birth certificate.

As Pete says, the vast majority, over 95% of tourist visas are denied, but it's only money

Get a new passport, and include a detailed explanation of everything in a cover letter.

[Bridget]

Hi Sweet_Cookie, Welcome to Filipino UK Forum.
I agree to what Kuya Peter said. In addition to that based on my own experienced.
I have granted a UK visitor visa in two occassions and my sponsor was my boyfriend (my fiance now) . If you have decided to apply for a tourist visa that is your own choice although I can see from the informations you have given in your post that it will be easier for you to get a fiancee visa although the visa fee is a lot dearer than a visit visa.
If you did not overstayed in the UK before I dont think they will refused your application, because you already proved them that you did not violated any UK rules. In my case before, my boyfriend (my fiance now) just declared in his supporting letter that he is sponsoring me as his visitor and the reason why he wanted me to come is to have more time together, to introduce me to his family and friends and show me his country. You can make your own letter as well to explain the purpose of your visit. I think if you also tell them that you are planning to get married here in the Philippines next year will help to convince the ECO that you still have intension to go back to the Philippines. Applying for visitor visa the ECO must be convinced that you have enough proof that you have the reason to go back to your country of origin and you or your sponsor have enough accommodation and funds that available for you during your stay in the UK. Yes you can show to the British Embassy some of your pictures together and other evidence of your relationships. I hope this helps. Goodluck.

[sweet_cookie08]

thanks to all those who replied. though im still a bit confused. should I just declare in my application that my boyfriend is sponsoring my whole visit, my fare, my food, my accomodation (i'll be staying in his flat ofcourse).

What visa should I apply to be sure that i'll be granted a visa? we are having a hard time communication regarding wedding stuffs online and his mum is requesting to see me soon before we get married.

im a bit sad and confused. please do help me guys.

thanks a lot.

[sweet_cookie08]

hello win2win,

i cant get a new passport now. i just received my nullification (divorce) papers and knowing Philippines processing, it would take me 2 months to have a new passport! huhuhu. Our wedding is set to be on April 12, 2008 already. His mum has been waiting to meet me since October.

How much money should I have in my bank account to prove that i can support my self there for 2 weeks only?

"As Pete says, the vast majority, over 95% of tourist visas are denied, but it's only money" win2win, what do you mean by, "it's only money?"

to Bridget, i can't apply for a fiancee visa since we are getting married here in manila by APril 2008.

Bridget, please, what exactly did you do when you applied for a tourist visa? did your boyfriend sponsored everything? did you include all the evidences that you are real boyfriends like photos, chats, emails, etc?

please do help me guys. i need help.

thanks!

[ginapeterb]

thanks to all those who replied. though im still a bit confused. should I just declare in my application that my boyfriend is sponsoring my whole visit, my fare, my food, my accomodation (i'll be staying in his flat ofcourse).

What visa should I apply to be sure that i'll be granted a visa? we are having a hard time communication regarding wedding stuffs online and his mum is requesting to see me soon before we get married.

im a bit sad and confused. please do help me guys.

thanks a lot.

Hi sweet cookie, how are you, Kamusta ka na ? will you listen to me for a few minutes please, cos I am worried about what you will say.

should I just declare in my application that my boyfriend is sponsoring my whole visit, my fare, my food, my accomodation (i'll be staying in his flat ofcourse).

My little Filipino flower, you cannot say that in a tourist visa application, because the rules for tourist visa's are different to relationship visa's.

The rules state that you the applicant must be able to show that you can support yourself for your intended visit to the UK.

If you put down on your application that your boyfriend is your sponsor, you run the risk of being denied entry, the entry clearance officer may decide that you are not applying for the correct visa.

As Keith told you before, you can always try to do it this way, because the visa fee is much cheaper.

But you run the risk of being denied, are you intending to get married on this trip ? you have six months to do this.

Why not go for the marriage visa, you are in a much better area, and your chances of success are much greater.

Or why not be patient and discuss your wedding arrangements online with your future Mother in Law, it takes time, but sometimes these arrangements can be worked out online, in preparation for your arrival.

Remember, tourist visa's are hard to get at times, because the British Embassy considers many Filipino visitors a flight risk, and to be honest, they are not wrong in that assumption.

Ask the 60,000 or so Tago ng Tago Filipinos who live mainly around London, they are a testament to that fear.

[KeithD]

2 Months is fine to fix the passport if you are not getting married till April, I make that 4-5 months.

If you try going for a Fiancee visa to come over for the marriage, you can have that denied on the basis your passport doesn't make sense to them, as it will not match the birth certificate.

If you read through this forum you will see constantly by many members something like:
Ensure ALL the paperwork is in order before applying for any visa.

We see 100's of cases like this every year, and know how the immigration deal with it, so you can either take our advice, or do it your own way, but if you choose the latter, do not come back here looking for help a second time if it all goes AoverT.

[Bridget]

Bridget, please, what exactly did you do when you applied for a tourist visa? did your boyfriend sponsored everything? did you include all the evidences that you are real boyfriends like photos, chats, emails, etc?

please do help me guys. i need help.

thanks!

Hi Sweet_cookieo8,
Ok you wanted to go to UK as visitor/ tourist. You must not declare that your sponsor is actually your fiance, you can just say that he is your boyfriend. In my case before, my sponsor was my boyfriend (my fiance now). He declared in his supporting letter that I will stay with him in his own house and that theres enough funds available for me during my stay, that he provides me a return ticket and also a travel insurance.
I submiited to the British Embassy the following, to apply for a visit visa;
From my sponsor; all photocopies only.
6 months payslips
6 months bank statements, savings account and current account
A photocopy of his stock shares, investment, trust funds.
Utility bills, telephone, water and electricity
Passport and all the stamped pages
Supporting letter

Then I provide the following; All oroginal and ptotocopy

Passport old and new
My Business Permit
Barangay clearance and Police clearance
SSS monthly receipts
Western Union receipts, when he sent me the money for airticket & visa fee.
HSBC Savings account and current account bank statements.
and
photocopy of stamped pages of my old and new passport
some pictures of us together taken here, in HK and in Shen Zhen, China.
manager`s cheque for the visa fee.
Greeting cards, postcards and letters from him (for the past six months.)
Application Form and 1 photograph

I did not submit any chat, emails conversation copy. His telephone bills where most the numbers he called is my telephone and mobile phone, thats a strong evidence of our regular contact.
Take note: travel insurance is not actually required by the Embassy, it is my fiance`s idea as he does not want me to leave the country without a travel insurance and I only purchase one after I got my visa.
Goodluck.

[Welsh_Italian]

This may not be of much help but here goes. My wife and I were married back in June 2007 (which is the difference between ours and your cases because you're not yet married) and we managed to get her passport changed to her new name jsut after.

We applied for a tourist visa because a) she is only visiting the UK for a few months, and b) it's cheaper. We intend to live in the Phils after her time here.

Looking at the record, her visa was granted the same day it was viewed with no interview so something must have been right. When we applied, we put together a lot of information much like a spousal visa. We included marriage documents, both birth certificates, photos of the wedding, my pay slips for the last 12 months, my tenancy agreement (which I had changed to include her name), brief details of our emails, chats, texts, remittances and telephone conversations, evidence of my visits, and a sponsorship letter from myself saying that I was willing to look after so that she would have no recourse to public funds. This was necessary because my wife no longer works and had no savings. I also included evidence (though not strong evidence) that I was going to leave the UK for the Phils soon. Without that letter, I doubt she would have been given the visa.

So it is possible to get a visa. One word of warning: emphasise that you are visiting and not looking to stay and this applies to the immigration officials at the airport. In your case, I would also emphasise that you have been granted a visa already and have abided by the conditions. This proves clearly to them that you are not "illegally" minded and less of a risk.

Best of luck with your application. As previously said, it is hard to get a visitors visa but it is possible.