Doing it with UKVACS...

[Eljohno]

Hi Ivor,
welcome to the forum, it is understandable that you have some concerns about the interview and everything that is involved.

There is a lot of info on this forum if you get the chance have a good look through it, also pete here has a link to his website that has generally what you need to know about how to prepare your wife "to be" for the interview.

Actually ivor here is the link below for pete's website so just click on it and have a look...

http://www.british-filipino.com/


John

[ivor&mel]

Originally posted by Eljohno@Feb 19 2006, 01:07 AM

Actually ivor here is the link below for pete's website so just click on it and have a look...

http://www.british-filipino.com/
John

Quoted post

Thanks, John. I've had a look at that site and am now more confused! It says:

" If an applicant is asked to attend for a visa interview, their passport and supporting documents will be returned to them, and they will be asked to attend for an interview at British Embassy Manila".

TT returned her passport, but, AFAIA, the embassy still has the supporting docs? Should she expect to have the docs returned and take them with her to the interview? Or will the Embassy make them available when she arrives?

Ivor

[ginapeterb]

Originally posted by ivor&mel@Feb 19 2006, 11:17 AM
Thanks, John. I've had a look at that site and am now more confused! It says:

" If an applicant is asked to attend for a visa interview, their passport and supporting documents will be returned to them, and they will be asked to attend for an interview at British Embassy Manila".

TT returned her passport, but, AFAIA, the embassy still has the supporting docs? Should she expect to have the docs returned and take them with her to the interview? Or will the Embassy make them available when she arrives?

Ivor

Quoted post

Ivor

Welcome to the forum, your GF's passport has most probably been returned assuming that the laminated strip has been sorted out, because she needs it to go to the Embassy for her interview, without it, she wont get pased the guards at the steps, its as simple as that, the remainder of the documents, may in this case have been retained by UKVacs, to be passed over to the Embassy for her interview, I would not be unduly perturbed by this, its this simple, if she does not receive any supporting documentation back, thats good news, it means her interview will go forward as normal.

John has given you good advice, Pauldo has also alluded to some very useful interview and preparation tips, if you want to get you GF to go online and get some interview experience, you can also yourself read at

http://british-filipino.com/britemb1.html

and follow this thread, get your GF to read about how entry clearance officers make decisiions, dress is normally formal as Pauldo has said, tube top, flip flop, tank top, back flop, braless and stainless is definately out.

Pete

[ivor&mel]

Originally posted by ginapeterb@Feb 19 2006, 01:18 PM
Ivor

http://british-filipino.com/britemb1.html

Quoted post

Oh dear... now I am really concerned... I wish I could have found this information earlier... Is it really necessary to have pre-booked a date with the Registry Office here? This is the first time I have come across that requirement. Our plan, as I stated in my covering letter to the Embassy, is to arrange the marriage here if the visa has been granted, within 3 months of my fiancee's arrival, hopefully in June or July. If this is truly an essential requirement, then it is a big blow.... I can understand that they want us to have shown some serious consideration about the date, but to actually have pre-booked??!! Oh.... does anyone have any thoughts, ideas or suggestions please?

Ivor

[ginapeterb]

Originally posted by ivor&mel@Feb 19 2006, 12:45 PM
Oh dear... now I am really concerned... I wish I could have found this information earlier... Is it really necessary to have pre-booked a date with the Registry Office here? This is the first time I have come across that requirement. Our plan, as I stated in my covering letter to the Embassy, is to arrange the marriage here if the visa has been granted, within 3 months of my fiancee's arrival, hopefully in June or July. If this is truly an essential requirement, then it is a big blow.... I can understand that they want us to have shown some serious consideration about the date, but to actually have pre-booked??!! Oh.... does anyone have any thoughts, ideas or suggestions please?

Ivor

Quoted post

Ivor, Im glad you came here as you have done, your covering letter is a disaster, I have sent you a personal message, you may wish to call me at home today, I have sent you my home number for your call, if you wish to discuss your situation in detail, my details are at your personal message.

To answer your point publicly, this has also been raised by another applicant, suggest before you send in your covering letter, you speak to me, your letter needs to show the details of your pre-planned wedding including dates and times, reception details, that will ensure a granting of your GF's visa, if you do not provide it, your GF has no details to offer, your GF will end up being refused, and you are basically..f....


Any one disagree...Iam all ears !!

[ginapeterb]

Ivor called me about 1 hour ago, we have concluded our chat, and everyone is a winner, best wishes Ivor in your quest, glad we were able to steer you in the right direction,

Pete

[Eljohno]

Originally posted by ginapeterb@Feb 19 2006, 02:08 PM
Ivor called me about 1 hour ago, we have concluded our chat, and everyone is a winner, best wishes Ivor in your quest, glad we were able to steer you in the right direction,

Pete

Quoted post

Hi pete,
as a member of the forum i will ask all other members to vote that you should have a 0800 number installed so everyone could call you day or night for free so you can provide a more personal service. Ha Ha Ha!!!!!!

John

[ivor&mel]

Originally posted by ginapeterb@Feb 19 2006, 03:08 PM
Ivor called me about 1 hour ago, we have concluded our chat, and everyone is a winner, best wishes Ivor in your quest, glad we were able to steer you in the right direction,

Pete

Quoted post

Thanks again for your invaluable help, Pete - so much I learned and just wish I had been exposed to this a lot earlier. If you ever escape back to the north, there will be at least one pint waiting for you

Ivor

[ginapeterb]

Ivor,

You said this:

Maybe they are concerned about our age gap? Is that likely to be a reason for rejection? I am 57 and she is 25

I can understand your belly flies are going around now, but the age difference is common in the Philippines, so dont let the frogs start croaking yet ?

The fact is, your relationship will be scrutinized by the Entry Clearance officer I wont side step this for you, but tell it how it is...age could be looked at, their is a significant difference in your age gap to get their inbuilt prejudices going, Filipinas do tend go for older men, ( except in Keiths case hehehehehee stop it Keith.)

The Age Gap is not in itself a reason to deny your fiancee a visa, they have more imaginative ways of denying, than simply saying " The Sponsor is too old for the applicant", I have known lots of couples of similar age differences go through the system with no problems whatsoever.

If your evidence of relationship is good, say over the course of 1 year or more, then it shouldnt be an issue you should be concerned with, I think you are right not to mention your fears to your Girl, she doesnt need that worry when she goes for the interview, Filipinas by nature worry about everything, and can often feel intimidated by official sounding interviews and officials in General.

Ivor, what I see in your situation is this : Your GF will need to satisfy entry clearance officer that the two of you are likely to remain living together as man and wife in the United Kingdom indefinately.

That is where the onus of proof is on the applicant, so my advice to you right now, is to start training your GF in how to act on an interview, by all means refer your GF to my website, and to the relevant section I gave to you in a previous post, applicants who visit my site and others where this kind of information is available, (although I have yet to find a UK one that is as descriptive as mine), generally perform better on visa interviews and are granted visa's.

The Proof as I have said is on the applicant, although as We have said previously, you can attend with your GF, but you have already said you will not be attending, that is sad, as she may have needed your support, even if you are keeping the 7-11 in business round the back of the Embassy, that would have dispelled any fears the ECO may have.

I will always try to be honest with you, about what the ECO is thinking, in your relationship, I bet this is on his or her mind when they interview your GF.

"Is this young woman going to do a runner after a few weeks once she gets to UK and gets in with the Filipino Community"

This has never been mentioned on this forum before, but to be truthful, it is what is in their minds, some Girls come to Uk with older Guys, or often younger ones as well, no special age for this Ivor, then they get in with the local Filipino Group in the town where they live, and after a few months or even week, ( in one case I know of 14 days) and then they simply dissapear and start working in the Informal Economy).

Im sure, your relationship is not like that, and is a very stable one, so Ivor, dont be offended by what I am saying, its not me who she has to convince, its an ECO who looks through his or her own inbuilt prejudices, sadly, they would have cause to think like this, since there are so many situations in the UK where this happens, so back to what I said.

Your GF has really to convince the ECO that the two of you are going to live together as man and wife indefinately, or at least, the balance of probablity is that you will.

Thats an intersting phrase isnt it ?

Balance of probability ?

Who determines what constitutes the balance of probability, the fact is, they that is the ECO does, so you see my point, its rather arbitrary I know, but that is the system in place, there are many rules that ECO's are directed to work to, do they work to them ? in the past, ECO's have misplaced documents, lied, made mistakes, made bad decisions and had them overturned, done all sorts of howlers, so the point is this, they are human beings in a job, so Ivor, you are at the mercy of their in built frailties and prejudices.

But as Keith says, 99.99 per cent of visa's get approved, is it 99.99 Keith ? I thought it was 97 per cent..heheheheeh

Best of lUck Ivor.