Thanks Pete for you info and also the tip on the budget, having been living a single lifestyle (down the pub) for the last 3 years I do not have the healthiest of bank balances although only overdrawn by a few quid occasionally at the end of the month. Obviously my life style will change when I have a beautiful wife at home [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]. Without going into details I guess I earn above average.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ginapeterb @ Mar 23 2006, 07:25 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Hello Fred,
Welcome to the Forum, ( the best place to be in the UK for your questions), so let me answer it for you :
Your passport does not need to be notarized, experience has shown that it is not a hard and fast requirement, just have the photo page, and the rest of your passport, that is all the stamped pages in attachment.
You actually do not need a letter from your employer, what the ECO will look at is, your ability to support your wife without recourse to public funds, this can be demonstrated as follows:
Your last 3 months payslips if employed.
Or your last 6 months contract payments, or last 3 years accounts, or if recently self employed your last 12 months accounts.
Also you must submit your last 6 months bank statements, and they must be up to date, try not to have a minus figure (i.e. be in the red) when you submit them, Im not suggesting you are in the red, but some do submit them and are in the red, whilst they may have got a laugh from the ECO and the applicant passes the test, it maybe that it can go against you, if your income is lower than the average in UK.
Secondly, I have a tip for you, prepare a budget statement showing your income and fixed outgoings, such as rent/mortgage council tax, utility bills, and show that against say, your income, showing the residual surplus each month, this is a good demonstration of your ability to support your new wife when she arrives in UK.
And of course the budget statement may dispel any borderline issues with your Income and expenditure, that the ECO may have.
You dont have to do this, but it sometimes tips the balance in your favour.
I think your fiancee is slightly confused about the CFO, the CFO in itself does not require a Certificate of no impediment to marriage from you, that would only be required by the Philippine Authorities, should you wish to contract marriage in the Philippines, and in any event, the CFO has no jurisdiction over marriages, that is a matter for the Local District registry, who would require the Filipino version of the same document which is a Legal Capacity to contract marriage, which is only issued by the foreign embassy, in this case, the British Embassy, since you are not marrying in the Philippines, there is no requirement for you to obtain one locally in the UK, and since you are to marry in the UK, having a CNI is not a requirement.
The Counselling and Guidance seminar your fiancee is referring to, is nothing to do with the CFO, the CFO issues only the emigrant number, which is affixed in your fiancees passport, once she has completed the guidance and counselling seminar.
This is conducted by the SMEF-OCW, St Mary's Eurphrasia Foundation for Overseas contract workers, the requirements for this, are
Your fiancee's passport
showing Uk Entry Clearance Sticker
the fee of P250.00
2 Photos
and any other information as requested prior to attending.
you can read about this at
http://www.british-filipino.com/guidance.html
With regard to your fiancee once having married you, travelling around Europe, she would not be free to do that, without having a Schengen visa for the European member states, this of course is a formality, since once having married you, she would be entitled to obtain one, as the wife of an EEC Citizen, all she would require is her passport, and a copy of your local UK Marriage certificate, the schengen visa enables your wife to travel to any of the member states who are party to the agreement, signed in Luxembourg, and the best place to obtain this, is via the country's embassy in London, of which you wish to enter the continent of Europe.
I hope that helps...any questions, Im all ears !!
Best wishes
Pete
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