<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cardiffian @ May 20 2006, 05:55 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
i have been in contact with LAnie in the philippines for a couple of months now and i plan to visit her in december,i have a son from a previous marriage who i bring up alone.I am sending money to the philippines every month on my insistence by the way and we email each other everyday and speak on yahoo messenger every weekend,please could you advise me what records i need to keep for any visa applications and is it better to apply for a visiting visa before getting married,i know this is jumping the gun having not yet visited her but i am dead serious and would just like to be prepared jeff
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Hi Jeff, welcome aboard.
Two months is indeed a very short time to decide that you want to commit to a girl for life. So, do your homework on the girl and make sure her story gels in all aspects, you need to know she is genuine before committing your self emotionally and financially. Ask gentle questions about her life, and family etc, make sure the answers gel. There are plenty of unscrupulous girls out there looking to make a buck or just have fun for a while. Better safe than sorry.
It is a long term thing you are getting in to and I'd suggest meeting her at least a couple of times before even thinking of tying the knot and bringing her to the UK. Assuming she actually wants to come here that is.
As mentioned already by Ivor, visit visas applications seem to be fairly unsuccesful for some reason, so marriage might be your best bet. You have a long rocky road ahead of you, so save everything she sends you, and send her lots of bits and pieces, cards, snail mail letters, photos, get her to send the same to you too. If you go to visit her take a good camera and record everything you do together.
If and when you both decide you want to take it a step further, marriage, visa, she will need to start getting her house in order and make sure she has a passport, a CORRECT birth certificate and various other things. Incorrect birth certificates seem to be a hell of a stumbling block with visa applications.
Treat it like a court case, where she has to PROVE her worth to the UK Embassy in Manila, because that is basically what happens when she applies for the visa.
Anyway, have fun, be careful, don't let your little head rule your big head, if you know what I mean [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif[/img]
