Good afternoon ladies & gents,
Comestas !

I`m after some advice as to what to do concerning my g/f coming to the UK.
Our situation is little bit different to norm and after finally finding this site (which looks the best by the way) and seeing the problems that people have faced getting visa's I want to make sure we apply for the right one and get it right first time.

I can't believe the prejudice some of you have faced from representatives of our own so called ' people' at the british embassy.
I thought things would be simple for an English guy to have his g/f visit/live with him, but after reading up on it I am truely amazed.

I wish everyone thats applying good luck and all those that were successful lots and lots of happiness.

Right, let me explain our situation and then if any of you can offer any help or advice that would be much appreciated.

FYI up until a month ago I had never even envisaged the situation I`m in now.... well ok here go's.....

I was visiting my brother in Feb this year who had recently gone to live & work in Singapore , whilst there I met my g/f.

We just literally bumped into each other one evening in the complex where my brother lives and spent a considerable amount of time with each other.
Upon my return, we agreed to keep in touch and in fact were calling each other everyday(of which I have the phone bills to prove it), plus numerous texts, emails etc etc

Although we were both cautious at first we realised that we were really falling for each other in a big way, so I arranged another trip to Singapore midway through May for 10 days, so we could spend that time together exclusively and to see whether we ended up killing each other.

Well we are both still alive and that trip just confirmed what we already knew.

I`m a UK national, I`m not dependant on any benefits and have a clean financial record.
I earn a good wage and privately rent my own (3 bed) accommodation.
I have no previous marriages or children and neither does she.
My g/f is a Filipino national but has been living and working in Singapore for the last 10 years.
I`m 27 she's 31

She has a good education, an advanced knowledge of the English language and is used to living in a metropolitan city and its way of life.
She is currently working as a live in nanny/domestic helper and is legally entitled to be living and working in Singapore.

She is returning home on the 4th of July as her contract is ending and she can spend some time with her family. We have decided that ultimately she will come here and live with me rather than return to Singapore.

I live and work in London (I`m a London boy born and bred) and its just not possible or viable for me to go and live/work in Singapore.
Plus in Singapore there is still a level of discrimination towards people from the surrounding Islands as I am sure some of you are aware.

Now my g/f understands that regardless of what Visa she applies for she will not be able to work straight away but I am able and willing to support her until such a time that she can.
While she is not working we agreed that she will study something to improve her chances of getting a good job once she is legally able to work.

I have spent the last two weeks researching the different types of Visa and would like your advice as to what option you think is best

Obviously the unmarried partner one is not valid because we do not meet that criteria.

The fiancée one sounds like a good option and the one most of you lot recommend but to be fair I cant see us getting married within the first six months ( I`d rather do things properly than rush it just for a quick visa fix)
And also we have history but not for very long, and after reading previous posts it would probably not be long enought to satisfy the mini hitlers at the embassy.

Which leaves a Tourist visa, which I understand is for six months only and then she will have to return home.
This is not a problem as we agreed that after a few months, assuming things are going well, we will fly to her home town together, meet the gang etc etc and then look at applying for a fiancee visa.

This would also give her a chance to see London, and for us to prepare everything together for when we eventually apply for the Fiancee visa.

So do you think we have a good chance of getting a tourist visa?

My g/f has assets (some land and property) and has also paid off her filipino pension already.
She has some savings also.

And she has spent the last 10 years working abroad anyway.

As mentioned above my situation is good and I am more than willing to act as her sponser.

From what I gather, the biggest stumbling block for tourist visas is the need to prove that the applicant has a reason to return home, would the above be sufficient??

I have a couple more questions and might as well squeeze them in here...

If she gets a tourist visa, is it possible for us to change it to a Fiancée visa at the end of the six months or will she have to return home and apply again?

And finally what's the average time scale for applications?.
Both settlement and non-settlement

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.
Its my first time on here and so much stuff I have already read now seems so relevant.

Basically, we just want to spend some quality time together and she really doesn't wanna be stuck in the philippines for too long.

I know this is a long post to start with but I figure that the more unbiased information and experience anyone is able to offer me will only benefit us and ensure that we get things right first time.

Thanks in advance

JB