I thought I would record this as it shows that it can be done. K's friend Elizabeth works on a superyacht - if anything of 11,000 GT can be called a "yacht" - and has done so for the past four years, Initially, she was employed as a stewardess, but she has graduated to a position where she is "in charge" of the speedboats, beach equipment, etc. She also sails, and has taken part in the South China Sea Race, etc. She wants to progress up the ranks, and decided that an RYA Yachtmaster qualification would help. She applied for a course with Commodore Yachting in Gosport, the s o called "zero to hero" intensive course, which lasts two months. She was told this was too short for a student visa, but she could apply for a visit visa. In her application, she included a copy of her contract, her joining instructions for May, her ticket to Greece to join the yacht and a letter from Commodore Yachting confirming her place on their course. Her Visa was granted with no trouble. It happened that we were on the same plane from Hong Kong and she was not unduly delayed at Immigration at Heathrow. She took the course, failed the exam for what I can only describe as "girly" reasons (she stuck too rigidly clear of the buoyed channel in a navigation exercise and was diagnosed as lacking confidence) came to stay with me, I arranged a re-sit with a local exam centre (East Anglian Sailing School) and she passed. She is now back in the Philippines about to join her ship and she will be back here in November to. to sit the Ocean exam and the Commercial endorsement. I suspect that she may be the only Filipina to hold this qualfication.
The successful candidate, now proposed seconded and interviewed by the Commodore and Vice Commodore of the Royal Harwich Yacht Club...
Excellent. My late father also did the RYA ocean going skippers course many years ago. He used to have a small yacht on Conwy marina.
Very nice picture Andrew, very pretty girl too, the visa is not impossible had three happy UK visa recipients in my house the other week.
I still think the single Filipina has little or no chance getting a visa to see her loved one in the UK. If this is telling us anything it is the fact that we do not want to be telling the UKVI that we are coming over to the UK to see our loved ones.
I agree, Timmers - what is interesting is that an "ordinary" (albeit hard working and sucessful) Filipina who earns seafarer's wages could get to visit the UK "under her own steam" for a course.
yep--my lady got her visit visa to come and visit her sister who is settled here. i was a sort of innocent bystander
I think it helps when the Filipina can quote an official body she is visiting on her application. I really hope it gets a little easier, I support the idea of putting a couple of grand down as a deposit so to speak.
Took Elizabeth to Ipswich and said "This is where the Oysters come from" and she insisted on a photo under the Oyster sign!
