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Girlfriend is due to arrive on tourist visa in a few weeks, she now believes we require a CFO?

Discussion in 'UK Visa and Immigration Help' started by Monkeyjazz187, Mar 8, 2021.

  1. Monkeyjazz187
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    Monkeyjazz187 New Member

    As per the title my girlfriend is due to arrive to the UK in a few weeks for a vacation with me on a tourist visa, she now believes we require a CFO, my understanding is they are only required for a fiancé or spousal visas?

    We are already stressed out with obtaining the tourist visa (2nd attempt was successful) and with time running out before she flies is this something we need to be concerned about?

    Many thanks
  2. Mattecube
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    Mattecube face the sunshine so shadows fall behind you Trusted Member

    Not required for a visit visa.
    CFO is for those looking to settle away from the Philippines
    • Agree Agree x 3
  3. Br28016
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    Br28016 Active Member Trusted Member

    Also not possible to get CFO with tourist visa. Requirement is that you have an emigrant visa before they will issue a CFO sticker to go in the passport.

    Has she been out of the country before ? Needs to be prepared for Philippines immigration questions on where she is going, who going to see, can support herself, when coming back, has she met you before. They do off load people if they think there is a risk of people trafficking so do make sure she is prepared for those kind of questions. That said my wife and I never had any issues going through immigration on the three occasions left the Philippines (two of which were before marriage) although I was there along with at least one of kids at time which probably helped. Don't think may people have had issues but definitely some people do get off loaded.

    One random Google search which might be useful.

    https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.th...e-immigration-rules-requirements-airport/amp/
    • Agree Agree x 1
  4. bigmac
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    bigmac Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    congrats on getting a visit visa--not easy.
    • Agree Agree x 3
  5. Mattecube
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    Mattecube face the sunshine so shadows fall behind you Trusted Member

    Some good points relevant to UK immigration also
  6. Monkeyjazz187
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    Monkeyjazz187 New Member

    Thanks For the info Greatly appreciated
  7. Monkeyjazz187
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    Monkeyjazz187 New Member

    Hi,

    Yes she has been abroad before and worked in UAE for 2 years.

    I've told her about being prepared for questioning so we have gone over all the details of our trip, thanks for the info , has put my mind at ease.
  8. Monkeyjazz187
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    Monkeyjazz187 New Member

    The first time round we completely underestimated the level of detail required in order to satisfy the clearance officers, we had also only been together for a few months at the time which didn't really help.

    Hopefully we can use our recent success to help others, I don't do FB but my girlfriend is quite an active member of one of the Filipino visa groups, when she gets here I will show her this site and see if there are any queries she can help with, she dealt with most of our application.

    Thanks
  9. Mattecube
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    Mattecube face the sunshine so shadows fall behind you Trusted Member

    Is she flying into Heathrow?
  10. bigmac
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    bigmac Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    my--now--wife was here in the UK with a student visa 2008-2012. we met in 2011.

    she went back home in july 2012 at the end of her visa.
    she applied for a visit visa in early 20213--but was refused.
    she tried again june 2013 and was successful. NO mention was made of me in the applications--she put that she wanted to visit her sister , living here--and friends in different parts of the UK.
    She had adequate funds--and strong ties to the philippines.. House, business, bank account, family .

    i really think putting down reason to visit: see boyfriend is likely to be refused--likely to overstay.
  11. Mattecube
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    Mattecube face the sunshine so shadows fall behind you Trusted Member

    She has the visa.
  12. Monkeyjazz187
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    Monkeyjazz187 New Member

    unfortunately yes, couldn’t get a decent priced ticket to Gatwick which is much closer to me.
  13. Mattecube
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    Mattecube face the sunshine so shadows fall behind you Trusted Member

    Just a tip, if she is delayed clearing immigration and you become concerned there are internal phones Joe public can use to check her progress through immigration etc placed in the arrivals hall.
    They are located on the pillars near WH Smiths
  14. Monkeyjazz187
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    Monkeyjazz187 New Member

    Is that for all terminals?

    She is flying with Qatar so believe she arrives at T5
  15. Mattecube
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    Mattecube face the sunshine so shadows fall behind you Trusted Member

    If not, ask a member of staff they will be available somewhere.
    My wife's daughter and her daughter came through and were delayed (child vomited) air sickness so it was a big help using these to get an update .
  16. Monkeyjazz187
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    Monkeyjazz187 New Member

    Excellent thanks for the info.

    We’ve just had our return flight moved out by a day by the airline, is this likely to cause an issue with immigration as it will now be different to what we specified on our application.

    im fairly sure it won’t but the better half is now panicking.
  17. Mattecube
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    Mattecube face the sunshine so shadows fall behind you Trusted Member

    I dont think there will be an issue with the movement of the flight their systems will have a record.Have you a hardcopy advising the shift in the fight if so let her have a copy then if she is asked she can show the advice.
    But I would say no issues
  18. aposhark
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    aposhark Well-Known Member Lifetime Member

    Good to see that she got a tourist visa.
    We haven't seen many posts here over the years of people getting one of these in the passport :like:
    • Agree Agree x 1
  19. Mattecube
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    Mattecube face the sunshine so shadows fall behind you Trusted Member

    I just don't think we hear a lot about visit visas and the success rate, it is in later years higher than I reckon a lot of people think. What do you think the success rate was for the last year up to September 2020?
  20. Br28016
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    Br28016 Active Member Trusted Member

    Guidance when applying for visas is don't book a flight until you have the visit visa as may not be granted.

    Visa is granted with a start and finish date so arriving and departing within those dates should mean you are fine. I doubt if they have a record of which day you said you would arrive. May actually be multi entry visa which means potential to go and come back.

    When did visit visas for fiance and step children as they were at the time (now wife and adopted children) we booked the flights after getting the visas so could have gone for any day. From memory we had to specify a start date and left the Philippines the day before and arrived in UK on visa start date.

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