Hi, I am Naomi from Taiwan. Sorry for my poor English while my first language is Chinese. I found this website when I was googleing the information about the timeline of the UK spouse visa. I have submitted my docs to VFS Taiwan since 18th August. And I am still waiting for the decision from the British Embassy, Manila. Nice to know you all.
Hello Naomi. Your English is quite good actually! I reckon you probably have another few weeks to wait for a decision.
Thanks, Howard. Yes, I suppose it takes another few weeks to wait. I just hope I can get the positive decision before my husband's birthday in October.
Hello Naomi and welcome aboard British Filipino. It's an anxious time for sure when your future is in the hands of someone else. Hang in there and good luck from here for a speedy and positive outcome
Welcome! Even though you're not British or Filipino, we'll adopt you! I've been to Taiwan before, for a holiday. I got lost. I thought Taoyuan is very close to Taipei, like just a couple of streets away. So I stupidly walked while pulling my luggage until about a kilometer or so. It was enjoyable though. Went around, bought stuff. I could pass for a mix-East Asian so was able to blend in and was able to get local prices. Memorising basic phrases and knowing the four intonations and how to count in Putonghua also helped.
My wife just got her visa granted; she arrives in October, just 4 days before her birthday. BTW applications via VFS Global in Manila take longer than those made in Cebu... https://www.gov.uk/visa-processing-times
Hi, knightstrik, You came here for holiday alone? How long had you stayed and where had you been visited? Hope you enjoyed the trip in Taiwan. When you got lost, did you ask the passanger? I think they would be very friendly and willing to help you find out the way. oohh~~so you do know some Chinese then?
Hi, Howerd, Congrats!! I hope I can get mine before his birthday, so I can make a big surprise to him. Ohhh~Why Manila takes longer time? >"<
@Naomi I have no idea why Manila takes longer than Cebu. All the applications submitted in Cebu go to Manila for processing.
Spent just three days in Taiwan. I was heading back here to the Philippines from Australia, for a Christmas holiday. I decided to pass by Taiwan as I saw a very cheap ticket online. I was also a fan of 流星花園 (Meteor Garden) when I was a teenager, if you know that one. The only thing of note that I went to was the Chiang Kai Shek and the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Halls. I mostly did shopping, eating, walking around and doing other stuff bachelor men do (Linsen... ). I decided to blend in and go where the locals go instead of going to the tourist places. I took some lessons in Mandarin and can speak basic phrases. I also had a Chinese gf. I have the intonations spot on. But I don't know how to read and write yet. Some Taiwanese can speak in Japanese too especially the older ones. I also know a bit of Niponggo.
Taiwan is a lovely place to be a foreigner in - tourism to Taiwan is almost unknown, so people are very friendly and helpful. And where else can you go skiiing in the morning and pick a mango in the afternoon?
Haha, yeah, I know that one, 流星花園. Probably we are similar age. Chiang Kai Shek and the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Halls are tourist places that foreigns like to visit, did you enjoy your time there? I recomend you can try the night market if you come next time. Woow, that's good. Even though you can't read or write, you know how to speak it is very . My husband wanna learn Chinese, but its not easy to find a cheap course there to attend tho.
