Hi all, some advice or past experiences required please. I am a UK national. Having spent the summer in the Philippines, we wanted to take things slowly and for my girlfriend to visit UK before proceeding to marriage. However, the tourist visa was denied. So now it’s the marriage route. My questions are, what are the pros and cons to getting married in the UK (through the fiancé visa and spouse visa route) or getting married in the Philippines and then getting a spouse visa to come back to the UK. I really do not know where to start with this ! We want to live in the UK for now thanks in advance
There are pluses and minuses on each route! It will be your decision what route best suits you! Without going into to much detail at the moment the two options are as you describe Fiancée Marriage visit visa valid normally for 6 months, she will visit UK for upto 6 months and in that time you will marry at the end of the 6 months she will return to the Philippines and apply for a spouse visa! Spouse visa you visit the Philippines you marry, then she applies for a spouse visa Both have different cost levels, time constraints and various rules
Hello GJD223 I hope my advice is correct here. As your girlfriend is in the Philippines, I think getting married over there is the next and easier step before she applies for a spousal visa and travels to the UK. Fiancée visas are sometimes difficult to obtain. If you are religious, marry in the church there or, if not, have a civil ceremony. My wife and I married in Cebu province in 2008 (at the mayor's residence) and had the reception on her island afterwards. It was wonderful for me to be with her people on the day and, of course, all her family were there too. Once she has the spouse visa in her passport and arrives in the UK, she can look for work immediately, something she cannot do with a fiancée visa. There are some things for you to complete in the UK prior to the above plan but they are easy to do.
Hi, like you my wife then fiancee was denied a visit visa which is not unusual in fact some say its more difficult to obtain a visit visa than to obtain a spouse or fiancee visa, My wife and I got married in the Philippines at the City Hall in Maramag, Mindanao, I know part of what I had to do as a divorcee was to visit the British Embassy and get some paperwork done, my wife had to obtain several pieces of paperwork to obtain the marriage licence but the marriage ceremony itself was straightforward and we held the reception back home in her local village. The paperwork to obtain the spouse visa is I believe almost the same as for a fiancee visa but basically you pays your money and makes your choice, if you are working the hardest thing about marrying over in the Philippines is usually after getting married you then have to return home without your wife , of course if you are retired or similar you can stay over there for as long as you wish.
