New member any experience shared appreciated

Hi I am David, what a relief to find you guys, I am travelling soon to meet my girl in dipolog , i have so much I need to know regarding her coming to stay here, getting entry into the UK and the whole process of us getting married and living together here, I am going to meet her 10th July -25th and am looking to find out more what we need to do to move forward with our plans, look forward to speaking to you all and thank you for being part of this forum
David

Hi david. Welcome to the forum. Could you please clarify, is it your intention to marry in the uk or in the philippines?

Hi I plan to marry in the UK, I am visiting my girlfriend in July for 2 weeks and would like her to then come here to stay with me to make sure she is certain and me also of course, I have no idea yet of the process and how long it will take to get her a visa to come here, any xp would be appreciated
Thanks David

Hello David, welcome to the forum.

I'm sure you will have a wonderful holiday.

I recommend you take some time to review the UKBA website.

It sounds like you may be thinking along the lines of helping your g/f with an application for a General Visit visa.
Be aware that one of the most important factors for this type of visa is having compelling reasons for her to return to the Philippines before any UK visit visa expires.
Things like employment, property ownership and bank accounts may all help to convince an ECO that she will return.

At least the cost of the Visit Visa is very low so always worth while to make application in my opinion

Thank you for your message, i appreciate your time given, i am going to meet my gf and our intentions are to be wed, this is my first visit and we are both keen for her to come here to the UK, i am just not sure of the process, how long it takes, what is needed etc , we would like her to stay here first to make sure we are compatible, i am also not sure whether we should marry here or philippines?
any advice is welcome and appreciated, i am going over on the 10th July so i am trying to prepare as much and best i can, do you know the procedure for a visit visa?, thankyou

Hi and thank you for your reply, this is all very new to me so i am all ears and obviously want to do the best for my gf and myself, as i am going over in July i am not looking to marry that soon but would like her to come here, i am open also to marrying in philippines and i agree it would be nice for her family as well as costs etc, i am thinking maybe getting engaged while over there and hopefully help the process, i hav'nt a clue where to start with visas or what to do in what order so any advice much appreciated

Welcome to the Forum Coraliam

Thanks Kuya
i am unsure at the moment which route i need to take, we are both keen to marry but for both our sakes i think she ought to live with me here a few months to see she likes it, if we were to do this then after i return from philippines would i apply for the fiance visa, she comes over, we go back and get married and apply for spouse visa? im trying to work out the best route to take to save time and funds, i am also considering getting engaged while over in philippines? would this help us with visa?appreciate the feedback from everyone thank you

thanks kimdaly
what route would you have taken if you did it all again? if you dont mind me asking, i want to make sure we are doing the right things for both of us, as i imagine it will be such a big upheaval moving to UK, congrats on getting married and all the best for the future

The UKBA page specifically for a UK General Visit Visa is here and will help you to choose which category is the most suitable for you. It also explains what you are allowed to do while you are in the UK as a visitor.
It's very well worth taking a look and checking out all of the links provided.
Those coming to the UK as a visitor are allowed to stay for up to 6 months.

Here is an example of the paper application form

Here are some guidance notes. to help with filling out the application form.

If you finally decide to take the Visitor Visa route then don't be shy to ask further questions on how best to present the application.
But as I mentioned before compelling reasons to return home and strong ties are really key.
Compelling reasons and strong ties can differ from country to country, city to city, individual to individual.
Some examples of ties can be a job, a house, a family, a bank account.
"Ties" are the various aspects of your life that bind you to your country of residence: your possessions, employment, social and family relationships.

Your g/f will be the applicant and you will need to support her in the application to the best of your ability. Just try to be balanced and not give the view that your g/f may well want to stay in UK with you.
Honesty is always the best policy.

Here is the UKBA website for applicants living in the Philippines.

On the question of which is visa best between fiance(e) or spouse, Whichever route is taken, both visas (when granted) can lead to permanent settlement (and naturalisation if desired).
Both visas have pretty much the same key requirements in order to meet immigration rules and satisfy UKBA, and as such, require very similar supporting evidence and documentation. This means that technically neither route offers any clear advantage over the other.
As a footnote however, there has been an ever increasing number of refusals for fiance(e) visa on the grounds of proving genuine relationship and the intention to actually marry.

As the holder of a Spouse Visa you will be allowed to take up employment as soon as you arrive into the UK. This can seriously help financially, helping with the potential boredom and feeling of being homesick in a strange country. The holder of a Fiance(e) visa is not permitted to work until the FLR has been granted.

Whever you actually get married one part of the family is likely to be disappointed, unless they are able to easily travel and/or secure a visa.

By opting for a Spouse Visa at least it's providing the opportunity for the lady to get married in front of all her family and friends.
Once she is married and comes over to the UK, she will likely only rarely see them, and at least a Philippines wedding provides a great send-off and a very special time filled with very special memories. Once you are both in the UK, it's an easy option to have either a church or civil blessing to the marriage for your own family and friends if wanted.

In my view it's so important to really get to know each other and the extended family. Leaving family, friends, home and your country and going half a world away to live with some guy you might only have met once in the Philippiness, is a big ask, and for some might be just too much. Especially if she finds herself in some socially quiet neighbourhood of the UK without any friends. Some adapt and thrive while others really struggle to get to grips with life in UK.
Take some special time and special measures to make sure your Mahal is aware of what moving to the UK might mean. Don't ever make promises you either can't or wont ever keep.

Then again, on the other hand, some people just dont like the prospect of getting married in the Philippines and then having to return to the UK alone to face the wait for the visa process to take its course. Its difficult enough at anytime saying your goodbyes at the airport, but when it's your new bride you're are saying good bye to it can be very upsetting and depressing.
I understand lots of people do it, but I also know that many of those have found it very very difficult, especially when few or even no preparations have been made to support the visa application. Or in the worst cases where there's no understanding of the UKBA requirements or ability to comply.

There is an argument in favour of the Fiance(e) Visa in that it can allow you to spend time together in the UK before either party commits to getting married and living a life in UK. This might prove invaluable to some folks.
Of course, it would be ideal if circumstances allowed for a trip to be made to UK under a general visit visa. At least both of you can be relaxed in the knowledge that you're under no pressures to get married within 6 months. This is a good strategy if the relationship feels like it needs that extra little 'comfort test' Sadly though, the visit visa is often not easy to secure. But it is very low cost, low risk and will not have any adverse impact on subsequent settlement visa application. Do remember though that there is no possibility to 'switch' or convert a visitor visa to settlement. The applicant must return home.

There is actually a special class of visit visa called a Marriage Visa. This visa is the same low cost as a general visit visa and it allows you to visit UK for a period of 6 months for the purpose of getting married. Of course you still need to return home and make a spouse visa settlement application, but at least it provides time to get to know each other better and time to become a spouse without the pressures of preparing also for the FLR.
Well, may not sound ideal for most of us but obviously meets the needs of some folks.

Well, there's plenty of issues to consider, and it's not an easy decision for many.

Hopefully this is food for thought.

Hi coraliam,

My advice would be to get married in Phils - it is the bride's day really!
Keep all flight tickets, hotel receipts, message chats etc - these will be helpful later if she applies for the spouse visa.
Evidence of relationship is very important for the British embassy in Phils to grant her the visa.
Take photgraphs with her and her family if possible.
Hope you have a job that pays £18,600/yr - this looks to be the threshold now to be able to support her when she comes to the UK.
Plan ahead and ask questions here.
I married in Phils and would do the same again - it's fun!

Hi and thank you so much for your support here, I havnt had time to read everything yet but appreciate your input so much and hope I will be able to help others in the future, you are very kind, I will study over the weekend and get back to you, thanks again and I will be back with more questions I am sure, have a great weekend

Thank you I already feel getting married In Philippines is the way forward and best for my wife to be and her family, this is my first visit as we only met recently, everyone is telling me to take time, I know she is the one and we both feel the same and I am anxious to be together, I am visiting her for 2 weeks only and already dreading leaving her and want her to come here , I am thinking then we can return and get married. How long does it take to get a visa for her? And best one to apply for, I think we may get engaged when I am over there and may help the process?

Many of the people on this site will have started out with the very same intentions as you but quickly come to realise it isn't always as easy as the plan in our head.

If you really are insistent on your g/f coming here first for a visit then the cheapest way is to apply for a visitors visa but please note micawber's comments. This route is fraught with danger as it sometimes can be very difficult to persuade the ECO that your g/f would return to the phils. If there is not a compelling argument they will refuse the app. If she is wealthy, owns her own house, has a business, or excellent job and travelled abroad before then you have a fair chance. If she has none of those things then a visitors visa is likely to be refused.

General visitor visa is very complicated,if really don't have enough support documents to satisfy the people in UKBA. I am going to take the Spouse Visa route, and get all the document they look. My Fiance want to marry me here in Phil. because my Family is here, my fiance why he wants me to go UK first cos he also worry that i might not like living there, , even on my side i worried too, but we just both trying to cheer up, look forward the positive side life, as long as we have each other that's all matter. Thanks Coraliam, hope you can decide what is the best for both of you and Good luck for the plan, just follow what they advise to you they are the expert

Coraliam, lots of good people are giving you sound advice because we've either been through it or are going through it now and we want to help. Kimdaly's comments are very interesting because she can see it from your g/f's perspective which is very useful. I went through it 10 years ago. You said you've recently met and never been before. My advice, before you start getting stressed about weddings and visas and immigration matters is to focus on visiting your g/f and making it special. I don't know how well travelled you are but for many visiting the philippines can be a bit of a culture shock...for both of you. Embrace her culture and enjoy it. Spend time getting to know her and also importantly her family. Family is so important in filipino culture. Get to know her in her environment and with her family. That will give you a good insight into the real person not just when the two of you are together. The Philippines is a wonderful place with wonderful people. If you embrace and enjoy it, it will stand you in good stead for a happy and successful life together. As everyone has said, enjoy your visit, don't just get stressed!