Tourist Visa application Nov 2018

I hope someone can help me with this question,
I was hoping to that my girlfriend would be able to come to the UK over Christmas, we were about to sent the visa application today and it says:
Choose a visa application centre ( Manila was the only option)
You will need to visit this centre so that your application can be processed. It then wants me to book a date, this is in Manila and my girlfriend lives in Cebu.
Forgive my stupidness but I thought we just had to fill in the form on the . gov website print it and make an appointment with VFS Global to submit it. Does she really need to go to Manila?
Any help would be appreciated

There is an option for Cebu but it isnt easy to find, i will take a look see if i can remember how..

Does this help ?. https://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/ph/en/vacs/cebu

Looks like they have updated it all since we talked this very subject in 2017.
I think you click on Cebu and registrar.
Good spot @Heathen

Good luck with making your visa appointment at Cebu office , I will be very interested to hear how you managed to do it .

We tried ( and failed ) twice , as the only option st the end of the spplication both times was Manila . So two trips to Manila , with the added cost for flights and hotels followed .

We even tried visiting the vfs Cebu office , in the hope we could make an appointment , without success .

When I researched it , it showed a drop down menu , that allowed you to select Cebun, but we never found that option .

Please come back and report on your experience. Good luck .

Yes this is exactly the same problem I have there is no option for Cebu and you can't make an appointment with VFS Gobal until you have sent your application online first. I can update you a little as I phoned them they told me that I can book for Cebu and my computer is the problem as I'm using mac os and the website doesn't fully support this, I told them I find this hard to believe and they should let people know if thats the case. After a second call they deny all that was said previously. This time they said they the visa centre in Cebu must be fully booked thats why it's not an option. what a waste of time

Thanks for the link but you need to have already excepted the manila centre on the .Gov website first.

Yes they told me similar also , that their website is not compatible with all browsers including Safari which we were using . We tried their recommended Firefox and Chrome but still no success .

There was a thread on the forum a little while ago , where someone was ( I think ) successful getting an appointment at Cebu . I will try to find the link if I can . The fully booked excuse sounds unlikely.

The first time we applied , and couldn’t get Cebu , we found an option after booking Cebu , to change application centre , but by then . I had already booked flights and hotel in Manila .

The second time we booked Manila again , intending to change it to Cebu , but this time there was no option to change it .

Did you apply on visa4uk or Access Uk ?

I have been battling with https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk all day and gave up, what a waste of time and money telephoning only to get false and contradicting information
Success with new application with and visa4uk.fco.gov.uk have an appointment in Cebu on Tuesday

Great , well done . So how did you overcome the Manila only option at the end of the application process , and what browser did you use ?

Good luck with your application .

We had this debate way back in 2017 I think at the time you contributed.
I think now you click on the link then click Cebu then register and your there.
A lot slicker than it was!

Yes I remember you trying to help us before Mattecube , But we still couldn’t succeed , but thanks for your help and advice .

Hopefully , it will be more straightforward next time .

So how did you manage to get your Cebu appointment ?, for the benefit of others who may apply..

If anyone needs to do this they will need to go here and registar https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/home/welcome you will have the Cebu option to book an appointment at the end of the application process. You will waste your time if you start here https://www.gov.uk/apply-uk-visa or at least until they fix it. I have sent a complaint to them regarding this problem and the answers I was given from their expensive useless helpline.
Hope this will help others in the future, possibly for other visas also

Check my other reply as this may help other people applying for different visas and wanting to visit VFS Global in Cebu