Hi everyone, I am new on the forum and I need some advice to get my girlfriend a visa. My situation: I am a French working in London. I met my girlfriend almost 2 years ago in the Philippines where I was studying. We lived together for 6 month and we are in a distance relationship since I went back to France. I visited her twice in the Philippines while a was a student, and I started my first job in London last month. I am not a British citizen so I can't apply for a fiance visa. I think the best strategy is to make a 6 months tourist visa first so she can visit London, see my family... And be sure she would like to live here. But in the long term, I would like her to have a permanent visa. - If the tourist visa is granted, I would like to know if she will be able to look for a job during her stay (she studied as a caregiver but has not experience) and if she find one, can she get a sponsorship letter and apply for a working visa while she is in the UK? - If not, do you know any other better solution we could use to get her a permanent visa? Ask me if you need more information to help me Many thanks in advance. Simon
Hi welcome to the forum, She definately will not be allowed to work in the UK on a tourist Visa, that is a big no no. Marriage is the only sure fire way off getting permanent status but Im confused as your French so yu may have to do that in France?? Somebody will be along shortly with more knowledge than me and explain a little better
Thanks for your reply! She won't be able to work in the UK with a tourist visa, but I was wondering if she can look for a job while she is living with me in London with the tourist visa, then go back to the Philippines after she finds a job and get a sponsor letter from a work, then get a working visa and go back in London to start her work. Also, if somebody has any information about the best practice to get a visa through marriage for a French living in the UK I am interested
Hello Simond, welcome aboard British Filipino There is an EU Directive 2004/38/EC It's based on Freedom of Movement and the right of citizens of the EU and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States. If you know nothing about this then worth to do a few minutes research. I'd suggest this directive could offer your overiding strategy to live together permanently in UK. Under the circumstances you've shared you will need to be married to your non-EEA national partner. Once the marriage has taken place your wife only needs to Apply for an EEA family permit. Here's the link for that UKVI webpage with details on how to apply https://www.gov.uk/family-permit In principle there is no need for you to prove you have money, to have suitable accommodation, to have been married for more than a day or to have your wife pass any English Language test. There is no application fee for an EEA family permit. So unless you have any special reasons why the above does not apply to you then it looks to be an exceptionally easy and stress free route. Wish it was the same for British Citizens living in UK Happy reading and good luck
Hello Micawber Thanks a lot for this great information! I think I will give a shot to the tourist visa. Ideally I would like my girlfriend to see UK for a few months before we get married and apply for this EEA family permit. But if the tourist visa doesn't work, I will probably apply directly for the EAA family permit. I will start to search information about wedding in the Philippines. If someone in the forum has been in a similar situation and got a EEA family permit,I would be glad to hear how he proceeded.
Understood. Take care to prepare all the needed supporting documents for the UK tourist visa. UKVI are getting stricter on these visa's
Hello, We gathered almost all the documents to ask the tourist visa for her, but I have 2 questions before we apply: 1) Regarding her bank statement, she has almost nothing in her account (2000 pesos). do you advice me to send her some money to increase her chances to get the visa? Or is it useless? (Anyway, I will send my 6 month bank statement and my contract of employment since I will support her) 2) I have read somewhere on the forum that it can be helpful to prove that she has already visited other countries and came back to the Philippines. She went to Singapore last year, do you think the copy of her passport page (with Singapore stamp) the good document to send? Many thanks in advance!
I would certainly submit copies of the stamps in her passport, its a little evidence at least showing she has travel history. Cannot do any harm beefing her bank balance up, may be better if her statements show it has not come from you, send money via money order and she can deposit the money in her account. Any small things like the above can only enhance your chances of obtaining the visit visa in my opinion.
She has to submit her passport and old passport at the tme off application, just point them to the entry and exit stamps from Singapore in her passport.
Hi! Just got my tourist visa approved this January 23. I lodged my application last January 14 so it only took me a week before I got my visa! But anyway, here are the documents that I presented (if it could be more of any help): For my part (applicant): 1. Philippine passport 2. Certificate of employment with my approved leave dates 3. Bank statement/Bank certificate 4. 6 months recent payslip 5. Evidence of relationship with the sponsor (pictures, chat logs, past flight bookings) 6. Cover letter Sponsor's papers: 1. Scanned copy of passport and driving license 2. Certificate of employment and leave approval for the holiday 3. Financial evidence (pay slips, bank statements) 4. Evidence of accommodation (address on driving license) 5. Evidence of meeting up. (Plane ticket receipts and photos) 6. Letter from the home owner (Sponsor's mother) 7. Utility bill(s) reflecting the accommodation (Mortgage bill) Goodluck in your application!
Good Job Pat! You must be so glad And thanks for the list, I didn't think about the evidence of relationship, I will create a file with some proofs before we send everything.
Thank you @Simond ! I forgot to include the cover letter that I made for my own documents. For the evidence of relationship (pictures, previous flight bookings and chat logs regarding the trip), they returned it to me together with my passport except for our previous flight bookings.
Hello everyone, We are about to book the appointment, I write here the list of the documents I will provide, please feel free to tell me if you think that I forget something. I also have a question for you after the list. My girlfriend - Printed application form - Cover letter - Philippines ID - Current passport (6 months validity within travel period) + copy of the first page + copy of the pages showing that she has traveled to Singapore. - ID photo (45mm x 35mm) - Letter from her mom (consenting that she goes to London for holidays and telling that she met me when I visited my girlfriend) - Document from the school she enrolled, showing that she will start to study there in May - Confirmation of legal residence - 6 months bank statement - A proof that we know each other for 2 years (photos, conversation screenshots…) Me: - Letter of sponsorship - My passport photocopy (first page and pages proving that I went to the Philippines) - 6 month bank statement - My contract of employment - My Tenancy agreement - A letter from my landlord, authorizing my girlfriend to stay here for two months - Our trip Itinerary in the UK => Question: I know she has to provide her originals documents, but I have a question regarding mines: Should I send by post my original documents (signed sponsorship letter/contract of employment/tenancy agreement/letter from my landlord) or can she print copies? Some of these documents are important for me and I would prefer not to send it there in case they get lost or something... Many thanks in advance and have a great week end! Simon.
As for my boyfriend's papers, the only original copies that he sent are his signed sponsorship letter, letter from his mum (homeowner's letter) and certificate of employment (not to be confused with the contract of employment). The rest are all scanned copies and I just printed them in coloured.
Thanks again Pat, your last comment was very useful. I got a certificate of employment from my work as well. Everything is ready, I just have to print my sponsorship letter, sign it and send it to the Philippines with a letter from my landlord and my certificate of employment. Can't wait to apply!
Hi Simond the route of free movement described earlier in the thread may be effectively closed as part of the UK renegotiation allowing each country to apply National rules for non EU spouses so this is an excellent moment to review that possability anyone who is needing to use free movement should be aiming to act as soon as possible if they cant meet the financial and visa fees
Thanks for the tip, we are thinking about it, but as I said, we want my girlfriend to discover London before we get married so she has a better idea of what to expect. But we will probably do it after the Tourist visa period (cross fingers), or earlier if our application is refused... Hopefully it will be still open. The DHL parcel with my original documents has arrived in Manila and she should get it very soon. We are almost able to apply
