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Fiance visas for Filipinas coming to UK

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tammas2000
What's the success rate for applications for fiance visas for Filipinas coming to the UK?

My GF was refused a holiday visa and advised her circumstances would have to change if they were to reconsider. So, it would have been nice to have been with her again and take our time to ensure marriage s what we want, but the UK immigration aren't playing ball.

We've decided that, if committing to marriage makes the difference, then we'll go straight to that. But it costs around £1600 to even apply for a fiance visa, so I'd appreciate any inside knowledge/experiences or advice. We've met twice before and I was there for 3 moths just before covid with her. She's 13 years younger than me, has never asked for money, has 3 grown up kids and we spent a lot of time and feel we are suited for a long term relationship.

Thoughts please?
Enzyte Bob
What's the success rate for applications for fiance visas for Filipinas coming to the UK?

My GF was refused a holiday visa and advised her circumstances would have to change if they were to reconsider. So, it would have been nice to have been with her again and take our time to ensure marriage s what we want, but the UK immigration aren't playing ball.
Thoughts please?
- @tammas2000
**************************************************************************
Not quite your answer. . . .but somethings you might consider. I've been watching on Youtube episodes of UK border customs. A recurring theme is foreigners trying to enter the UK in order to work. The UK officials are very diligent in weeding them out.

Now in the US they consider where you are coming from. . .especially when it's a third world country, if they have enough assets in their home country, the probability they will not overstay their visa and return home. There has to be a compelling reason not to overstay a visa.

Also on episodes (UK)  many fiancee's were coming to meet their online perspective husbands for the first time and were allowed in.
Moon Dog

@tammas2000 I brought my fiancé to the US on a K1 visa 15 years ago. She is 29 years younger than me. I don't attend church so we were married in the back yard before the 90 day return policy expired. I don't know anything about UK immigration laws but the success rate in the US has to be 100% for Filipinos with nothing to hide and able to pass the physical exam at St. Lukes.

FindlayMacD
Fiancee visa means nothing to the uk immigration dept, it's just not enough of a commitment, if you marry the girl then it's very hard for them to refuse a visa. If you have a house, a job, a regular income sufficient to support your wife in the UK, then they will have no reason to refuse your application. It would be very nice to have a trial relationship in the UK before you decide to marry, but UK immigration won't afford you that luxury. The only way to to do it is to marry in haste and repent at your leisure, which I'm sure you will do......  been there, done that hahahaha.
FindlayMacD
What's the success rate for applications for fiance visas for Filipinas coming to the UK?

My GF was refused a holiday visa and advised her circumstances would have to change if they were to reconsider. So, it would have been nice to have been with her again and take our time to ensure marriage s what we want, but the UK immigration aren't playing ball.

We've decided that, if committing to marriage makes the difference, then we'll go straight to that. But it costs around £1600 to even apply for a fiance visa, so I'd appreciate any inside knowledge/experiences or advice. We've met twice before and I was there for 3 moths just before covid with her. She's 13 years younger than me, has never asked for money, has 3 grown up kids and we spent a lot of time and feel we are suited for a long term relationship.

Thoughts please?
- @tammas2000

If your GF is of working age then unless she has a really well paid job, she owns land/ property, runs a successful business etc then it's very hard to get a visit/tourist visa. Even if she met all of those criteria then they only consideration they would make would be is if if she could earn more in the UK and whether she is likely to overstay on that basis. So many Filipinos invite their elderly parents to come and stay in the UK and the find it very easy to get a visa. The problem is with women of working age who, once they get a visa, tend to overstay and work in the UK and then send money home to support their families.
zoe2016
Mostly i heard is that they get married here in the Philippines and can process her papers so she can apply for spouse visa , i hope this would help .
kevin4586
Theses feckers in immigration will do anything to stop anyone coming into the uk
being married to girl from cebu for 18 years it was a real easy to  get a spouse visa £350 all in
now they want stupid stuff before they issue a visa costing a fortune and it’s not gimmy and you may lose all the money you paid

My advice is for you to make the trips to the Philippines you have more money to spend with your loved ones and if you get married make the visa requests in the Philippines   
tammas2000
@zoe2016 Thanks for your reply, but, the way I read things, it's a nightmare to get married over there. I'm still working, I can't take months off to go through the Philippine system to get married.

If I can't do it in three weeks, it's not an option.

I suppose I'll just keep applying and hope some Brit allows her here.
tammas2000

@kevin4586 I am still working mate. I can't get married  in the Phils as it seems to take months.

Moon Dog

@tammas2000 Things must have changed. In 2006 it was a 10 day process to get married in the Philippines. We got married in the US because at that time in was taking 8 months to process a K1 visa and 12 months for a K3.

FindlayMacD
@zoe2016 Thanks for your reply, but, the way I read things, it's a nightmare to get married over there. I'm still working, I can't take months off to go through the Philippine system to get married.

If I can't do it in three weeks, it's not an option.

I suppose I'll just keep applying and hope some Brit allows her here.
- @tammas2000

If you organise things carefully beforehand it is entirely possible to get married in around  1 -2 weeks or less. You  arrange an appointment at the British Embassy in Manila for the day that you land in Philippines, then go to your gf's province to get the marriage licence, then arrange to attend the seminar (if required) and then arrange the wedding ceremony.
kevin4586
I got hitched 2004 I don’t remember having to go to the embassy to get married ,my mrs did all the paperwork in cebu , I turned up meet the priest and nun and that was about it all in 3 weeks

my advice to get a visa for the UK
is to turn up with more than they ask for, I filled out what I could in the uk and helped my mrs in cebu . made a appointment with the devil in Manila, have everything in place ,you wont get in with your girl friend ,that would be to easy . It’s just your girl friend only for the interview, don’t expect to get the visa on the day it could take up to 6 months to issue

Did give up , you get there if it’s ment to be , all the very best
FindlayMacD
I got hitched 2004 I don’t remember having to go to the embassy to get married
- @kevin4586

Did  you bring with you the Certificate of No Impediment from the UK?
kevin4586
@FindlayMacD

If I remember correctly I got it from the birth death and marriage office also had to let them know I was getting married in cebu placing the bands and that was it 
tammas2000

@tammas2000 Actually, we're now thinking of getting married in Thailand. Seems much simpler, quicker and less hassle. Still costly though - I won't travel that far unless Business Class lol, but might be the best answer. Any thoughts?

FindlayMacD
@FindlayMacD

If I remember correctly I got it from the birth death and marriage office also had to let them know I was getting married in cebu placing the bands and that was it 
- @kevin4586

The first time I got married in Phils I also got mine from my local registry office but then had to go to British Embassy, Manila and have it converted to the local version, that was in 2006. I have been told that now you can just go to an attorney and swear an affidavit.
robertmlindsell
Somewhat off topic, but my wife, a Filipina, were wedded in 2005 in Batangas province and she was promptly awarded a UK Spouse Visa, living together from 2005 to 2007 when we were exported on a consultancy contract to Hong Kong for two years before another two years in Melbourne (Australia, that is, not Cambridgeshire, UK) . The visa lapsed as we now live in Bohol province, and the UK Home Office will not issue a new one pending request after request after request for further detail (we've given up as, to be crude, they'll ask how much output she delivers daily to the WC. Might be simpler to move to Rwanda.

Bob
Lotus Eater
1f923.svg For the benefit of our non UK readers the British government has recently passed legislation to deport illegal immigrants to Rwanda.

So effectively they get a roundtrip ticket but end up in a different location to their country of origin.1f46e.svg
manwonder
Well its quite similar in many other parts of the world too ...Whenever a person/people from a Third World economy want to immigrate into a First World economy the entry/stay requirements are immediately raised 10 fold...so this idea of just having a commitment to get  married/marriage certificate will just not make it any easier.
The approaching recession whom some predict may result in higher local unemployment may just supercharge this issue on the letting in of eligible immigrants.
Omo
coach53
It seem to depend some of the mood of the handler.

Before covid a thai gf (not big age difference she was close to 50yo) - not fiance nor married but aiming at that IF test living together in Sweden would function good - to a friend of mine got approved* but it took 18 months and more than one interview inspite of my friend had no problem to show he can provide for her.

*I dont remember if it was some months tourist Visa first,
but I remember she got 2 years including right to work and get education in Swedish.  After the 2 years she got permanent inspite of they are not married still.  (She has part time work enough to provide for herself.) They have still problem to decide if being together or not!  they are on - off - on -off - in - off...   Perhaps depending of he dont like she spend much time playing Farmville and Candy Crash   1f923.svg
Enzyte Bob
While living in Las Vegas I've heard of wealthy people in the Philippines offering 25K to someone to marry a family member in order to gain entry,

In another case while living in Las Vegas a Filipina friend of my wife gained entry and Green Card by marriage to a US citizen.

Upon getting the Green Card she left him. He was successful in getting her status revoked. She ended up by living with another illegal Filipino, who by the way entered the US years ago by jumping ship.

After all  years her and her boyfriend returned to the Philippines.

Postscript: Over the years thousands of pregnant Chinese women entered the states and gave birth to their child. By law the child becomes a US citizen. The mother and her US child citizen shortly after the birth returned to China.
coach53
While living in Las Vegas I've heard of wealthy people in the Philippines offering 25K to someone to marry a family member in order to gain entry,

Well. These rich people dont seem to be so good at calculating   :)     or ignorant about the difference in living costs. 
The living costs are much higher in USA and I suppouse these immigrants will not have good chance to get a well paid work.  Many Americans need more than a full time work to pay the bills, they dont have any money to send to relatives if they would have any abroad...
Sweden have HIGHER minimum salaries than USA. Inspite of that a Filipina CLEANER, married to a Finnlandish man living in Sweden, in a documentary it was found out she was over 2 million SEK in DEPT (=over 200k USD) by she did send money to her grown up kids in the Philippines so a son didnt need to work as CLEANER!!! And all Filipinos THOUGHT she was rich by she did send much inspite of she couldnt afford, so they went on asking her for more and more money - and she didnt admit she was in big dept... Typical Filipinos it seem   :)
It would have been much worse if having children in the high cost land, even middle paid employments have problem to pay the bills.  I have forgpt expected costs for raising children but its much. Even much worse in USA if aiming at post highschool education by such arent subsidiesed in USA as in Sweden.

People with money - and business skill - have much better potential to earn good in SE Asia than the net of a simple employment immigramts normaly get in "western" countries. E g there are doctors and engineers working as e g driving subway trains and as cleaners...

Some Filipinos have asked me how to get work in Sweden, but they werent so interested anymore when they heared the living costs  1f923.svg   e g only the heating of my house cost over 200 000p per year even at "save mood"...

Upon getting the Green Card she left him. He was successful in getting her status revoked. She ended up by living with another illegal Filipino, who by the way entered the US years ago by jumping ship.

After all  years her and her boyfriend returned to the Philippines.

Postscript: Over the years thousands of pregnant Chinese women entered the states and gave birth to their child. By law the child becomes a US citizen. The mother and her US child citizen shortly after the birth returned to China.
- @Enzyte Bob

I dont know if Chinese government have an agenda to get a such Chinese as president in USA  1f923.svg

But these are third world countries.  Not even all third world countries people, and of course not more than a few Europeans want to come to USA as many Americans believe everyone want!!! 
Enzyte Bob
@coach53 said:   Not even all third world countries people, and of course not more than a few Europeans want to come to USA as many Americans believe everyone want!!! ****************************************************************

Well Dufus (coach53),

(1) The US has the largest immigrant in the world 47 million as 2015.
(2) 13% (640 million) of the worlds population would like to leave their country.
(3) 150 million of them would like to come to the US.
(4) Coach (DUFUS), Your dear Sweden has a population of 10 million, people are not busting down the doors to enter Sweden.
OceanBeach92107
...Not even all third world countries people, and of course not more than a few Europeans want to come to USA as many Americans believe everyone want!!!  - @coach53
You are confusing the smug sense of superiority held by many Europeans and the hatred of American capitalism possessed by many in Third World Nations as being reflective of a desire to not come to America.

The U.S. Immigration system is constantly overwhelmed with visa requests from every corner of the world.

I have no doubt that if the US Government were to fully open borders without restrictions, within a year the population would probably double from the current 350,000,000 (approximation).

But maybe you meant they wouldn't be people like you?
manwonder
@coach53

employment immigramts normaly get in "western" countries. E g there are doctors and engineers working as e g driving subway trains and as cleaners...

A valid point....then again one has to accept that many of these jobs that are being dished out to these employment immigrants are the same ones that are being frowned upon/rejected by the locals....either because of low pay/tough work schedule with no work-life balance & in some countries these immigrants even after having labored hard for many years are not provided with p.r/citizenship previlages or to make it any easier for them to settle down in these same countries they are being invited to be employed in.
Just like being trapped between a rock and a hard place.
Omo
coach53
@coach53 said:   Not even all third world countries people, and of course not more than a few Europeans want to come to USA as many Americans believe everyone want!!! ****************************************************************

Well Dufus (coach53),

(1) The US has the largest immigrant in the world 47 million as 2015.
And how few percent of them are Europeans...?   :D
(2) 13% (640 million) of the worlds population would like to leave their country.
Yes but many of them DONT want to move to USA, they want to move to Europe - or even warm third world countries as the Philippines   :)
(3) 150 million of them would like to come to the US.
So it seem West Europe have BIGER proportion than USA...   :D
(4) Coach (DUFUS), Your dear Sweden has a population of 10 million, people are not busting down the doors to enter Sweden.
- @Enzyte Bob
WRONG. There are a lot, who come here even illegal inspite of this COLD climate...  :D   Even Americans   :)
On top of refugees, legal immigrants and illegal immigrants to Sweden,  European Union was stupid to let in some East European countries at more or less third world level, which werent ready to get open borders for people too to West Europe.   Sweden got overvelmed by e g Rumanians and Bulgarians, who arent even counted as immigrants by they belong the European Union... Just these are so many so it have become a big problem in Sweden.
coach53
...Not even all third world countries people, and of course not more than a few Europeans want to come to USA as many Americans believe everyone want!!!  - @coach53
You are confusing the smug sense of superiority held by many Europeans and the hatred of American capitalism possessed by many in Third World Nations as being reflective of a desire to not come to America.
WHAT?! Thats the AMERICAN speciality 1f923.svg   believing USA is best in the world at everything even at things USA are far BEHIND several industry countries...
E g at AVERAGE health care and social security.  And in USA many parents get in big dept to give kids post highschool educations, and many Americans cant finance,
while e g in Sweden EVERYONE, with high enough study results to qualify, can get it...

The U.S. Immigration system is constantly overwhelmed with visa requests from every corner of the world. - @OceanBeach92107
Typical American believing its only USA!!!  1f923.svg    More or less* ALL rich countries have it like that... Even COLD Sweden...

*The only possible exception I get to think of is Finnland by they have extreem hard rules, so I suppouse few people try there.

But maybe you meant they wouldn't be people like you? - @OceanBeach92107
No, I didnt mean that, it goes for almost all (North-) West Europeans.  (Perhaps there are more from South part of West Europe by they have screwed up their economies big. But e g a Spainard didnt want to move to USA but he did because his American fiance didnt want to move to Europe believing USA is much better :)
Why would we move to USA with US huge gang problems, random shootings including school shootings?!   
USA is even passed by China as the bigest economy. 
Although bigest isnt allways best as many Americans believe   :)
US economy has DROPED so much (before covid) so even got lowered credit level, so most West European countries have HIGHER level than USA... And more and more business people discuss skipping USD as the international trading currency*, during this many blindfolded Americans still believe USA are superior!!! 1f923.svg

*Euro is one of the suggestions as well as China's but I believe more likely a mix of different currencies.

(Concerning myself USA have never even been among the many countries I have ever thought of as an alternative to moving to   :)   (When I were young I thought some about Canada and Australia. Nowadays only warm countries are alternatives because of my bad joints want heat. If it wouldnt be COLD in Sweden I would have want to stay in Sweden...)
Enzyte Bob
@coach53

**************************************************************
Sweden became a country in 1523 so in 500 years,  the  best they they can offer is a "DUFUS" like you?

Oh, I forgot Sweden is famous for you and Swedish Meatballs.
coach53
@coach53 .
A valid point....then again one has to accept that many of these jobs that are being dished out to these employment immigrants are the same ones that are being frowned upon/rejected by the locals....either because of low pay/tough work schedule with no work-life balance & in some countries these immigrants even after having labored hard for many years are not provided with p.r/citizenship previlages or to make it any easier for them to settle down in these same countries they are being invited to be employed in.
Just like being trapped between a rock and a hard place.
Omo
- @manwonder
Sweden dont have extreem low paid (legal) jobs as USA have...
I dont remember when I checked many years ago and by that I cant recalculate currency back then but I remember it was much lower in USA back then too.
15-20 years ago Sweden had 16 500 SEC per month minimum plus SSS, illness and injury insurance fees for a full time work =174 hours per month. 

Nowadays USA have federal minimum 7.25 USD say Google.
In Sweden there isnt any such mimimum law - I suppouse by workers unions are similar strong as the employers unions so disagreements almost allways get solved by negotiations anyway -  but the normal minimum salary for 20yo or older start at 22 000 SEC plus employer pay some social fees.  =12.50 USD /hour plus in Sweden the basic social fees cover more than in USA as e g in Sweden pay during maternity leave total a YEAR max. If frustrated American women told correct its ZERO in the "superior in everything"  USA...    :)

The immigrants get at least this minimum too (at legal jobs. Swedish workers unions have  "hunted" illegal employers :)  e g within construction work to make so these workers get at least such too. Some European Union laws complicate it some though with foreign contractors.)

In Sweden its common approved immigrants get a test period of 2 years during which they have right to work and free education in Swedish. I believe they even get pay enough to survive if they attend this Swedish education full time.  (Almost all Swedes can speak English ok so in work point of view it dont need to be a big obstacle to get started, although depending of job type employers can want Swedish speakers in customer contact jobs by some customers dont feel they can speak English good enough about more complicated things as e g tools or medical. After the 2 years they get permanent normaly with full rights same as Swedish citizens. Some of it they got direct from start.
So not odd many want to come to Sweden from foreign countries    :)
coach53
@coach53

**************************************************************
Sweden became a country in 1523 so in 500 years,  the  best they they can offer is a "DUFUS" like you?

Oh, I forgot Sweden is famous for you and Swedish Meatballs.
- @Enzyte Bob
You forgot IKEA and Volvo   :)

Well. Sweden started earlier than that with fights between two Swedish families about the crown, then the then weaker group searched support from Denmark so a while it was in union with Denmark, then other side revolted against it and lead by my ancestor Gustav Wasa and took the power when you counted as the start. 

Some later Sweden was the superpower - until Karl XII screwed up by trying to take more than managing.  That screw up made Swedes tired of wars.

Before that my ancestor Wikings took/founded e g Russia, Ukraine, England and got part of France WITHOUT FIGHT because the ruler of the biger than France was so affraid of Wikings so he gave away nowadays Normandie to Wikings in hope they would stop attacks from other Wikings against Paris    :)

Not my ancestor but Wikings found America long before Columbus too.

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