Do we have to be married/engaged to get a visa?

it could be worth trying for a visit visa---difficult to get--your g/f will need to show convincing reasons for needing to return--job / business / family / property etc

but--if successful its valid for 6 months and is a low-cost visa.

if unsuccessful---then the fiancee visa is the next option----still gives you 6 months together.

Hello there! I am so new here,just sign up now.
I have a fiancé from UK and we are having a real relationship. He wants me to go there and visit him and his daughter,sinced he can't come here in the Philippines coz he just
recovering from cancer. He is willing to sponsor me and handle all expenses that I may need. But, I bother in some things to apply for fiancé visa. First, we don't met yet in real, second, presently I don't have work now. These things get me worried!

I hope someone will enlighten on me about this....

It wont be so easy if you havent met. Though for a fiancee visa it wont matter if you dont work. Your fiances finances are crucial though.

Yes. As John says, you will need to have met in person. It's a requirement.

I am sorry but you are not having a real relationship as you not yet met. That means you will not qualify for a Fiancee visa - which does require you to have met and spent quality time together. And because you are unemployed, it is most unlikely that UKVI will grant you a Visitors Visa.

Sorry about that

Thank you so much for the fast response from all of you! It's a great help.
I think fiancé visa is not yet for me, for now, I will just wait for him to go here in the Philippines, so we will have evidences that we are together in real.

I saw the joining your partner or parent visa category , in the website of UKVI. I wanna know if that is applicable on my case?

Hello roaming-on. to BF!

I know it's quite confusing in choosing which visa to apply in coming over to the UK. It does not actually state as "fiancé/fiancée" visa. I believe your choices can be: "Settlement for marriage" or Visit Visa. There are rules/requirements to go through in complying these types of visa e.g. Visitor's visa--you need to prove to the UKVI that you are not staying long term like what Markham stated above or for settlement visa-- you need to show some documents that you have actually met in person. These are only few of many steps to take for the visa application. Try to sit down and talk about it with your partner as he will be the one doing most of the paperwork.

Applying for a UK visa definitely needs a lot of time and effort. You might want to stretch your patience a lil bit longer

Good luck!

addendum:

try to carefully check which option will best fit your application from this site:
https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y/philippines

To be honest, I think they are wasting their time until they allow their relationship to develop more, and meeting in person is a vital part of that. You can't be in a meaningful relationship with someone you haven't met in person anyway, so I suggest they have to wait a while until they have done that before even contemplating any further steps.

Thanks! All your inputs here are very big help...
I will consider all of them. Till next inputs!

Or alternatively, Roaming - On, you could wait till 3D Skype is launched.

It may be worth giving your loved one time to recover from his illness, after he is fit and well he could then visit you in the Philippines, probably the best way forward in your relationship.

Hope everything works out for you

What a nice advice from you John ash! If ever,do you think 3d skype would be valid or can be honored by UKVI? I don't think so.....
What a unreliable input!

Anyway, Thanks timmers for your input! My fiancé is doing well now. Thank God coz he's back in his normal routine.All his tests went normal. Btw, Timmers...
He decided to visit me here by march or April 2015 and will get married on July.
What is the best way to do...apply fiancé visa right after we met here?
Or just wait for us to get married on July then apply spouse visa? I think it's more practical and easy process to wait till get married, am I right?

I will wait for your response Timmers... Thanks in advance!

If you are getting married in Philippines in July then there's no need for a fiancee visa. Just wait until you are married and get a spouse visa afterwards.

After that you will be in a much better situation to apply for a visa.

Thx maharg for your message....yeah, I think it's best for us to get married first.
I know it's too early to ask this, but it wanna know this early. Just in case,we are already married, can we apply right away for the spouse visa?

Maybe right after the honeymoon...lol

I'm sure you can, although it can take a bit of time to get all the proper documentation together.

As Maharg says, you can get married in the Philippines and then you can apply for a Spouse visa to enter the UK, this way you will be able to look for work soon after entering the UK if you so wish. Search the Immigration forums on British Filipino and there will be information on the paperwork required to get married in the Philippines and there is also information on how to apply for a UK Spouse visa.

If you have any problems with the paperwork just post here and I'm sure someone will try to help you.

Good luck

I was just joking, Roaming. Looking at the lighter side. Sometimes it can help.

The spouse and fiancee visa, although similar, have various advantages and disadvantages compared to one another. We went the Spouse visit route as it suited us better. In my opinion it is a little easier and arguably cheaper.

Thx johnAsh ! Yeah we agreed to apply spouse visa,right after we got married.