Getting Married in the Philippines

I don't think it has anything to do where you got married as the marriage registrar will only see the CNI issued by the Embassy/Consul irrespective of whether you had a UK CNI or not.

To get a CNI from a registrar in the UK takes 22 days - so that your intention to marriage can be advertised and give time for anyonje to object. In effect, the Embassy ignored any waiting period as they really had no idea if you had a UK CNI or not.

The Marriage with Foreigners Act 1906 is UK law anyway. It was the Embassy ignoring UK law not the registrar in the Philippines - all the registrar in the Philippines is concerned with is seeing the CNI issued by the Embassy - he can only assume it was issued in accordance UK law.

All good in the hood

As far as I can see, getting married in the Philippines to my Filipina fiancee is really no more difficult than us getting married in the UK. Providing I go to the Philippines with all the right documents, we could get married within two weeks!

In one respect, getting married in the Philippines is much easier: In order to get married in the UK, my fiancee would, in effect, need the UK government's permission, by way of a Fiancee Visa (fair chance she would not get such a Visa). For us to marry in the Philippines, I need no government's permission, no Visa (just an entry stamp) and I could leave the Philippines 21 days later, a married man!

All I then have to do is convince the UKBA to grant a Spouse Visa! Maybe opening up a joint offshore bank account before she comes to UK and putting my house in joint names is the way to convince the authorities our relationship is genuine! Any thoughts?

that much is undoubtedly true.

ya sure, but it's a bit overkill and not necessary. All you need to do is prove you got a couple of grand in your account, have a home and means of support. Anything else is window dressing.

My wife got her spousal visa within 3 days of her application.

bigtombowski...

The biggest hurdle for us is proving our relationship is genuine. My fiancee is thirty and I am sixty. Yes, I do own my home outright, I do have savings but my income is supported with Working Tax Credit, so may be viewed as 'marginal'.

I have read plenty of stories (on this forum and elsewhere) of people who have had visas refused because the ECO believes that a relationship is not genuine (the marriage or proposed marriage is a sham) and/or the couple have no intention of living together. There is no 'measurement tool' to determine if a relationship is genuine, the ECO can really only make a decision on 'gut instinct'

Remember, fiancee/spouse visas are exactly for that - for spouses and fiancees. No amount of savings/income/owning one's home can compensate for a relationship that is a mere sham. Convincing the ECO of a genuine relationship is the first hurdle, monetary considerations are secondary to that.

So, me being sixty and my fiancee thirty, makes it even more important to demonstrate our relationship is genuine. This point is even covered in the guidlines issued to ECOs. The ECO will almost certainly not question my motives but I think Embassy staff in Manila are very wary of Filipinas looking for a 'free ride' out of comparative poverty.

I am hoping that by getting married in the Philippines - at a wedding attended by my fiancee's family and friends would go a long way to allay the fears of any ECO, but I really want to make the spouse application watertight, as I really see us having only one chance at this - before I drift into old age!

So, I would love to hear from anyone who has faced similar hurdles based on a large age difference.

Fair enough, there are only 5 and a half years' difference between my wife and I ... but still, do not consider my advice out of hand. Nevertheless, I shall stand aside and watch from the spectator spot - as you wish

bigtombowski...

I appreciate all input; everyone has their own viewpoint and reading all those views helps me to wear my 'thinking cap'!

I think the biggest mistake made by fiancee/spouse visa applicants is not considering what the words 'genuine relationship' really mean. They may believe their relationship is genuine but really apply no thought on how to demonstrate to others, that it is!

I'm going to bed soon, but before i do: -

I want to tell you the most important thing. The wife has a spousal UK visa in her passport. On it prominently are printed the words "No Recourse to Public Funds" ... that is more important than any other aspect of the process.

For a married couple, "no recourse to public funds" has little effect. I can still claim Working Tax Credit (in my own name) and even get extra (depending on her level of income) because she would be living with me. Subject to normal qualifying rules I could get Council Tax Benefit (though the 'applicable amount' would be that of a single person), and I can get Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit when her child comes here. She can also get free health care (based upon my entitlement because of Working Tax Credits) and she would also qualify for any benefits paid for out of her own National Insurance contributions (after the 'qualifying period')

Of course, if she left me, she could not claim most of these in her own right!

The regulations do say that the couple must have met at least once and we have already met - just once, and we have proof of that; it was Xmas 2009. My second visit will be to get married and will be a 59 day trip. We cannot really meet again until she gets her annulment, as her soon-to-be ex-husband will only cause problems; we are following my fiancée's Lawyer's advice on this.

Before we decided to get married in the Philippines, I was going to visit a couple of more times before she applied for fiancée visa but I think one more visit (when we get married) should be sufficient. I know we still have to prove our commitment even though she will be applying for a spouse visa, rather than a fiancée visa, but that commitment should be easier to prove as we would be married - and married in a country where ending marriage is relatively difficult and time-consuming.

Howerd i have crap net on a dongle which is dead slow so if you would look under my profile for threads started by me you will find

The Marriage Seminar

The Marriage Licence

The Wedding Planner

All these are cebu centered and current

I understand your reserve about visits but I would still do one more befor your wedding and keep it quiet and away from your partners normal region in a nice resort perhaps on Bohol or Siquior or go to Dumagette I think on balance the very small risk off gossip (if your lady can be tight lipped) is more than offset by the effect of your later settlement application

Hiya,
Just to mention that my wife starting working (sorting letters/parcels at Royal Mail) as soon as she got her N.I. number and registered with an agency.
She then opened a bank account.
The agency sorted out her p.a.y.e. etc

My wife and I did not have the marriage guidance seminar and we sailed through everything quite quickly :vhappy:
This was because the lady who was going to do the seminar only spoke in Visayan so we paid PHP 100, didn't do it and that's it

Howerd, I would also strongly suggest other visits before either the marriage or the visa application.
May I suggest you review all you can (start with the UKBA site) about Intervening Devotion.
The actual number of face-to-face meetings is rather small. Now please don't take any offence here Howerd, but the age gap is also quite large and although there are discrimination laws against ageism, you can be sure that the ECO's will look closely at other issues and especially about if the relationship/marriage is genuine or not.
You need to have good evidence on all aspects.
Just a heads-up to consider.

Hi Howerd,
My wife was 22 and me 52 (same difference as you and yours) when we married in the Philippines in 2008.
The evidence of relationship we provided for the spousal visa was complete and thorough.

So I would say that the hurdle is the same for all couples regardless of the age gap, it is the history that the couple can document leading up to the wedding that counts a lot for the ECO.
Of course the requirements to show that the wife will be cared for financially by the husband (money, place to live etc.) in the UK is also important for the visa to be granted

My wife also started out with an agency. I think lots of non-British newbies do that. My wife enjoyed it and liked the variety of assignments. She eventually got offered perm employment by the employer she worked at for some time.

Anyways aposhark, the point of my post was really concerned with being self-employed. There are some strict regulations to determine if you are self-employed or employed, as viewed by HMRC.
Anyone considering being self-employed would do well to understand those definitions.
I've seen lots of people experience a great many problems in that area.

Sorry for some reason I seem to have screwed up on this post...

Don't hang me, pls..........................

DOM.

I don't want to seem like a :der: but ...

...

Why would you get married to someone you have only met once? That to me is not the actions of someone who is thinking right. I was there 4 times by the stage we got married.

I think ... if we replace the word "filipina" with "British girl" a lot of the same rules people use don't apply.

For example "I am going to meet this *British Girl, whom I have met only one time before, and on our second meet, we will tie the knot".

Hmmmmph


But please don't think that I am wanting a ... far from it.

How many times did you meet before marriage/before applying for spouse visa?