Hi everyone, I’m in the UK now on my 2nd Visit Visa. He proposed last week, and I said yes. I’m going back to the Philippines soon, and he will follow after. We’re wondering whether to apply for a fiancee or spouse visa. He wanted us to do the fiancee visa first, but I was thinking maybe we can get married in the Philippines when he visit in July then apply for a spouse visa. I’m not sure, though if it would appear dodgy if we apply for a spouse visa immediately (maybe after getting the NSO marriage cert) after getting married. Please share your thoughts about it. Thank you!
Either path means you will have to apply from the Philippines. If you use the fiancee route it will be slightly more expensive and more time consuming as you will have 2 applications to make and wait for and will mean when you arrive in the UK you cannot work till you get a spouse visa The spouse visa route once granted and you arrive in the UK you will be ok to find work
True. May I ask where you got married? Was it in the Philippines? How long did it take you to apply for the spouse visa after getting married? Thanks.
Hi, thank you. We’re thinking of getting married in the Philippines in July. We don’t have much time to spare, though because he needs to go back to the UK for work. Not sure if 2 or 3 weeks would be enough.
We got married in 12 days with a lot of forward planning Day 1 obtain affidavit from Manila and in afternoon post banks in local civil office Day 2 to 11 wait Day 12 marry I left 2 days later
Nice! Thank you for that info. I feel hopeful now. Also, if you don’t mind, can I ask if you already had kids together? I wonder what you think the strongest point or main reason that your application was approved.
I think with any good application you need to get to the following Evidence of genuine relationship Meet the financial criteria Meet the accomadation rules Understanding of the English language Clear of TB No criminal record fairly basic requirements for a decent standard of living No we don't have kids together however we did bring my wife's daughter across on a dependant visa
I don't know why you think it would appear dodgy if you applied for a spouse visa straight away. I would have thought it was the obvious thing to do. Is there any reason other than financial that you don't want to do the fiancé visa. Personally I think it is a better option. You get married, you go home to where you live afterwards, and you live together as a married couple. I would have hated to have got married in The Philippines and then come back to England on my own.
I see. Did you hire someone to apply for the marriage license? Where in the Philippines did you get married btw? We’re planning to do it in Quezon City.
My fiancé is okay to do the fiancee visa for me, but I think it will save some time and money if we apply for the spouse visa instead. Also, it would be nice to get married with my family and friends around. Although I know it may be unfair for him that his family isn’t around, but will be living in the UK anyway. Did you get married in the UK? How was the fiancee visa application? Could you share your visa application timeline please. Thank you.
There will be a period of seperation which ever path as you cannot apply for either visa while in the UK. But your right the seperation is not easy
Yeah, but to actually get married and then go and live in separate countries afterwards just seems a bit weird to me. Personal taste, though.
Our second fiancé visa application was easy enough, but the first was a disaster. we tried to rush it through in time for the old 2 year route and used a dodgy agent which gave us poor information. It was refused and, looking back, unsurprisingly so!
