Hello everyone, nice to meet you! I'm sorry if these questions have been asked many times before, but here goes! Me and my Filipino girlfriend have been chatting for roughly 2 years now, i'm about to visit her in Manila for the 3rd time, and we've been thinking of applying for a UK visitor visa so she can meet my family and experience the UK. I will be her sponsor. There are a few concerns I have about our visa application, regarding money, and her having 'ties' to her country in order for the application to be successful... So i'm just curious if anyone had any solid information, or can share personal experience with what was adequate for their application to be successful... So my first question: Will either myself or my partner need to show a certain amount of money in the bank? I hear of having to show £4000 in my bank, and £1000 in her bank if she wants to visit for 3 months. Or £9000 in my bank, and £1000 in her bank if she wants to visit for 6 months... Which of course is a HUGE amount of saving to do until I would be able to apply... Is this just a myth or fact? Also, ties to her country... She doesn't own any land or property, doesn't have a job, and stopped going to college about a year ago... I'm supporting her... I don't really know what to do about this one, I heard it's the most important part of the application. Is there anything she can do to gain ties? If any of this is unclear or you need me to post more about our situation i'll be more than happy to, just reply or send me a PM please Thank you in advance!!!
First of all to the forum. Sadly I would expect you to find it very hard to get your girlfriend a visa based on what you have said. I do not know what the financial requirements are but the numbers you quote sound possibly a bit high. Gaining ties means her getting a good job and sticking at it for a reasonably long period of time, degree qualification and a job would have helped but sounds like she has neither nor further prospects of education in the Philippines. My partners position is very similar in my case I have supported her and my children for nearly eight years, and she would never have been able to visit the UK had it not been for a bit of luck in that she qualified for a Korean passport due to a previous marriage, on that basis she has been here twice but that is only because South Korea is considered a developed country. Some of the other guys may be able to give better advice on visit visa's but the only Filipinos that I personally know have made it here on visit or business related visa's were either rich in Philippine terms or sponsored by a UK business.
Hi Skitch840, A visit visa is notoriously problematic for many reasons, not least of which is the fact that it's principally based on the discretion of the caseworker and ECO Regardless of what you may have been told, there is no specific amount of money involved outside of that available funding to financially maintain and accommodate yourself in the UK with or without assistance from family/friends living in the UK but without resource to public funding or employment. There also needs to be a valid reason to visit and a valid reason to return. Apart from having adequate funding the caseworker and ECO MUST believe that on the balance of probabilities the applicant will return before the visa expires and has no immigration intention. Forgeting personal background etc, just think how an immigration officer would evaluate. Having said that, what is holding you back from applying? The financial risk is very small, about £80 quid for the application. The decision will be made within a couple of weeks. If it goes against you the refusal letter will clearly state the reason(s), means you now know what the weakness in the application is and that you have every opportunity to counter the refusal on the next application. There is no impact on any future settlement visa application you may be considering. Get that application submitted asap and move forward in your plans.
Thank you oss and Micawber for your replies! I have heard that it's very hard to get accepted for UK visitor visa, and I guess the main reason it seems is ties to her country, making sure she WILL return... Convincing the ECO and caseworker is the main thing... You're right there, I will definitely put an application in, perhaps in April when i'm with her. It's not a financial risk but I just wanted to try and get as much right as I can in the first application, so there will only be (hopefully) a small list of refusal reasons that come back to me. I'm worried about the application, yeah! Mainly just because I live at home with my parents still. They will write a letter stating that they will allow her to stay in the house for the duration of her stay, and proof of ownership of the house. I'll also provide a list of living costs per week, all calculated as proof of sufficient funding and whatnot... So i'm hoping that I have pretty much everything covered in the application but my big worry now is just ties to her country!
The UKBA page specifically for UK Visit Visa's can be found here with additional detailed information which can be found here and also explains what you are allowed to do while you are in the UK as a visitor. It's well worth taking a look around and checking out all of the links provided. Anyone coming to the UK as a visitor, will usually be granted a visa with a validity for up to 6 months stay. If you're 'sponsoring' a visitor to UK you should also review the UKBA webpage Sponsoring a General Visitor In principle, the applicant must be able to show that:- - they are 18 or over - they intend to visit the UK for no more than 6 months - they intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit - they have enough money to support and accommodate themselves without working or help from public funds, or that they will be supported and accommodated by relatives or friends - they can meet the cost of the return or onward journey - they are not in transit to a country outside the 'Common Travel Area' (Ireland, the UK, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands). - they do not intend to take paid or unpaid employment, produce goods or provide services, including the selling of goods or services directly to members of the public - they do not intend to do a course of study - they do not intend to marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership - they do not intend to carry out the activities of a business visitor, a sports visitor or an entertainer visitor - they do not intend to receive private medical treatment You can downdload the application form and guidance notes from this page Understand how to apply by reviewing the page Applying for a UK visa in the Philippines Concerning the actual documents you'll need to submit in evidence, it really does come down to your personal circumstance but generally must contain:- - information about you - information about your finances and employment - your accommodation and travel details - information about your visit to the UK As examples of the type of documents that could be supplied Here is the UKBA Guide to Supporting Documents for visiting the UK For the General Visitor the application should be supported with some of the following documents for a sucessful application:- - if you are employed, a letter from your employer granting leave of absence from your job for a specified period - the letter should also say how long you have been employed by that employer, in what job(s), and when you are expected back at work - if you are self-employed, evidence of your business activities and financial standing - evidence of any property you own in your home country - if you are a student, a letter from your school or college stating the course you are on, its start and finish dates, and the dates of the holiday period when you intend to visit the United Kingdom - evidence of any family or social ties and responsibilities to return home to - evidence of any firm travel plans you have made - bank statements going back over a period of several months - evidence of savings/funds available to you during your stay - evidence you can financially maintain and accommodate yourself in the UK with or without assistance from family/friends living in the UK but without resource to public funding or employment. Your sponsor can help greatly by providing an invitation/supporting letter to confirm the support they will be providing in terms of financial assistance and/or accommodation. If the sponsor is intending to totally support the visit this is a listing of fairly typical supporting documents that should be provided:- - 6 months Bank statements - 6 months pay slips - Proff of address (eg utility bill, Council Tax etc) - Accommodation details (including owner's agreement / rental agreement) - Sponsors passport copy (Photo page, any relevant stamp pages) - P60 (if available) - The main reasons for wanting the applicant to travel at the specific time The first and foremost thing that you need to keep in mind when applying for a visa for UK, is that you should have an intention to return to your home country. Have a well thought out travel plan. Date of Travel, duration of stay and reasons for travelling. The absolute keys are going to be:- - Reasons to return home that outweigh reasons to stay - Financials Reasons to return home and strong/complelling ties differ from country to country, city to city, individual to individual. Some examples of ties can be a job, a house, social and family relationships, a bank account, possessions etc The ECO will be looking to see if the aspects of your life that bind you to your country outweigh those aspects that may cause you to be unwilling to return to your home country, or to attempt to change or extend your visa status. The positive aspect of visit visa application is that of it's very low cost. So nothing to lose and everything to gain. Good luck
