UK Fiance Visa Philippines

The UK fiancé(e) visa or the “Prospective Marriage Visa” allows the future spouse of a UK citizen to enter the country so that they can celebrate their marriage in the UK.

Under the UK Law, the marriage between the “applicant” (the foreign fiancé(e), and the “sponsor” (the UK citizen), must be celebrated within six (6) months from the issuance of the said fiancé(e) visa.

Also, the UK fiancé(e) visa is simpler and relatively easier to obtain than its US counterpart, the K-1fiancé(e) visa .

No legal impediment

Under the UK immigration laws, as long as the future spouses show that they are both legally free to marry each other, the applicant is allowed to file for a fiancé(e) visa in the UK. This means that there should be no legal impediment on the part of both parties to marry. Thus, if one of the parties was previously married to another but is not yet divorced, or if such marriage has not yet been validly annulled, then there exists a legal impediment which works as a bar to the planned future marriage of the new couple.

In order to free the future spouses of this legal impediment, a divorce or annulment decree must be submitted together with the other requirements and supporting documents. If the previous marriage was dissolved due to the death of the former spouse of one of the parties, then a death certificate of the deceased former spouse must likewise be submitted by the parties.

What the couple needs to prove

If the applicant proves that they intend to get married within six months from the time the fiancé(e)  visa is issued, and that they intend to live permanently together in the UK, there’s a good chance that the visa will be approved.

Aside from these, the future spouses must likewise show that they have met each other personally at least once, that there is an adequate accommodation prepared for them in UK, and that they can support each other without any monetary assistance from any public funds of the UK government. It would also help if the couple can show that they have relatives and friends who will be helping them in their stay in UK until the marriage is celebrated.

The application for the fiancé(e) visa must be filed in the country where the applicant resides. However, the fiancé(e) visa application may be filed in another country but the processing time would take longer.

The period of processing for the fiancé(e) visa depends on the sufficiency of requirements submitted, as well as other relevant supporting documents. Thus, if the requisites are not fully complied with, this may be a ground for the denial of the application.

In the Philippines, the UK Border Agency and British Embassy Manila has partnered with VFS Philippines Services Private Inc. for the latter to be the official entity in the country which will process all visa applications to the British Embassy. The VFS will not have any hand in the decision-making process of the visa application as it is primarily the UK Border Agency who has the authority over such matters.

The main role of the VFS is merely to make sure that all requirements and supporting documents are complied with and immediately process it for an interview schedule if applicable.

No more interviews?

Generally, if all the requirements are accurate and complete, the adjudicating entry clearance officer may establish that the application is clearly approvable. If this is the case, then there is a fair chance that the applicant need not be scheduled for an interview. However, if the documents are insufficient and inaccurate, the interview will be scheduled.

The entry clearance officer, however, is authorized to decide the outright denial of the application upon initial examination of the documents submitted by the applicant.

If the visa application is approved, the applicant shall be allowed to enter the UK and marry the sponsor within six months from the date of approval. During this period, the applicant is not allowed to work in the UK.

Two-year trial period

After marriage, however, the applicant may now apply with the UK Border Agency to stay and work in the UK for a maximum period of two years.

Under the law, the couple is given the two (2) year period to live together in the UK as a trial period. Upon lapse of the 2 years, if the couple are still married and would want to continue living together in the country, they must apply for an application for an “Indefinite Leave to Remain.”