Advice re marriage

Hi Mike, I thought about marrying over there, or even in a 3rd country, but the bureaucracy in the Philippines - along with things like having to attend counselling sessions - is worse than here. If you're going to live in the UK, I'd marry her here. If you're going to live over there, I'll let others advise.

My partner's coming over next month and we're marrying here, in Scotland. By the way, it costs a pretty penny for all the visas and such like, but then, doesn't anything worthwhile? Good luck.

@tammas2000  Many thanks for your kind reply, I think the same as you and prefer it in the UK. As for the fees I haven't managed to work that out yet, my guess is its in the thousands! Next worry has to be how difficult is it to bring ones partner in given the present climate?

By the way congratulations on your upcoming wedding.

Kind regards.

Mike

In the USA currently it takes less time to bring a woman from the Philippines into the country on a fiancee visa rather than a spousal visa, cost about the same.  A few advantages to being married in the Philippines are that the girl's family gets to attend, and she can be married in her home church.  Another advantage is that her name will be changed and then she can get a passport in her married name.  It is a short wait to get a copy of the marriage license, which can come in handy in future visits to the Philippines,  proving you are married to a Philippines citizen and, if you enter the Philippines with her, you can stay a year without any visa hassle.

             Downside is currently I have heard that the fiancee visa takes about a year, and then the wedding must take place with him 90 days of her arrival in your country.  I have heard spousal visas are taking more than 2 years, just met a man last Sunday who told me getting his wife from the Philippines  to the USA took 3 years.  She had worked in many foreign countries, so the police checks added to the time, but it should not take 36 months!  My wife came on a spousal visa back in 1995, she had worked more than 2 years in Hong Kong, so she needed their clearance.  She sent her fingerprints to Hong Kong and heard nothing for 30 days, when she contacted them they said her fingerprints arrived smeared, please send another set.

                Good luck!

Cheers Mike. The UK makes your partner and you jump through hoops mate. We actually ended up deciding to use a Filipina lady from Glasgow who has experience in applying for Fiancée visas to help us out. She cost £600, but I think it was worth it.

Without giving you a to do list, I can tell you that: she has to take and pass an English language test; Has to be tested for TB, she's got to apply through an agency used by the UK Immigration; can't have a criminal record, it's ok if she's been married as long as she has an annulment, will have to attend a counselling session over there.

Lots of above have fees, but the biggest fee is for the marriage visa - over £1500. And no guarantee it'll be granted.

They'll require deep delves into your finances including 6 months' wage slips/pension slips; your savings; whether you own your house; how long you've lived there...it's a lot of personal details and she will see all of them as it's her who has to hand them in. Even if everything's passed and visa issued, it's not that unusual for Philippines Immigration to stop her from leaving the country. If she's been abroad before, that's a big help, and if she's not a 20 year old going to marry a 70 year old, that matters. They're strict about potential people trafficking.

In summary, I hope you're successful and it all works out for you. Just be as sure as you can that the trust is there mate. I mean, no marriage is without risks lol...just try to be sensible and not rush things is my advice.

@mugteck And for Mike: Our application took a couple of months to set up, with all the English language, tests, biometrics etc and getting together all the required documents. We applied formally for a marriage visa and it took less than 2 months to be approved. In the UK you have 6 months to marry, but, it's a huge boost if your application has evidence that you've already booked the wedding.

Many thanks, she is a teacher 45 and only been out her country to teach for a short time in China. Sounds like I might need your friend in Glasgow at some point!

Looks like I'm at the beginning of a very long journey and I agree best not to rush!

If you need to, just get in touch Mike. I'll send you my email if I can help in any way. I don't think there's any private messaging in here, but I doubt I'll worry about giving out my email addy.

To bring your partner (wife to be) into the UK you will need to obtain a fiance visa which is not cheap and the cost is significantly cheaper if you apply in the UK rather than abroad (almost £500 cheaper). It is valid for 6 months and you will be required to marry in that period. There are other requirements including a minimum annual income and your girl will need to pass an Accredited English Language Test or provide a certificate to say they meet the English Language Requirements.

Two more important things - I am assuming you have actually met your girl and are not just trying to bring her over to the UK to get married after an online relationship only. If you are, you cannot do it. You must have met  her at least once before you apply. The second thing is that if your intention is to marry her and stay in the UK, there will be more paperwork later down the line to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. At this stage your girl will need to take the dreaded Life In The UK Test, My ex wife was Ukrainian and believe me some of the questions in this test, a Brit would struggle to answer. I remember doing a trial test once and the questions include sport. One question was about the percentage of a minority group residing in the UK and the answers, which are multiple choice were like 2.9, 3.2, 3.4 or 3.6. (who would know).

The wedding itself, depending on what sort of wedding you go for - well that could range from reasonable to expensive.

Good luck though

At this stage your girl will need to take the dreaded Life In The UK Test...

Good luck though
-@Cherryann01

The Life in the UK test is not that difficult. It's based on a book (currently in the 3rd edition but hopelessly out of date as it maintains that the queen is head of state and that the UK is in the EU).

Yes, most Brits would fail, but anyone studying the material for a couple of weeks, and taking some free practise tests online, should be able to achieve the 75% to pass. Even if you know nothing about the UK, and randomly chose answers in this multiple choice format, you should get circa 25%. So it's just about increasing that to 75% or a total of 18 right answers out of 24.

The test of English is a lot easier. Despite my background and qualifications, they made me take the test. In one part of the test I had to speak for two minutes on a topic of my choice. Anything. I could choose.

I decided on "Why The English No Speak Good English No More". The lady examiner was fuming through my two minute rant on the state of British education, reverse snobbery etc etc. But, to her credit, she did give me a pass.

Is it more practical to marry your partner in the Philippines or the UK?
-@mike3371

Notwithstanding the cost and bureaucratic red tape X 2 (British & Filipino) I would seriously consider whether it's a good idea bringing a Filipina to your home country.

In ten years time they will have undergone a ' metamorphosis ' from the rural village beauty that you met online with Cherry Blossoms to something that you might regret tying the knot with. I don't speak from experience but through my neighbour here in Bath who is married to a Filipina there are many unfortunate relationships that have hit the rocks. Paul (Old Dog New Tricks) in Dumaguete released a video on this very subject a few weeks ago which I posted a link on in a previous thread.

Caveat Emptor.

@Cherryann01  AS a matter of interest, what are the benefits of marrying in the Philippines and then returning to the UK?

To bring your partner (wife to be) into the UK you will need to obtain a fiance visa which is not cheap and the cost is significantly cheaper if you apply in the UK rather than abroad (almost £500 cheaper). It is valid for 6 months and you will be required to marry in that period. There are other requirements including a minimum annual income and your girl will need to pass an Accredited English Language Test or provide a certificate to say they meet the English Language Requirements.
Two more important things - I am assuming you have actually met your girl and are not just trying to bring her over to the UK to get married after an online relationship only. If you are, you cannot do it. You must have met her at least once before you apply. The second thing is that if your intention is to marry her and stay in the UK, there will be more paperwork later down the line to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. At this stage your girl will need to take the dreaded Life In The UK Test, My ex wife was Ukrainian and believe me some of the questions in this test, a Brit would struggle to answer. I remember doing a trial test once and the questions include sport. One question was about the percentage of a minority group residing in the UK and the answers, which are multiple choice were like 2.9, 3.2, 3.4 or 3.6. (who would know).

The wedding itself, depending on what sort of wedding you go for - well that could range from reasonable to expensive.

Good luck though
-@Cherryann01

The wedding itself, depending on what sort of wedding you go for - well that could range from reasonable to expensive.

But not as expensive as the alimony bill. Right Cherryann?

Oh boy, reading between the lines there are problems ahead if married to a Filipino!

Getting married in the Philippines is like attaching a boat anchor for life. (Boat Anchor= No Divorce.)

Anchor or noose Bob, at least here if you live in "sin" and keep your assets in your own country and only feed in what you need, you can simply walk away if things go south.

I was married for 22 years and never again. Gets expensive when the sh1t hits the fan.

Cheers, Steve.

@Cherryann01 AS a matter of interest, what are the benefits of marrying in the Philippines and then returning to the UK?
-@mike3371

I am afraid I cannot answer that question, never been married to a filipino and I am currently in the UK. There will be lots of paperwork again and very time consuming.

Have you met your future wife in person? Sorry I had to ask.

To the O/P - I would think very seriously before rushing into things. If you have not met your girl in person then rushing into marriage in the UK or the Philippines is a big mistake. If you have met her, I would be tempted to take the advise of Big Pearl at least for now. Go over there, rent a place and see how you both get on and then and only then, consider marriage if you still wish. All this depends on your age and situation. How old are you, are you retired or still working, do you own property in the UK, etc.

If your plan is to marry in the UK and stay here the fees will mount up. For example: Applying for Indefinite Leave to stay here after marriage costs nearly £2500. That is on top of your visa fees and test fees. Also if your girl does come over and you are still working - what is she going to do for months during the day while you are working? She will need to get out of the house from time to time and she will not be allowed to work or take any educational courses for a few months. You will need to show her how to use public transport, maybe take her to the leisure centre so she can get out of the house for a while, maybe a walk in the park or a swim. Family and good neighbours are a big help but she will also want to explore her new surroundings. Doing some unpaid volunteer work, maybe at a charity shop may be good and it will give her a chance to practice her English Skills and give her something to put on her CV.

My ex wife was in the same position when she came from Ukraine. She did some voluntary work and when she was allowed to work and study, the first thing she did was go down the local college and sign up for some courses (A Level English and computer courses). After a few jobs she ended up getting her teaching degree and started teaching. She is still a teacher to this day.

Getting married in the Philippines is like attaching a boat anchor for life. (Boat Anchor= No Divorce.)
-@Enzyte Bob

Indeed. But why get married in the first place for those intending to stay in the Philippines? Many Filipinos don't because of the restrictive divorce laws. Theoretically a Filipina wife could come after your assets (property & pension) in your home country but this is complicated . As an ex partner it would be a non starter.

The only benefit I can see is for immigration visa purposes (Balikbayan) and building a house which of course the foreigner would lose in the event of a split anyway.

@Cherryann01  Yours is sound advice and well worth consideration.

Grateful thanks

@Cherryann01 AS a matter of interest, what are the benefits of marrying in the Philippines and then returning to the UK?
-@mike3371
I am afraid I cannot answer that question, never been married to a filipino and I am currently in the UK. There will be lots of paperwork again and very time consuming.

Have you met your future wife in person? Sorry I had to ask.
-@Cherryann01

I hope the answer is yes otherwise the OP has failed the intelligence test

@tammas2000  Many thanks for your kind offer Tammas that would be great and most appreciated.

Kind regards

Mike

Mike:  why won't you tell us whether or not you have met the Filipina in question?

@Cherryann01 AS a matter of interest, what are the benefits of marrying in the Philippines and then returning to the UK?
-@mike3371
I am afraid I cannot answer that question, never been married to a filipino and I am currently in the UK. There will be lots of paperwork again and very time consuming.

Have you met your future wife in person? Sorry I had to ask.
-@Cherryann01
I hope the answer is yes otherwise the OP has failed the intelligence test
-@Lotus Eater

If the answer is no - getting her over to the UK to get married is a non starter. One of the conditions for the visa is to have met at least once.

@Cherryann01 Yes we have known each other since early 2021

@mike3371

Have you met your future wife in person? Sorry I had to ask.

-@Cherryann01

@Cherryann01 Yes we have known each other since early 2021

-@mike3371

Is that a yes or a no?

Knowing is one thing, have you met her

Knowing is one thing, have you met her
-@Cherryann01

In person?

Lotus Eater said . . . . But why get married in the first place for those intending to stay in the Philippines? Many Filipinos don't because of the restrictive divorce laws. Theoretically a Filipina wife could come after your assets (property & pension) in your home country but this is complicated . As an ex partner it would be a non starter.

The only benefit I can see is for immigration visa purposes (Balikbayan) and building a house which of course the foreigner would lose in the event of a split anyway.

********************************

(1) SexPats need not to get married.

(2) Expats need not to marry their housekeeper/maid

(3) Should Expats tie the knot with their future caregiver?

Knowing is one thing, have you met her
-@Cherryann01
In person?
-@mugteck

Everythings gone quiet. As FilamMum would say "I'm hearing crickets"

I miss her input.

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl

We all do Steve

opo.

Steve.

Knowing is one thing, have you met her
-@Cherryann01
In person?
-@mugteck

Everythings gone quiet. As FilamMum would say "I'm hearing crickets"
-@Lotus Eater

The only thing of importance I can see that I mentioned that other members did not is the need to have met before applying for the visa to bring the lady to the UK to marry. The O/P then seemed to change his mind and then asked me about the benefits of marrying in the Philippines then bringing his wife back to the UK.

The only conclusion I can come up with from this change of tact is that they have never met in person.

A sad song often repeated Cherryann.

Try before you buy, fools rush in and I'm sure a hundred other sayings.

Cheers, Steve.

A sad song often repeated Cherryann.
Try before you buy, fools rush in and I'm sure a hundred other sayings.
Cheers, Steve.
-@bigpearl

Try before you buy,

And make sure you have a ‘returns' policy in place.

Must be a full moon. Every 3 months or so we get one of these ( remember our friend the Accountant who had visited the Philippines on 15 occasions - yeah right)

Of course prior to the internet we had the Mail Order Bride ( remember the dwarf in the movie Bad Santa?) so you could not ‘ try before you buy' That said his turned out to be a Filipina femme fatale 🤣

A sad song often repeated Cherryann.
Try before you buy, fools rush in and I'm sure a hundred other sayings.
Cheers, Steve.
-@bigpearlTry before you buy,


And make sure you have a ‘returns' policy in place.
Must be a full moon. Every 3 months or so we get one of these ( remember our friend the Accountant who had visited the Philippines on 15 occasions - yeah right)
Of course prior to the internet we had the Mail Order Bride ( remember the dwarf in the movie Bad Santa?) so you could not ‘ try before you buy' That said his turned out to be a Filipina femme fatale 🤣
-@Lotus Eater

If only there was a 30 day returns policy like with Amazon.

As said Cherryann, fools rush in, we have all been there and for me? Never again, you know the old saying? Once bitten twice shy.

Cheers, Steve.

A sad song often repeated Cherryann.
Try before you buy, fools rush in and I'm sure a hundred other sayings.
Cheers, Steve.
-@bigpearlTry before you buy,


And make sure you have a ‘returns' policy in place.
Must be a full moon. Every 3 months or so we get one of these ( remember our friend the Accountant who had visited the Philippines on 15 occasions - yeah right)
Of course prior to the internet we had the Mail Order Bride ( remember the dwarf in the movie Bad Santa?) so you could not ‘ try before you buy' That said his turned out to be a Filipina femme fatale 🤣
-@Lotus Eater
If only there was a 30 day returns policy like with Amazon.
-@Cherryann01

Dream on. Besides with Amazon the returns have to be unused unless they are defined under English Law as ‘ not fit for purpose' . Often with Filipina's the ‘honeymoon' period extends beyond 30 days.