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"MANDATORY" and "OTHER" Documents (Conclusion)

7/5/2021

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PictureAfter filing for a First British passport and UK Spouse Visa for Travis and Mrs. Jenelyn Carpenter, both are now in the UK with their loved one Mr. Trevor Carpenter. Congrats and stay safe to the Carpenter family!
In ascertaining the supporting documents which must be attached with the application for any type of UK Settlement Visa, the applicant usually turns to the internet to guide them in their search for a complete set of documentary evidence.

Apart from asking Google’s help, the applicant for the UK Spouse Visa or UK Fiancée Visa is also given a guide by the Home Office which provides the applicant a list of “Mandatory” and “Other” documents, which ECO-Friendly explained in the preceding blogs (See Part 1 and Part 2 of this 3-Part article).

And this was what applicant Amy did when she filed for the UK Spouse Visa here in Manila, Philippines. She consulted Google for the initial set of documents and the UKVI also provided her with a list of “Mandatory” and “Other” documents which she devotedly followed and attached to her application.

But these guides from Google and the UKVI were obviously not enough to obtain a positive decision as our former client Amy learned the hard way.

In our first two preceding blogs, we narrated that Amy relied heavily on her research online and the checklist provided by the UKVI, but still received a very tragic and disheartening result, prolonging her dream of settling in the UK with her British husband.

ECO-Friendly again would like to stress that whenever an applicant for a UK Spouse Visa, UK Fiancée Visa or any type of UK Settlement Visa is considering the supporting documents which should be attached with the application and filed with the Home Office, accuracy and keen focus should be given to the “answers in the application.”

Do not rely merely on the documents enumerated and obtained from the internet, as well as the checklist provided by the UKVI after filing online.

They merely serve as a guide and even if the applicant religiously follows this checklist, there is no guaranty of a positive decision.

ECO-Friendly always reminds our clients that the best way to determine the complete set of documents is to study and focus on each and every answer in the online application itself.

Always bear in mind that every question and corresponding answer of the applicant in the application is designed to determine the eligibility and qualification of the latter with respect to the visa he or she is applying for.

For instance, if the question pertains to the employment of the sponsor/spouse of the applicant, the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) will definitely want to establish the truthfulness and accuracy of this employment.

The applicant is therefore duty-bound to present all evidence that will show the legitimacy and genuineness of this employment, think of it as allegations in a court of law which must be proven by documentary evidence.

Thus, in order to prove the employment, all pertinent documents such as pay slips, employment contract, employment certificate, even the bank account statements of the employee where the wage is deposited must be submitted, even if any of these documents are not enumerated in the checklist or provided in the internet.

All other applicable proof should not be overlooked. If the sponsor/spouse/ has photos while at work, this may also be attached.

In the case of Amy, she attached proof of income from the PIP benefit of her husband since this was the only documentary evidence asked from her. The problem, in this case, was that she did not give enough proof to show that her husband was indeed receiving PIP from the government.

This was the main issue why her application was denied, lack of proof that he received the PIP benefits.

Had Amy likewise submitted proof that her husband was also self-employed as a teacher, as well as a professor in the local university, it would not have mattered that the PIP documents were insufficient since the income from the other employment were adequate enough to show that her husband was financially capable and thus compliant with the financial requirement of earning £18,600 a year.

When she filed a fresh application with ECO-Friendly assisting her, we presented proof of all the three (3) sources of income of her husband: (1) as a beneficiary of the PIP; (2) as a self-employed teacher; and (3) as an employed professor in their local university.

After less than two months, the UK Spouse Visa arrived and she is now living in the UK with her husband.

For any queries regarding your UK visa application, please do not hesitate to contact us by clicking the ECO-Friendly contact box below. Stay safe people!

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Congratulations to the Carpenter family!
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Young Travis posing outside the Wallington Station. Always be a good boy Travis!

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"MANDATORY" and "OTHER" Documents - Part 2

4/3/2021

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PictureAte Jennessie getting ready for school in her new country the United Kingdom. Galingan mo ate Jennessie! ingat jan sa UK
Manila, Philippines - In our last blog, we discussed the case of Amy whose previous application before visiting our office was refused allegedly due to, “…insufficient documents relating to her financial requirements.”

In the same article, ECO-Friendly also mentioned that all applications for any type of UK visa includes a list of “MANDATORY” and “OTHER” DOCUMENTS via an official checklist, which the applicant receives after paying the online fee.

Amy filed for a UK Spouse Visa and a copy of this checklist of supporting documents is also listed at the last part of the application form and this serves as a guide for the applicant in gathering and obtaining the supporting documents which should be sent to the UKVI to prove his or her eligibility.

Since Amy’s husband/sponsor was a recipient of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the official checklist itemized, among others, proof of receipt of such PIP.

However, aside from being a PIP beneficiary, the husband/sponsor was likewise regularly employed in a local university. At the same time he was also self-employed as a private teacher.

So in effect, there are three sources of income at the time her application was filed:
  1. The regular pension from PIP which he has been receiving since the 1990s
  2. Self-employed as a teacher at his own limited company which is registered under his name
  3. Fully employed as a teacher at the local university

All three sources of income were mentioned and indicated in the application.

We would like to explain that in a standard application for a UK Spouse Visa, UK
Fiancée Visa or any other type of UK Settlement Visa, only one type of source of income is sufficient. In Amy's case her husband/sponsor has three source of income.

Now since the application was computer-generated, when the couple inputted the PIP as the first source of employment, they were asked some details about the PIP like when the husband started receiving the regular benefit from it, how much the husband regularly received, and other pertinent details.

Then they were asked about the details of his self-employment, including the amount of his annual income from this self-employment which is more than the required GBP18,600.

He started this limited company in 2014, the application was filed 2018 and so he has been engaged with this company more than four years before they filed the spouse visa application.

With regard to his full time employment as a teacher at a UK University, he was also asked details about this which were answered clearly, accurately and honestly.

The details of his employment were the last portion of the application and after this part, the Mandatory and Other Documents appeared, so naturally the applicant was of the impression that the documents listed in this checklist were all that was required for her to file.

Under the MANDATORY DOCUMENTS, it listed only two documents:
  1. The passport/travel document of the applicant, and;
  2. A copy of the bio data page of the passport of the husband/sponsor
Under the OTHER DOCUMENTS, it listed nine documents, two of which were with respect to the financial documents to prove that the husband/sponsor complied with the pecuniary aspect of the requirements.

The two documents which were enumerated in the checklist were only with respect to the income derived from the PIP.

On the other hand, proofs of revenue from the other two employments (limited company and employment as teacher at the university) were not listed.

The two PIP documents enumerated in the checklist were the following:
  1. Bank statements to prove that the husband/sponsor received PIP, and;
  2. Official documents from the Department for Work and Pensions or Veteran’s Agency confirming the husband/sponsor’s current entitlement and amount received for the PIP

These were the only two documents listed in the checklist, which she understood were required to prove that she complied with the financial requirement of her UK Spouse Visa application

Other documents required to be submitted were proof of relationship between the applicant and her husband/sponsor, proof of divorce of the husband from his former spouse as well as proof of dissolution of the former marriage of the applicant.

There was no mention of other documents to show the legitimacy of the two other sources of income (self-employment and actual work as university teacher) of her husband/sponsor.

So she only attached documents to show that her husband received the PIP and did not bother to attach documents to demonstrate the salaries from the other two livelihoods as they were not needed included in the checklist.

Less than two months later she received a refusal letter saying the application was refused because Amy did not meet the “eligibility financial requirement.”

According to the letter, Amy “did not provide evidence which shows that there will be adequate maintenance for yourself, your partner/sponsor and any dependants without further recourse to public funds.”

It seems the ECO did not take the other two sources of income of Amy’s husband/sponsor and only considered ADEQUATE MAINTENANCE as the manner by which the financial requirement may be met or complied with.

And this very important issue will be the topic of ECO-Friendly's next article. Until next time...

(To be concluded)



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Jennessie arrived in the UK with her mother last January and is now a regular student
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"MANDATORY" and "OTHER" Documents

2/8/2021

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PictureCONGRATULATIONS!!! Mr. and Mrs. Paul and Jenneth Rayner hold the UK Settlement Visa issued to Jenneth and her daughter Jennessie. The Rayner family are now in the UK. Stay safe guys!
​First of three parts

Manila, Philippines – Early last year, an applicant visited our office, ECO Immigration Consultancy almost in tears, questioning the result of her UK Spouse Visa application issued by the UKVI Home Office (HO).

Let’s call her Amy.
​
According to Amy, she worked on her application and lodged it at the visa application centre in Makati City before Christmas of 2019.

When our ECO immigration consultant interviewed her, Amy disclosed that all her answers to the online application were accurate and to the best of her knowledge, truthful. Amy was very confident she was qualified for the UK Spouse Visa applied for.

Amy then narrated to us that she gathered and collected all the documents that were specified and listed in the online application and sent it to the HO accordingly to prove her eligibility.

When she showed our immigration consultant the official checklist of supporting documents which the UKVI online application provided, and we compared it with the actual documents that she sent to the HO, we too were pretty sure that all the documents which were required and listed in the application were properly attached and sent to the HO.

Unfortunately, the 28-day appeal period had expired already and so there was no other option except to file a fresh application.

We then immediately began the process of lodging a new UK Spouse Visa application and started with a thorough deliberation as to the real culprit behind the negative decision.
​
After an exhaustive assessment of the rejected application, the study revealed a certain flaw in the decision.


First of all, ECO-Friendly would like to explain that in every application, whether for any type of settlement visa like the UK Spouse Visa, a UK Fiancée Visa or for a UK Visit Visa, a list always automatically appears in the lower part of the online application form and is always provided to serve as guide for the UK Visa applicant.

In the last part of Amy’s online application form, a checklist of the “mandatory documents” and “other documents” were provided, as in all the other online application.

According to the rules, the documents provided in this checklist must be sent to the HO by the applicant. These documents will then be used to determine whether the applicant is qualified for the visa.

Upon careful investigation, our staff discovered that in this checklist laid the culprit for the erroneous decision.

​On our next blog, we will comprehensively explain the flaw in the decision.

(Click here for Part 2)

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ECO client Cha Ecot receives her UK Visit Visa vignette from Jaz of ECO Immigration Consultancy. Congrats Cha!!!
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ECO client Cha Ecot now in the UK having a stroll and enjoying the UK sites.
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Cha having a wonderful time at Glyncastle Forest, UK
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TO VISIT OR TO MARRY?

10/8/2020

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PictureMr. and Mrs. Ken and Khlodia McGruer, one of ECO's earlier clients, clown around in this wacky post.
This has always been the million dollar question for most Filipino partners of British citizens who are still living in the Philippines and trying to apply for the UK visa.

Based on ECO-Friendly’s nine year experience in UK Immigration law, because applicants do not know the pros and cons for each type of visa, they are often left in this very difficult situation, a dilemma, so to speak, wondering what UK visa to apply for. It is thus very difficult for them to resolve and decide on this issue of whether to just visit or marry their British partner in the UK.

Fortunately, we at ECO Immigration Consultancy understand this predicament and are here to assist the applicant weigh the different issues that will help the struggling boyfriend, girlfriend, future fiancées/fiancé or future spouses from the Philippines to have a better understanding of the situation and make better decisions for their future.

Here are some ECO-Friendly tips for the Filipino applicants to at least ease the stress and have some idea on the matter.

First off, the most important issue which the applicant needs to consider is the seriousness of the relationship with his or her British partner.

Do they love each other enough to actually tie the knot in the UK and for the Filipino applicant to settle permanently in the UK? In the process leaving their beloved family here in the Philippines? We all know how Filipinos are a very closely-knit family. Can he or she leave the family behind in the Philippines to actually stay in the UK for good?

If this is the case, and the applicant chooses her British partner, then the best option is to file for the UK Fiancée Visa and to fly to the UK to celebrate the marriage within the six months period provided under the UKVI rules.

After the wedding, the applicant may then file for a UK Spouse visa within the reglementary  period. If she does this, after a few years, she can live happily ever after as a British national as provided under the UK law.

On the other hand, if the lovebirds merely want to test the waters and try to live together for a few weeks or months to ascertain if they are compatible and are really meant for each other, or to see if they can stand each other for a few months living together, then the UK Visit Visa is the alternative.

In this case, however, the most important matter to consider is that the applicant from the Philippines is able to show they can finance the trip and that they will return to the Philippines before the lapse of their allowed stay in the UK, if and when the UK Visit Visa application is granted.

The UK Marriage Visit Visa is also one option. In this case the couple must be serious enough to marry each other in the UK, but the partner from the Philippines is merely allowed to stay in the UK to marry the British partner for a period of six months.

The Marriage Visit Visa is a type of visit visa the main purpose of which is to permit the partners to celebrate the wedding in the UK but the Filipino applicant must return to the Philippines within six months from entry to the UK.

This visa type is usually applied for by the couple when the British sponsor/partner is not yet financially capable of complying with the financial requirements but want to marry the partner from the Philippines as soon as possible.

Remember that the Minimum Income Threshold is £18,600 annually. This means that the British sponsor must have earn at least £18,600 in the last full financial year immediately before the filing of the application.

If the British partner/sponsor earns less than this, the alternative would be for the partner from the Philippines to just visit the UK on a Marriage Visit Visa and marry his or her British partner. Once they become man and wife legally in the UK, the Filipino partner must return to the Philippines and once the British spouse complies with the minimum income threshold, the Filipina applicant can now file for a UK Spouse Visa in the Philippines.

If the abovementioned UK visas are still not applicable to the Filipina applicant, another scenario which ECO-Friendly suggests is for the couple (British sponsor/partner and the applicant from the Philippines) to marry here in the Philippines and just file for the UK Spouse Visa later when the British husband can comply with the Minimum Income Threshold.

This would be simpler since the British sponsor and the applicant from the Philippines are already married and therefore legally and morally obliged to live together since they are already man and wife under the Philippines and or UK law. Take note, however, that the Minimum Income Threshold is still required under the UK Spouse Visa.

Whatever the choice may be, rest assured that ECO-Friendly will assist you all the way.

To sum up, there are actually four options for the applicant asking questions on what to apply for:
  1. To file for a UK Fiancée Visa and marry in the UK and then convert to a UK Spouse Visa and then eventually file for an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) leading to a British citizenship later
  2. To file for a UK Marriage Visit Visa and then return to the Philippines after the marriage, and then just apply at a later date
  3. To file for a UK Visit Visa for the purpose of testing the waters and see how the relationship works out
  4. For the British partner to go to the Philippines to marry the partner from the Philippines and later file for the UK Spouse Visa so that the applicant may later settle in the UK and then eventually become a British national

In any of these cases, it is the duty of our firm, the ECO Immigration Consultancy duty to enlighten you on the best possible course to take. We at ECO-Friendly will explain to you, in the simplest of terms but comprehensively, each and every option for you so that in the end, you may come up with a decision that would best suit your present situation.

And in the end, whether you choose to visit, marry in the UK or marry in the Philippines, we will help you every step of the way.

This is our true vocation. To help you convince the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) that you are truly qualified for the UK Visa you are applying for. Kaya nga kami ECO-Friendly e!!!

For inquiries or further details as to how we can help you. Or just to know how we will approach your application, please do not hesitate to contact us. Just click the ECO-Friendly contact box below.

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Tale of Four Applicants

9/21/2020

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From left to right: Adam and Lucy, Lucy and Pat wait at the NAIA for their UK flight, Lucy and Jean, Janice with fiancee Alex, Winnie with ECO secretary Jazmine Ceria while the latter gives Winnie's passport with the UK Visa vignette


Manila, Philippines - When the nationwide lockdown was declared here in the Philippines last March 2020, our firm ECO Immigration Consultancy had just finished filing UK Settlement Visas for four clients.

Three of the applications filed for the UK Fiancée Visa while the other filed applied for the UK Spouse Visa.

When we filed the applications, these four ladies were full of excitement and anticipation hoping that a wonderful, exciting and abundant future awaits them.

But then the lockdown was declared and because of this, all four became very nervous and concerned that their applications were going to be affected. This after the UKVI announced it was going to temporarily stop operations in major parts of the world (including the Philippines) in an effort to stop the spread of the pandemic.

The months of April, May and the better part of June came and went but still was no word from the Home Office. Take note that official UKVI rules prescribe that processing for any type of UK Settlement Visa is 60 days, but more than 100 days after we filed, there was still no news from the Home Office.  

In the latter part of June, the Home Office sent word that the applications were placed on hold due to the covid-19.

“We apologize for the inconvenience, but due to the worldwide impact of covid-19 and resulting visa application centre closures in your region, your application has been placed on hold,” the UKVI explained.

The Home Office however assured the applicants that the deferral was due to the pandemic and applicants need not worry that there was something wrong with their papers.

“We would like to reassure customers that this is due to the operational impacts of the covid-19. Customers should not be concerned that there is something wrong with their application. Once the VAC’s re-open and your application can be processed, we will contact you,” the Sheffield office guaranteed.

Thus, we patiently waited as the restless and worried clients called and texted ECO-Friendly from time to time asking for news or any development. All we could say was for them to stay calm, relax and stay safe because no use having an approved application if they get the covid-19 themselves.

As the days passed, the Sheffield office would send assurances in the email that the applications were being processed slowly and that applicants should just wait for the result of their application.

True enough, when July stepped in, the passports came a-rolling in!!!

One by one the passports with the UK Visa vignettes started to arrive and one by one, the ECO-Friendly clients started to rejoice!

By now three of the happy clients are with their loved ones in the UK enjoying each other, while the last one is awaiting her flight by the end of September. Of course the three had to undergo 14-day quarantine before they can set out and enjoy the UK scenery.

No worries, they are together with their loving British partners for 14 enjoyable days inside the comforts of their UK home!!!

Congratulations Lucy, Pat, Janice and Winnie!
​
Have a good life in the UK and stay safe!


AS FOR NEW APPLICANTS PLANNING ON LODGING THEIR RESPECTIVE APPLICATIONS, THE VISA APPLICATION CENTRE HERE IN MANILA IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS. PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT US FOR DETAILS OR QUERIES REGARDING YOUR INTENT TO FILE A UK SETTLEMENT VISA APPLICATION.

JUST CLICK THE ECO-FRIENDLY CONTACT BOX BELOW TO EMAIL OR CONTACT US.

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VFS-GLOBAL MANILA TO OPEN JULY 6

6/29/2020

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Manila, Philippines - Applicants of the UK Spouse Visa, UK Fiancée Visa or any other UK Settlement Visas including the UK Visit Visa applying from Manila, Philippines will be glad to know that the visa application centre in the Manila, Philippines will be re-opening this 6 July.

According to the VFS-Global Philippines, it will resume their services this coming Monday.

The visa application centre further reported that, “Customers who were unable to attend an earlier appointment, will be able to log into their account to book a new appointment. Customers who have completed their application on GOV.UK, but didn’t previously book an appointment at the Visa Application Centre, can do so from today.”

This means that all applicants for the UK Spouse Visa, UK Fiancée Visa and other UK Settlement Visa may continue with their application which was left pending when the covid-19 pandemic hit the Philippines and a total lockdown was declared on 17 March.

Despite the resumption of operations, however, the visa application centre cautioned the UK Visa applicants to practice established covid 19 protocols, and reminded the public to follow strict rules for physical distancing.

“Your safety is our priority, so customers visiting our Visa Application Centres may be asked to observe physical distancing, undergo temperature checks or be required to wear facemasks, subject to local authority guidelines. Please note; customers must have an appointment to visit the Visa Application Centre, and we advise customers to confirm their chosen centre remains open on the day of their appointment.”

“Customers exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, including fever (higher than 37.3 degrees Celsius), cough or difficulty breathing will be helped to reschedule their application submission for another day and will be advised to seek medical attention at the nearest healthcare facility of their choice.”

The visa application centre also noted that some of their special services will not resume since there are other remaining restrictions that are still being implemented in other countries.

“Please also be aware, that due to restrictions still in place globally, we are not currently able to offer the following services: Super Priority Visa, Priority Visa Service (visit), Priority Visa for settlement or migration Service and Walk-in services’” the VFS added

Regarding UK Spouse Visa and UK Fiancée Visa applicants with pending applications lodged with the visa application centre and are waiting for decisions, the VFS said that, “If a decision has been made on your application, and you need to collect your passport from the Visa Application Centre, we will be contacting you to arrange this.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and post updates on this page.

“There are new rules in place for entering the UK because of coronavirus (COVID-19). Please check the latest information before you travel at gov.uk/uk-border-control.”

There was no mention, however, if the Cebu branch of the VFS-Global Philippines will be opening on the same day.
​
Cebu City was one of the hardest hit areas in the Philippines lately as the DOH recently issued a statement saying the increase in the covid-19 patients in Cebu is “very much alarming.”
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Visa Application Center operations still suspended

6/7/2020

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Manila, Philippines. Almost there months after the lockdown was announced in the Philippines, ECO Immigration Consultancy will start its operation once again this 15th June.

However, the office will only operate on a per-appointment basis.

This means that applicants planning to apply for the UK Spouse Visa, UK Fiancée Visa, UK Visit Visa or any other type of UK Visa are not allowed to do walk-in consultations and if a prospective applicant wants to visit the office, they will need to make an appointment at least two to three days in advance.

Applicants for the UK Spouse Visa and UK Fiancée Visa and UK Visit Visa are also advised that the Limketkai Bldg. will be implementing the following safety & preventive measures aligned with the objectives of the minimum health standards of the Department of Health to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19:
(1) Checking the body temperature of all upon entering the building premises.
(2) Disinfecting footwear. A footbath soaked with chemical disinfectants has been laid out in the building entrance.
(3) Wearing of face masks at all times within the common areas of the building.
(4) Sanitizing and disinfecting frequently handled objects such as common area door knobs / handles, elevator buttons & stairway handles every 2 hours. All tenants are encouraged to disinfect their respective offices using a solution of zonrox and water (1:9 ratio).
(5) Cleaning of hands often is encouraged.
  1. Alchohol-based hand sanitizer and Isoprophyl Alcohol with 70% solution are available in the lobby guard area.
  2. Liquid soaps are available in the common comfort rooms.
(6) Following physical distancing.
  1. Maximum of 4 passengers in the elevator. The elevator floor is marked by tape to act as guide for the social distancing.
  2. Maintaining distance when buying food in the lobby canteen. Likewise, the floor is marked by tape.
  3. Discouraging congregation of people in the lobby areas.
(7) Restricting entrance of outsiders (i.e. Grab, Lalamove, Messengers, Collectors, Deliveries and Visitors) until the lobby guard area only to protect tenants from potential virus carriers.
  1. All food and non food deliveries will be picked up in the lobby guard area.
  2. Disinfection and sanitations of the goods brought into the building are the primary responsibility of the tenant

Meanwhile, operations at the visa application center here in the Philippines, VFS Global is still suspended. Applicants and other stakeholders are directed to wait for further announcement as to when the operations will be fully operational.

Eco-Friendly will post additional information regarding its operations of the VFS-Global in its succeeding posts.

Stay safe everyone! 

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THE BEST DEFENCE IS DEFINITELY A GOOD OFFENSE

12/4/2019

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PictureCongratulations to Ivy Fortune! She is now in the UK with her husband Remo. Good luck on your new life and adventure in the UK Mr. and Mrs. Fortune!
This is true even in filing an application for a UK Spouse Visa, UK Fiancée Visa any type of UK Settlement Visa and even in applying for a UK Visit Visa whether here in the Philippines or in any other part of the world in order to avoid a refusal of the application.

ECO-Friendly always stresses that any applicant from the Philippines should attach not only the documents listed in the official website of the UK government but any and all other documents which is connected with the application even if not officially listed in the UK government’s website.

This means that the applicant for the UK Spouse Visa or UK Fiancée Visa should anticipate questions which an Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) may ask regarding with the application and have ready documents attached with the application in answer to these queries.

For example, if the applicant will be filing for the UK Spouse Visa, the required basic documents which the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) would expect the following supporting documents to be attached with the application packet:
  • Marriage Certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) printed in its security paper
  • Pictures of the wedding
  • Even the wedding invitations would help greatly to prove that the wedding was celebrated

However, to further strengthen the application, it is wise to also attach, letters from the family in the Philippines, like the father or mother of the bride, supporting and fully consenting to the impending marriage.
On the other hand, for a UK Fiancée visa applicant, the basic documents which should be attached with the application packet would be;
  • Proof that a wedding will be celebrated in the UK within 6 months from the date of issue of the visa
  • Proof of relationship between the future bride and groom
  • Proof that both parties (the Filipina applicant and the British sponsor) are legally free to marry each other

But just to intensify the application (ECO-Friendly calls this “ADDITIONAL POGI-POINTS”), a copy of the wedding invitation or other documents to demonstrate the UK wedding may be affixed with the application.

But these are just the basic supporting documents to prove the intention of the applicant for the UK Spouse Visa and the UK Fiancée Visa.

If there are other specific facts and details that the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) needs to know, these must also be supported by evidence. As an example, if one of the parties is a widow or the previous marriage has been annulled, the corresponding death certificate or annulment decree issued by the appropriate government agency is suggested to be appended to the application packet of the for the UK Spouse Visa or UK Fiancée Visa application.

In the case of an application for a UK Visit Visa and the applicant has a business not registered with the proper government agency, do not despair because the UK Visa and Immigration may still accept the fact that the UK Visit Visa applicant manages a local business and derive income from this enterprise even if it is not officially registered with the Philippine government’s Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) or the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or the Barangay office.

Any proof that you receive income, however small or large, from this business, as long as you can show legitimate proof of receipt of this income plus other evidence to support this declaration, this may be accepted by the UKVI as long as legitimate, reasonable and genuine.

Beware, however, that if the UKVI investigates and confirm that the documents are falsified, forged or not completely true, the application will be denied and the applicant may even be penalized with a ban from entry to the UK for a period of ten years or even a lifetime, depending on the gravity of the offense.

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The Minimum Income Threshold

11/25/2019

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PictureKyle receiving his UK Child Dependent visa at the ECO Immigration Consultancy office in Ortigas, Philippines.... CONGRATS KYLE!
Manila, Philippines. All over the world, based on UKVI records, the usual common problem of applicants for the UK Spouse Visa or the UK Fiancée Visa is the dreaded Minimum Income Threshold (MIT).

The Minimum Income Threshold is the required annual income which the sponsor and / or the main applicant should earn in one whole year immediately preceding the filing of the application.

Most of the British partners, fiancés or spouses of the applicant from the Philippines do not usually reach the MIT and so they are left with no choice but to either settle for an LDR or a long distance relationship or look for additional employment to reach the minimum annual income required by the rules.

Again ECO-Friendly would like to impart to our dear readers, the ways of meeting the financial requirements, as provided under the rules of the UKVI.

Where the applicant has to meet the minimum income threshold, the financial requirement can generally be met in the following five ways:
  1. Income from salaried or non-salaried employment of the partner (and/or the applicant if they are in the UK with permission to work). This is referred to as Category A or Category B, depending on the employment history.
  2. Non-employment income, e.g. income from property rental or dividends from shares. This is referred to as Category C.
  3. Cash savings of the applicant’s partner and/or the applicant, above £16,000, held by the partner and/or the applicant for at least 6 months and under their control. This is referred to as Category D.
  4. State (UK or foreign), occupational or private pension of the applicant’s partner and/or the applicant. This is referred to as Category E.
  5. Income from self-employment, and income as a director or employee of a specified limited company in the UK, of the partner (and/or the applicant if they are in the UK with permission to work). This is referred to as Category F or Category G, depending on which financial year(s) is or are being relied upon.

Some of these income may be combined with the other income in case the earnings is insufficient

​ECO-Friendly will explain each and every way of meeting the MIT in its next blog.

By the way, ECO-Friendly would like to inform its loyal readers that the old terms for the UK Spouse Visa and the UK Fiancée Visa which were “SETTLEMENT-WIFE” and “SETTLEMENT-MARRIAGE” respectively, has now been changed to “APPLY TO ENTER THE UK AS A PARTNER” for both visas.

But for purposes of our blogs, we will still refer to them as the UK Spouse Visa and UK Fiancée Visa.

Until next time!

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Kyle's first day at Bede Academy... Good luck Kyle!
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At Durham visiting the sights with dad and mom.

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Welcomed by his family, Daddy Marlon and Mom Judith, after arriving in the UK!
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FIRST BRITISH PASSPORT FOR THE CHILD OF A BRITISH CITIZEN BORN IN THE PHILIPPINES

8/18/2019

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PictureECO-Friendly clients Khlodia Marie-Chung McGruer with hubby Ken and son Kameron in the UK. Congrats on the First British passport of Kameron!
Manila, Philippines - Children of British nationals, even if born in the Philippines are considered as British citizens from birth. 
 
According to the rules as prescribed in the official website of the UK government, a person is automatically a British citizen if he or she was born outside the UK and all of the following apply:
1.      The applicant from the Philippines was born on or after 1 July 2006 (a different provision applies if applicant was born before1 July 2006)
2.      The mother or father of the applicant was a British citizen when the applicant was born
3.      The British parent of the applicant from the Philippines could pass on their citizenship to the former
 
Unfortunately, most applicants for the UK Spouse Visa who want to settle in the UK with their children whose fathers are British nationals do not realize that their children are automatic British citizens.
 
Thus, in some instances, when an applicant from the Philippines filing for a UK Spouse Visa decides to file the application with his or her child who is the natural child of her British spouse/sponsor, they usually file for the UK Child Dependent Visa instead of the First British Passport.
 
If they file for the UK Child Dependent Visa, the expenses will be double because the fees for both applications are the same (the last time ECO-Friendly filed for the UK Spouse visa, we paid around USD2,000 and for the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) around USD1,700).
 
Both applicants need to pay for the visa application, IHS, TB Test, as well as fees for the visa application center.
 
But why pay for all of these fees when the child applicant from the Philippines who is the son or daughter of the British sponsor/father is an acknowledged British national at birth?
 
Instead of paying for all these fees and experiencing all the hassles that go with applying for a UK Spouse visa or any other UK Settlement Visa, ECO-Friendly suggests that the child simply file for a First British Passport with Her Majesty’s Passport Office, and the applicant need only to pay a fee of £75.86.
 
All it takes is 16 weeks of processing, if the application is filed here in the Philippines.
 
For more queries regarding the filing of the First British Passport, please do not hesitate to schedule an appointment with us. Just click the Eco-Friendly contact box below.


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