quiltman

Anyone had any experience of this consultancy firm? An acquaintance wants to take his Filipina wife to Uk for an extended stay and cannot meet the requirements for a spouse visa and doesn't want to use the Surinder Singh route plus a tourist visa is not long enough. This company say they can GUARANTEE a visa using a backdoor method! I've told him it sounds very dodgy. Doing a quick check on them shows they primarily help get student/OFW visas for Filipinos which is fine as those applicants have to use a DOE approved agency.
I don't want him to spend a fortune and then find any visa issued is "dodgy" , nor to pay up and then find she can't get a visa.I've sent him the link to the UK government list of available visas and told him to ask which visa they would apply for so he can cross check the requirements. I'm just worried it may be a scam. Thanks.

mikek1

I would not advice using any 'backdoor' offers. If your acquaintance cannot meet the normal requirements to obtain his wife a visa, then its highly unlikely that a third party could obtain one.


My brother obtained a visitors visa for his wife, unfortunately, she overstayed by 1 month. I asked him whether her passport was stamped on her exit from the UK, he thought not.


On applying again for a visitors visa for her. it was declined, on the grounds she 'overstayed'. This goes to show that the border control are far more diligent than one would imagine.


There are many so called 'consultants' in the Philippines and I doubt very much that they could bypass the legal route to obtaining a visa. What would be the consequences if the documents were found to be false on entering the UK.


I have never had any problems getting visa's for my wifes sister, and two nieces to get visa's for the UK. Your acquaintance must be doing something wrong, or clearly the border control does not acknowledge that he has the financial means, or housing requirements to grant a visa. If that is the case he is wasting his time, any appeal could be time consuming and expensive.

quiltman

Thanks Mike, exactly what I was telling him!

michael7777

quiltman, I know this company, they have an office in Cebu as well (I see that you are in Cebu). Some of my friends processed their UK visas with them. No backdoor methods, just usual UK visas: dependant, visitor, student etc., depends on the purpose of the visit.

bestvue

No exit stamps in the UK anymore. Seems they now get the necessary info from the airlines.
Never - overstay your visa if you ever want another one.

Bealinehx

Welcome to the digital age!

utminafrica

As bestvue says, the airlines submit all the data to immigration. So technically you can probably get away with overstaying but only ever the once as will get rejected if try again.

My ex always got 6 months stay on the tourist visa if that is long enough for the extended stay.

LPR

With the tourist visa for the UK is it OK to stay longer than the dates you originally put on the application? Providing of course it's not longer than the 6 months the visa allows.

bestvue

In a word yes. Just be sure you leave the UK before 6 months and before the visa expires. In other words your maximum length of stay is 6 months within the time frame of the visa.

Gazza-d

Your maximum length of stay is what is stated on the visa, it's not automatically 6 months. They don't alway give a full six months if you don't ask for it.

LPR

Thanks for the replies, I have more questions that I hope some of you might have the answers to. As I will be sponsoring my fiancée she needs the supporting letter and documentation, can I email these to her as PDF’s on will she need the original documents? We did try 6 months ago for a visitor visa (I was there at the time so had all the documents with me) and it was refused, one of the reasons being that because she has never been married and does not have any children they felt there was insufficient reason for her to return. This raises another question, although she does not have any children she does have a lot of family there in the Philippines, do we list them all?

Zaxx

Hi LPR,
I have always e-mailed such documents, including P60, 3 months payslips etc. and include a statement that she will be living with me as a guest too. I do sign and scan the letter itself prior to transmission btw.
My Pinay friend always submits an updated COE (certificate of employment) with a statement from her employer that she will continue her employment on her return along with the obligatory photographs of us together from previous visits of me there and her here.
I have no idea how many of her relatives should be documented but I'd certainly emphasise the connection between her and any of her family who may depend or rely on her. e.g. Perhaps she helps financially or provides cares for parents/aunt/uncle/siblings etc. A signed letter from them in support may even help...

Good luck btw.