Visit Visa

[DaveW]

On Wednesday my friend will hand in her visit visa application and supporting docs at the centre in Manila. I am totally supporting her stay here and have stated that in my letter, it is very hard to prove 100% that anybody intends to return home after their stay.
She only runs a small store attached to her parents house, makes hardly any money worth mentioning.
I really hope they will grant her visa or atleast give us a chance in an interview if we get to Heathrow.
The website says a visit visa could be processed in around 3 weeks.
Does anybody have any experience of the time processing?
Also do they give the option to send the option to send the docs and passport back to the applicants home? Because the online form never asked?

[rani]

Visit visa can be granted from one day to months, i would think. Fortunately, i always got my visit visa one day after the vfs sent the docs to the uk embassy. Documents and passport will be returned within a week (after visa approval/disapproval) thru courier or you may also pick it up at the vfs office.

[Ann1984]

On Wednesday my friend will hand in her visit visa application and supporting docs at the centre in Manila. I am totally supporting her stay here and have stated that in my letter, it is very hard to prove 100% that anybody intends to return home after their stay.
She only runs a small store attached to her parents house, makes hardly any money worth mentioning.
I really hope they will grant her visa or atleast give us a chance in an interview if we get to Heathrow.
The website says a visit visa could be processed in around 3 weeks.
Does anybody have any experience of the time processing?
Also do they give the option to send the option to send the docs and passport back to the applicants home? Because the online form never asked?

Hi, Dave welcome here! I got my visa twice for 6 months as a tourist, they only process for 7 days, and email to me that my visa is dispatched shortly.

Fingers crossed and think positive!

[Ann1984]

Don't worry about the sending option of your documents, they will send it back to you through courier. Just take a look on your email, they will update your status of your application.

[Terpe]

See here for Visa processing times in the Philippines

The major key for granting visit visa is convincing the ECO that the applicant has no immigrant intentions and that reasons to return home outweigh any reasons to stay.
If the ECO believes that, then usually financials and other requirements will also be believed.

The ECO has complete discretion on the decision. Scope for appeals is extremely limited.

Good luck

[DaveW]

See here for Visa processing times in the Philippines

The major key for granting visit visa is convincing the ECO that the applicant has no immigrant intentions and that reasons to return home outweigh any reasons to stay.
If the ECO believes that, then usually financials and other requirements will also be believed.

The ECO has complete discretion on the decision. Scope for appeals is extremely limited.

Good luck

Thankyou, I know the financial side is ok but your right, it is all about proving that she will go home.
Even though i have stated that will both travel back to Philippines when her stay is over, i know that is just not enough. It is so hard to prove that anybody would go back. Even if she had a job say in a bank there, the salary is still so low that a bar job here would pay more.
I hope at best they grant the visa and if they need to they can question her or us both when we arrive in London

[DaveW]

Hi, Dave welcome here! I got my visa twice for 6 months as a tourist, they only process for 7 days, and email to me that my visa is dispatched shortly.

Fingers crossed and think positive!

That was a fast response. When they gave you the visa was it valid from the date you put on the application as your intended travel date?

[Ann1984]

That was a fast response. When they gave you the visa was it valid from the date you put on the application as your intended travel date?

Yes it was a quick response from them. I put my application 5 months on holiday and intended to travel month of 28th of march. But they gave me 6 months multi entry valid date to travel march 06.

I think so, they are the one to decide how long you can stay for your visits, it depends on your circumstances and your financial status in Uk.

I will apply this year again on December with my daughter. My last tourist visa. Hehe

[melovesengland]

Sir Peter have already provided the link for visa processing times. It can be quick, it can be an agony of wait who knows but the link is a rough idea on how they process visa applications. You can also request and mention on your cover letter the date you want the visa to be valid and they will surely sort it for you.

They will then send you an email about the decision they made. Now, you can choose between picking up the documents from VFS or sending it back via courier, fee shouldered by the applicant of course.

I also want to correct Ann1984 about the "they are the one to decide how long you can stay for your visits, it depends on your circumstances and your financial status in UK" in case members will follow this. I also stand to be corrected, UKBA/VFS/BRITISH EMBASSY are not the ones who will decide how many months you should stay in the UK. In the application form you have choices on how many months/years you want your visa to be valid. Different validity, different prices of course.

Hope things go smoothly with the application and keep us posted. Best of luck!

[DaveW]

Had an email this morning saying "Your application is under process at the British Embassy".
So i'm sure it will not be long.
Do they inform you of the decision in the email? Or do you just have to wait to see when all the documents and passport is returned?

[melovesengland]

They will update you via email. They will send you email about the decision of your application then the british embassy will return it to vfs and vfs will return it back to you. Up toy ou if you paid for courier or you will pick it up.

[DaveW]

Just got an email saying a decision on the visa application has been made and the application will be sent back by courier.
Now we have to wait to open it to see if they gave us the visa.
They should say in the email really.

[Terpe]

......Now we have to wait to open it to see if they gave us the visa.
They should say in the email really.

Depends who sent the e-mail.
If VFS then they actually do not know what the decision is. The Embassy do not tell them.

[DaveW]

Depends who sent the e-mail.
If VFS then they actually do not know what the decision is. The Embassy do not tell them.

It was sent by VFS.
Don't know how long it will take to get to Cabadbaran city. All flights to Butuan have been cancelled due to the Typhoons

[Arthur Little]

Good Luck, Dave ... hopefully you'll hear soon, mate.

[DaveW]

Good Luck, Dave ... hopefully you'll hear soon, mate.

Thankyou Arthur.

[Terpe]

It was sent by VFS.
Don't know how long it will take to get to Cabadbaran city. All flights to Butuan have been cancelled due to the Typhoons

Looks like it's possible some delays might happen.

Here's hoping it's good news. Only the Embassy can know.
Fingers crossed for you both