UK Visa Application for Filipinos
2:17:00 pm
According to the
latest data from British Embassy Manila, 90% of Filipino applicants were
granted UK visas last year. In the year ending September 2014, over 53,000 UK
visas were issued to Filipino nationals. That’s more of good news to us yet
there are still some who are still hesitant to apply for a UK visa for the fear
of rejection.
When I applied last year for the
visa, I didn’t really encounter any significant difficulties with the whole
process of the application. But I did a lot of preparation before submitting
the required documents at hand. It helps that you go through the documents
individually and try to analyze it yourself, or have someone check it for you. Try
to be more scrutinizing than your usual dealings. Consider it life and death situation.
Think of the amount of money you would shell out for the visa fee and the missed meals you have over the years just to save money! Think of your future! think of One Direction
and Spice girls! Try to make it in just one shot or else! (Okay I’m over reacting already)
Kidding aside, on a personal note,
honesty I think is still the best policy when it comes to applying for any visa
and it is worth mentioning that Filipinos should always state their true
intentions when visiting the UK or any other countries. For instance, those who
want to see their relatives in the UK should apply for a family visitor visa,
instead of a general visitor visa, which is mainly for tourism purposes. Or if
you’re applying for student visa, have all your supporting documents ready and
make sure everything has been covered in the Philippines and your
university/college in England just before heading to VFS for submission. It
also helps if you have direct contact with your sponsor just in case you will
have issues along the way. One tip, during the interview for the student
application, I’ve noticed that it’s better to state that you do not plan to
take up work while studying unless you’re asked if you would consider that while
in the UK. Try not to make an impression that you do care about working there,
(believe me they could be quite nosy about it during the interview) as they are
aware of the schemes that are using student visa to be just stepping stone for
UK immigration. Try to focus on the education goal at the time of the
application and you’ll be on the right path.
I’ve highlighted below the most
common reasons why some Filipinos fail to get a UK visa:
- Adverse immigration history (ban, deportation, unfinished contracts, any pending criminal cases)
- Applying for the wrong type of visa
To cater for the growing demand
there have been a number of enhancements to the UK visa service in the
Philippines to improve the customer experience and make the journey to the UK
an easier one.
These include:
- A bigger and better visa application centre in Manila with more facilities and GREAT campaign branding to highlight the best that Britain has to offer.
- A new international visa enquiry
centre
- A visa application centre in Cebu City to cater for customers in the Visayas and nearby regions
- A premium lounge for a more personalised and streamlined service
- An optional priority visa service that returns visa decisions within 3 – 5 working days
- A Prime Time service for those who need the convenience of an out of hours appointment
- A Passport Passback service for those who may need to travel or apply for another visa whilst their UK one is being processed.
- A visa application centre in Cebu City to cater for customers in the Visayas and nearby regions
- A premium lounge for a more personalised and streamlined service
- An optional priority visa service that returns visa decisions within 3 – 5 working days
- A Prime Time service for those who need the convenience of an out of hours appointment
- A Passport Passback service for those who may need to travel or apply for another visa whilst their UK one is being processed.
After braving the application you
just need to pray and think positively for the outcome. Sure the waiting time is more of a torture for you, but no need to stress
yourself that much. Believe it or not, I went for a vacation to
my hometown in the Visayas when I was waiting for the visa, that way I didn’t
feel much of the tension because I kept myself busy and try to as much as
possible not to think about it. Because whether you’re successful or not, there
would always be better plans for you. Sometimes we just have to keep the faith and entrust ourselves to our destiny.
More Information on UK visa
requirements and how to apply is at the UK Visas and Immigration website HERE.
" It has been said that a pretty
face is a passport. But it's not, it's a visa, and it runs out fast."
Julie Burchill
0 comments