Philippine gf want to visit me in the UK, what type of visa does she need to get?

[njviln]

I am a UK national and me and my girlfriend from the Philippines wants to visit me in the UK for the 6 months allowed, but we cant seem to find which visa she needs to apply to get.

Of course i will pay for all her needs in the UK and also pay for her ticket, there is no problem in that, but UK government websites can be a bit confusing.

Can anyone help me out on what she should apply to get?

[ALKB]

I am a UK national and me and my girlfriend from the Philippines wants to visit me in the UK for the 6 months allowed, but we cant seem to find which visa she needs to apply to get.

Of course i will pay for all her needs in the UK and also pay for her ticket, there is no problem in that, but UK government websites can be a bit confusing.

Can anyone help me out on what she should apply to get?

For visiting, she will need a visitor visa.

https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa

[njviln]

Will that 'standard-visitor-visa' last for 6 months?

[alterhase58]

I understand the "validity" if the visitor visa is six month, however in the application she will also be asked how long she intends to stay.
If it's a first time application without any previous visa history it may be prudent to go for a shorter visit than six months, and leave on the end date stated - the main concern will always be whether visitor will actually leave the UK, so showing ties to home country, such as job or property should be part of the application. Stating "six months visit" and "bf/gf relationship" may invite further questioning. This is from my reading of postings here - others might provide more insights.

[secret.simon]

I am inclined to agree with @alterhase58 that while the validity of the visa is six months, an actual stay of six months will be looked at askance by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO).

Also, the fact that she has a British boyfriend will almost certainly cause the application to get closer scrutiny.

All visitors are expected to demonstrate that they have strong social and economic ties to their country of origin, to at least give the impression that they will return to that country at the end of their visit to the UK. If she has a British boyfriend who is likely to look after her in the UK, that will create an impression that she is likely to overstay illegally in the UK and she will need to provide stronger evidence that she will return to her country of origin at the end of her visit.

Also, just in case you were wondering, she can not convert a visit visa into any other visa while she is in the UK and the two of you will not be able to get married legally while she is in the UK on a visit visa. Even after marriage, she will need to return to her country of origin in order to apply for a spousal visa and then return to the UK after such a visa has been granted.

[njviln]

In the last 3 years she has gotten 2 work visa to visit 2 different countries and she obeyed those return dates. I know a work visa is different from a visitors visa, but it shows she can obey those rules, and she has a daughter back in the Philippines, which also want to get back to, which is another plus for me.

[ALKB]

In the last 3 years she has gotten 2 work visa to visit 2 different countries and she obeyed those return dates. I know a work visa is different from a visitors visa, but it shows she can obey those rules, and she has a daughter back in the Philippines, which also want to get back to, which is another plus for me.

A daughter she has to return to is definitely good. Although, did she leave the daughter behind while working abroad? For how long did she work outside her home country?

HO looks at whether somebody is a genuine visitor and will return home after the visit. If your girlfriend can stay away from home for six months at a stretch, she may not appear to have a whole lot of pressing responsibilities to return to.

It might be a better idea to plan for a two months visit when applying for a first visitor visa. By the way, staying longer than stated in the application, without good reason (proven medical emergency, no flights due to pandemic, etc.) can lead to future visitor visas being declined.

[njviln]

Each time she worked abroad was for 1 year, and she left her daughter with her mom.