Immigration Blog

Beginning of your visa journey

So, you have finally met the woman or man of your dreams and, after communicating through online and telephone conversations, decided to arrange your first face-to-face meeting? Congratulations! It is always exciting to spend time together in person with a soul mate from another country to cement the relationship that can lead to marriage. So, where do you go from here?

There are a number of visa options that may apply to your specific situation, and it can be difficult to determine which visa you or your loved one should attempt to pursue. A lot depends on your individual circumstances and ability to travel to each other countries and, in some cases, a different country where you could meet for the first time.

Bringing your loved one to your country for a visit

If you live in England, Australia, Canada or New Zealand, the strategy for bringing your fiancée to your home country for a short visit can backfire because visitor visas to any English-speaking countries are, by nature, quite difficult to obtain, particularly for those from countries with low standards of living.

For a foreign national, the process of obtaining a temporary visa for entry into an English-speaking country is complicated by their need to prove they do not intend to become an immigrant and remain in the country indefinitely. The adjudicating consular officials must be satisfied that your fiancée intends to stay in your country for a short period of time, and this will be difficult to establish if there is an existing romantic relationship between the two of you.

On balance, considering all personal and financial circumstances, the Embassy officials may assume there is a real likelihood that your loved one may be unwilling to return to her home country at the end of any period of stay granted to her, and has every intention of remaining in your country permanently. The consular officials may further assume that your fiancée will attempt to change or extend her temporary visa status to stay with you after the expiry of any initial period during which she might be authorised to remain in your country after entry.

Unfortunately, this presumption may be extremely difficult to overcome in most cases, and applying for a visitor visa often proves to be a waste of time and money.

Arranging a visa for you to travel to her country

Applying for a visitor visa for you to travel to your fiancée’s country may be a wiser approach. Typically, this involves submitting numerous visa application forms and supporting documents to the appropriate Embassy or Consulate that has jurisdiction over your country of normal residence. While the rules may be strict, obtaining a visitor visa for entry into the country where your loved one lives is by no means impossible. By becoming familiar with the visa process, including the basic visa requirements, necessary forms, and types of supporting documentation you may have to provide, you improve your chances of success.

Meeting in a different country

The extensive requirements for visitor visas for entry into English-speaking countries, and some other countries, make the application process quite time-consuming and complex. For this reason, some couples try instead to obtain visas to meet in a third country. For instance, you could arrange a trip for you and your loved one to meet in a country with more liberal immigration policies. Many couples meet for the first time in such countries as Turkey, Mexico, Thailand, Dominican Republic, UAE, and Egypt. Typically, visas to these countries are relatively easy to obtain for both parties.

In some cases, it is possible to arrange the first face-to-face meeting in one of the Schengen countries, such as France, Italy, Greece, Spain, or Germany for example. You, as a British, Canadian, Australian, or New Zealand citizen, are probably exempt from immigration control and strict visa requirements to gain entry into these countries. As for obtaining a visa for your fiancée, one is likely to be issued due to the fact that neither you nor your fiancée has any intent to remain in your country of mutual choice on a permanent basis, and that in fact, you can later sponsor your loved one for a prospective marriage visa to bring her to your country. Therefore, the consular officials processing your fiancée’s visitor visa application will be less concerned that she may be unwilling to return to her own country after a short trip to Europe.