Hi,
I applied to have a tourist visa for my girlfriend to visit me. We sent off all the info requested and just got noticed today that the application was refused. The reasons given where

Relationship History.
I have visited her last year for a week and now notice that the refusals listed stated 'A relationship must include a number of face to face meetings between the parties'. How do i prove we are in a relationship. I didnt take any photos of us together when I was there.

Obligation to return to home country.
How do i get this. If we ask here employer for this he will refuse and more than likely sack her.

Observe the conditions of the visa.
This is about over staying past visa and working. I have sponsored the trip and all cost will be paid by me but how do you confirm that she will leave after the visa has expired.

It looks as if ill have to visit John Ferris.
Thanks for all your help

Vincent

unfortunately the actions of a minority of filipinos has resulted in this situation. talk to john.

hi vincent!

relationship history is indeed very important - whether you are inviting her for a visit or to join you as your spouse later
~at least 2 face to face meetings, with pictures from your every meeting.
~postal letters, cards - emails and online chat histories or phonecall logs are unacceptable, so you must write each other letters regularly through post
~you both must write undertakings of your relationship history
~introduce her to your parents, let your parents write her a card, or her to them

obligation to return
~she must provide a strong evidence that she's returning after her trip, after all, it's a tourist visa, and an employment certificate is necessary
~maybe she can seek another employment, that of her friend or something, who can willingly issue her a certification, that she's employed for this long, receiving this much salary, and that she's expected in her job again after her vacation, at this specific date

observe the conditions of the visa
~there is a form, Letter of Invitation and Support, which you can download online. you have to fill them by hand, and have your signature authenticated by john ferris
~you can write an additional letter, addressed to the consul in manila, for your visa application, with assurances that you will make sure that the conditions of the visa will be strictly kept

i still have copies of the necessary forms, if you need help, just email me.

getting a tourist visa gets more and more difficult now. should you decide to get married in the future, it is best that you observe their requirements for relationship history as early as now. if she is your spouse, you have a better chance of getting approved, as family reunification is a right you can insist.

the process is going to be very difficult and frustrating, i know the feeling too well.

all the best to you!

~swann

Hi there,

Unfortunately, your failure to take pictures of yourselves together during your week in the Philippines will prove fatal to this application. If you wish to get your girlfriend over to Ireland on a tourist visa, I think it will be necessary for you to go back to the Philippines again and this time take photos. And in between times, as other folk on here have specified, write letters to each other, not just emails and phone calls etc.

Has your girlfriend ever worked abroad or broken the conditions of a previous travel visa to another country?

Steve

As stated by an earlier poster visitor's visas are becoming increasinglly difficult to obtain due to the abuse of visitor's visas in the past by Filiponos, unfortunately it is your girlfriend's fellow country men and women who are greatly to blame. However, there is another reason and that is to protect females from being trafficed into Ireland for sex, slavery or both.

one word. IGNORANT!
any basis?
any evidence?
your reason is out of this world. eh wala naman yan sa INIS.gov.ie eh.

to the author....
just seek the advise of john ferris.
evidences are necessary. not to mention the requirements for tourist visa application.
my advise,
just go through "visit visa application" and dropped your relationship out of the application.
maybe, naaprubahan siguro sya kung hindi mo na binanggit yung relationship. with complete finacial and employment history, i think maaprubahan yun. basta legal at maganda ang intensyon.

No, not ignorant, simply stating a fact, the reason for the increased scrutiny and high number of refusals is based on prior experience of Embassy staff. In fact the site administrator agrees, see above.

Your suggestion that the poster re-applies but omits relevant facts is not doing anyone any favours, the new application will be checked against previous applications and refusals and omitting facts will simply lead to another refusal and cause even more difficulties for future applicants. The Irish goverment has set out the criteria that must be met by visa applicants, if the criteria are not met the visa application will be refused. The best advice that can be given is, take what steps are necessary to meet the criteria and then re-apply.

Trafficing of women and girls from the Far East to Europe for sexual and other forms of exploitation is a fact, read the UN reports.