UK VISAS

I can't help you with the procedure of another countries visa. But as for the uk visa process, here are some tips.

1. Tell your partner to keep all the letters (including envelopes) you send her.
2. Make sure you have 3 to 6 months of bank statements to hand before the application.
3. If you are a homeowner have your deeds handy.
4. If you rent then have a letter from your landlord saying it's ok for your partner to stay with you.
5. If you work then have your salary slips available.
6. If you're unemployed, have proof of benefits. (Unfortunately if your income is too low you will most likely be rejected as you have to prove you can support your partner without claiming any more public funds for him/her.) A way round this is to get letters from family members (saying they will help support you) along with their bank statements. Due to illness I recieve Income Support and D.L.A. This was deemed acceptable and my 'then' fiancee was granted her visa.
7. Include pictures of you together with your partner.
8. Write a letter of invitation

If all of the above are followed then a finacee visa shouldn't be a problem. A few years back my wife was refused a visit visa, she wasn't my wife then of course but she was refused on 3 points. She mentioned looking for work (A BIG NO NO on a visit visa) I mentioned she was having problems at home in my invitation letter (ANOTHER BIG NO NO) They said that she had weak family ties which led them to believe she wouldn't leave the uk and would become an illegal immigrant. The final reason for refusal was just a document problem which wasn't our fault.

NOTICE TO SPONSORS OF FIANCEE OR SPOUSE VISAS FOR THEIR PARTNERS

If you are successful in your application, whatever you do DON'T just buy the ticket for the following Day. Your fiancee/spouse must attend a seminar and have her passport stamped. Nobody informed us of this, not even the Visa people so my partner had 2 trips through the seemingly endless security checks at Manila airport, the first time being refused at check in.

MATCH.COM

There are so many dating sites to choose from these days. Personally, I met my wife at www.elitemate.com. However, I would like to recommend match.com for a thorough dating experience. It provides a professional service and gives good safety tips for online dating. That is why I have placed their advert on this blog. Please click the match.com ad on the right if you are interested.

PLEASE SEE MY EARLIER POSTS FOR ANTI-SCAM TIPS

Send money to loved ones

With Xoom you can send money to family, friends or your online dates and unlike western union Xoom requires ID for pickups or account details for deposits. So this method of sending money is another way of proving the identity of the person you are dating.

With xoom you can send money to :-

Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, United States, Uraguay and Vietnam.

All payments are sent securely and can be tracked. So if you want to send money to loved ones in any of the above countries then please click the XOOM advert on the right hand side of this page.

I regularly sent money with no problems whatsoever to my online date who is now my wife. I also used xoom to pay foreigners for ebay items as xoom also accepts PAYPAL.

Safety Tips

After getting through the early stages of a new romance, your first meeting will be imminent. My advice is, even if you completely trust the person you have met. You should arrange the meeting in a public place and preferably with a chaparone. You should also let friends and family know about the date and if possible have them talk to the person prior to a meeting. It's always good to have some feedback from loved ones.

You make think it's only women who need to be precautious when meeting online dates. If so then you are wrong. I recently read about an Australian man who travelled to Africa to meet what he though was the woman of his dreams. He was met and taken captive by a group of men and was held for ransom. He was beaten with a MACHETE and was lucky to come out of the ordeal alive. So all you men reading this TAKE NOTE!!!

Beware of Fraudulent Emails

Aside from fake love interests, online dating is also a playground for other scams.

You may get an email which is something like this:-

Dear Sir/Madam

I am the son/daughter/benefactor of Doctor M Mudhabi, who recently passed away. He left in his wake the sum of $10,000,000 to which I am the sole inheritor. The problem is that I am a minor and the only way I can receive the money is for a sponsor to have the money paid into his/her account. If you help me I will let you keep $5,000,000. Please get back to me as a matter of urgency.

Please email I_AM_A_SCAMMER@YAHOO.COM

I think the above 'example' email says it all really, but some people are too trusting and hopefully this information will help them steer clear of such scams.

Find Love

Online dating is nothing to be sneered at, and yes there is love to be found. I myself met my wife via online dating. I am British and she is Filipina. We met in January 2005. Prior to the meeting I was approached by several Russian women, all with beautiful photos speaking words of love, but they couldn't provide pictures of themselves with their families or valid addresses.

Please see my other posts on avoiding scams.

Online Dating - Other Anti-scam tips

Ask for your dates address, and send a present or flowers without telling them. Be sure to include your name so if the person has truthfully given you the correct address and receives it, they will know it's from you.

Online dating can be fun once you have performed all the nessecary checks to see that your partner is genuine.