What thoughts have any of you guys on suggesting that the girl travels here, all expenses paid?
From a logistical point of view, it seems less complicated, or is it? (fellow brits), and can offer the girl especially if she likes to travel an opportunity to see a new country. Also, to get an idea of the feel of the place and culture living away albeit a short holiday from home. Or is this something that can only be realistically be offered when the partnership is more secure and you've been there first?
At the moment, I am committed and physically tied into my (online) work that I have no escape or backup if things go wrong. It's too difficult and specialised for a third party to resolve so I can't have the luxury as much as I would like of spending more than a day or two away which seems little time to travel abroad myself. That situation will improve in a few months time.
Thoughts?
I know I'd like a rich woman to whisk me off on a plane to god knows where for a week or so. :)
Derrick:
of course its a very tempting idea to arrange for your girl to come to you,but the rules will not allow that until you have made the first move to see her in her home country.There are certain circumstances that will allow your lady to travel on a tourist visa but as I'm sure you know they are very complicated and difficult to obtain.
I'm sure that many guys would take this route if it was a little easier than it is.And I understand about work commitments too pal,but beleive me it is not the smoothest path to tread.
A visit to the Foreign Office website will yield a great deal of info for you.
www.fco.gov.uk
......and if all else fails there is still the possibility of finding that "rich woman"..:))
The rules? I guess I have never experienced problems in travel before. You just jump on a plane and off you go. Thanks for the link, I'll take a read of the FCO after posting this. As I am still relatively new, I am not clued in with visa issues but if it's an idea that others have thought of but struggled with, then it's back to square one.
Its virtually impossible to get any FSU woman here until you have met her face to face in her country (Latvia is the exception as they have a reciprocal 90 day no visa required policy in both directions). And to be honest mate, if you had a daughter of say 22 to 28 would you be happy about her travelling to another continent 3000 miles from home to meet a man she didn't even know ?
Shengan visa`s only cover mainland Europe, the UK is Not in this lovely little arrangement. Getting a visa for the UK for an FSU woman, other than a fiance visa, for which you Must have already met her and even then these are not easy to get, is virtually impossible mate. I realise that bringing a lady here does on the face of it seem a good idea, but the BS and paperwork you Will encounter will very quickly change your mind for you !!!
Even getting a wife into our stupid country can be a nightmare !!! As I said in another threat, our stupid government will allow any lowlife, mugger, thief terrorist to walk right in, but the genuine ones get all the sh*t in the world thrown at them when they ask to come here !!!! It sucks, but sadly its a fact.
Do the right thing my friend, be a gent, bite the bullet and do the more honourable thing, go there to see her. In the short term it might appear its going to cost you, but if you look at the costs of the other route its gonna cost you a hell of a lot more, and take a Very long time, by which time she may have had someone else go there to her and you wont get a chance !!
No, she'd be locked up under lock and key never to set eyes on 'any' man ;)
I don't mind BS and paperwork if it's possible, but if there are prerequisites to doing that such as having met her first then I have no option. Sifting through the FCO has yielded little of use so far so any direct references would be appreciated. It was an idea where I don't have the luxury to disappear for a week or two at a time, even with a laptop but if I have to, then I'll have to even if all hell breaks lose back home.
You're right about gov. policies and attitudes to letting in respectable foreignors / visitors, in that case I'll just ask the girl to commit a few crimes :)
I feel a bit stuck in the short term and like you say, the longer something is left, the greater the chance that you lose it.