Joint bank account in Philippines

[Rubius]

Hi, I am a Canadian man hoping to open a joint account with my Girlfriend in the Philippines. We are hoping to apply for the conjugal visa and from what I have read on here we need to start gathering as much evidence of our relationship as possible.

I am unable to go to there to marry her or live with her and there is no longer a fiancee visa so this may be our only option.

 

[Rob_TO]

Hi, I am a Canadian man hoping to open a joint account with my Girlfriend in the Philippines. We are hoping to apply for the conjugal visa and from what I have read on here we need to start gathering as much evidence of our relationship as possible.

I am unable to go to there to marry her or live with her and there is no longer a fiancee visa so this may be our only option.

Have you spent much time together in person? With you not being able to visit there, and her not being able to visit here, proving conjugal (that you are both in a true marriage-like relationship for at least 1 year) in just a long distance relationship might be tough.

Other than joint bank account, you can also do:
- get supplementary/secondary credit card in her name
- get life insurance on each other
- you sending her money in Philippines

She would also need to prove that she applied for and was rejected for a TRV to visit Canada.

 

[scylla]

To prove conjugal, you will have to show that you have a "mutually interdependent relationship" and that you have been in this relationship for a minimum of 12 months. A joint bank account is a good start - but you'll need more. Are there any properties you can change to joint ownership? Do either of you have insurance policies where you can name the other person as a beneficiary?

Have you ever met in person?

 

[Rubius]

We haven't spent any time together at all. I can't leave my apartment most of the time, let alone the country. And we were told by others that there was no point in applying for a tourist visa as she doesn't have any money or a job anymore. I am willing to pay for her plane tickets and support her when she is here visiting but we were told by others that this would not be enough for the visitor visa. We want to spend time together. Live common-law for a year and apply then or even get married if all continues to go well. I have no idea what I am doing. I never expected to fall in love with someone online, someone so far away as well was even more surprising.

 

[scylla]

Opening a joint bank account typically requires both parties to be present. However it may be possible to get around this.

I would call HSBC to ask for advice since they have branches in Canada and I believe also operate in the Philippines.

 

[scylla]

As a first step she definitely needs to try applying for the TRV - even if the chances of refusal are high. If the TRV is refused, you'll then have to figure out what's next. But you need to start with the TRV attempt.

I'm not sure it's possible to have a conjugal application approved if you have never met.

 

[Rob_TO]

I'm not sure it's possible to have a conjugal application approved if you have never met.

I don't think it's possible either, to sponsor a spouse (conjugal or married) if you have never actually met in person. I don't think it's possible to establish a "marriage-like" relationship via online/phone only, and the potential for fraud in which the applicant is just using the sponsor for immigration purposes (not that this is the case here, but in general) is simply way too high.

 

[Mechie]

I agree with Rob_to if you have never met in person.There is no chance to get approved.