unemployed and just married

[whiteraven]

hi folks,just got back freom davao spent three weeks for the second time and managed to get married just before returning(which wasnt easy had to find a friendly pastor in the end). to cut a long story short i have been unemployed for nearly two years as i had to give up work to care for my late wife and then look after my youngest son as a single parent. ive told my filipina wife im afraid to make a visa application at this time as i only have enough money for that and her airfare getting here,if im turned down i dont know how long it will be before i can afford to do it again.with the current climate it could be a long time before im back in full time work although im almost wiling to do anything at this point to get her here. i miss her very much and she cries sometimes when we are online to think it could be a very long time before we meet again.if anyone has any advice or similar stories i would like to hear from them. ive posted a few new wedding pics in the gallery. best wishes ian and maria bella.:bigcry:

[kimmi]

hi Ian and Maria Bella,

First of all, Congratulations on ur wedding..Dont worry too much on her visa application just make sure u prepare all the documents needed and gather lots of evidences of ur relationship I am sure everything will be ok..

Goodluck and Congratz again..:)

[whiteraven]

thanks kimmi, much appreciated.:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[KeithD]

You can still get her here if you're on benefits, as long as you can prove you have enough spare cash to support her......

[whiteraven]

better start saving then!!!!!!!:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[joebloggs]

possible while on benefits, but not easy at all, more likely to get a refusal.

what benefits are you claiming ?

have you any savings ?

do you own your own home, or rent ?

[whiteraven]

currently on income support,housing and child tax. soon to be back on jobseekers as children now old enough. renting from housing association. rules seem unfair as my income is higher now than when i worked shifts for 25 yrs in the same factory:doh

[whiteraven]

two trips to phil this year,just current account left:omg:

[joebloggs]

accommodation shouldn't be a problem then, copy of tenancy agreement should be provided. If the applicant is not a signatory to the tenancy agreement, then an additional statement from the landlord (or estate agent) should be provided that attests to his agreement that the premises will be occupied by an additional person. If an existing tenancy agreement is to be used, it should have at least six months before expiry. If the tenancy agreement does not have at least six months before expiry, then an additional statement from the landlord showing intent to renew at the same terms should be provided. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

savings, is it possible you can borrow £2000+ from family or friends for the next 6months?? and leave it in your bank account until you have 6 bank statements, it would help with your app alot. or worse transfer it from a credit card to your current account, but means your paying interest, but once you have the 6 bank statements pay it off.

as for benefits, i take it you pay the reduced amount for the community charge, if your wife was there, you would have to pay the full amount :NoNo:. i think you need at least as a rough figure £94 a week after paying rent + utility bills for you. your kids and wife to live off. the thing is you have to make sure you do not claim any more in benefits because your wife is there..:NoNo:

evidence of a relationship you seem to, or should have already :xxgrinning--00xx3: pictures of wedding, phone bills, air tickets, letters, chat logs, hotel bills. if you don't have much start sending a few letters to each other.

i be more worried about lack of savings and a job, but a job would help your app a lot, on benefits it possible to get a spouse visa, even without savings, but i wouldn't risk it, they can say how can you support her without recourse to public funds if you don't have much money.. :cwm24:

[whiteraven]

wife has all the proof she needs for a relationship as you suggested plus firm tenancy agreement and a letter from the housing officer giving her leave to live with me. the £2000 will be a lot more difficult,maybe time to ask my old man for a xmas present:yikes: lol

[joebloggs]

I'm sure if you tell your family why you need it, maybe they will help you. its a loan for 6 months, it's not like your spending the money :D, no chance of my family helping me thou, i got a loan from the bank and another time i used my credit card to show i had savings :D

you really need a job thou, you could be lucky and get the visa while on benefits and no savings, but who knows if you would, can you afford to lose £500 for a failed visa app and also having to re-apply again, and worse the time all this could take, and the problems and heartache of being apart.

your better getting your app right the first time.. one you get your wife here, she could work nearly straight away to help you out. and if your working, you probably still be able to claim tax creds/ child care etc..

[Mrs Daddy]

best of luck whiteraven.dont worry too much let the worrying worry itself:D trust God and everything we`ll be alright dont lose hope as they said theres light at the end of a tunnel:) its not the other train approaching though (just kidding)God Bless:)

[whiteraven]

im not worried about myself but the strain it will put on my wife knowing it could be as much as a year before we meet again.thanks for the kind words mrs daddy.

[simplicity]

hi folks,just got back freom davao spent three weeks for the second time and managed to get married just before returning(which wasnt easy had to find a friendly pastor in the end). to cut a long story short i have been unemployed for nearly two years as i had to give up work to care for my late wife and then look after my youngest son as a single parent. ive told my filipina wife im afraid to make a visa application at this time as i only have enough money for that and her airfare getting here,if im turned down i dont know how long it will be before i can afford to do it again.with the current climate it could be a long time before im back in full time work although im almost wiling to do anything at this point to get her here. i miss her very much and she cries sometimes when we are online to think it could be a very long time before we meet again.if anyone has any advice or similar stories i would like to hear from them. ive posted a few new wedding pics in the gallery. best wishes ian and maria bella.:bigcry:

best wishes whiteraven...my husband is on benefits and with God's blessings our application for spouse visa was been granted last week..be sure that you have enough savings in the bank and assure the ECO that you wife will be working when she will be there so that she will not be recourse to public funds...i submitted an e-mail of my potential job offer and i also submitted my college diploma, transcript of records, my certificate of completion in my short term caregiver course,and my OJT certificates...just submit all the necessary documents that are needed...and most of all trust in God bcos He works in a mysterious way..

[whiteraven]

didnt think of adding her college diploma thanks for that. hope you make it here for christmas:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[KeithD]

.....trust God....
I'll take a stab in the dark here, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't work at the visa office in Manila! :rolleyes:


im not worried about myself but the strain it will put on my wife knowing it could be as much as a year before we meet again.....
Not wanting to sound like a complete git (although I'm already one :D), but why did you not have everything in place before the marriage? :Erm:

[Piamed]

All the best Whiteraven. Waiting is not easy but we've all had to do it one way or another. You'll get through this.

[Mrs.JMajor]

I'll take a stab in the dark here, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't work at the visa office in Manila! :rolleyes: :Erm:

:icon_lol::icon_lol:

[whiteraven]

as ive explained being forced out of work for two years hasnt made things easy for me financially and my previous marriage only lasted one year before she died. we decided to get married early as a visitors visa seemed like a waste of time and money. if we all waited until the right time then most of us wouldnt get married. ive just spoken to my good lady wife and she has asked me not to get too stressed out about this as she will wait as long as it takes. as for the embassy in manila ive learned far more from here than they have been prepared to tell me. thanks all for your support:)

[Mrs Daddy]

im not worried about myself but the strain it will put on my wife knowing it could be as much as a year before we meet again.thanks for the kind words mrs daddy.

patience is virtue my dear friend:)

[simplelife]

im not worried about myself but the strain it will put on my wife knowing it could be as much as a year before we meet again.thanks for the kind words mrs daddy.

Hi Whiteraven,
Days will fly by believe me, one year is not that long. Your beautiful wife can do things here in the Philippines to keep her occupied. I know some people here who not seeing her husband for more than a year.
I`ve been waiting for nearly six years now to be able us to get married and start our life together permanently. Yes of course we meet at least twice a year and the longest period we do not see each other is six months.
It hurts saying goodbye when you have to seperate temporarily, but if you do love each other distance doesnt matter what matters most is that your honesty and trust that the relationship to work out.
Goodluck to you.

[whiteraven]

she has waited this long to find a husband like me :D, so im sure we can both wait as long as it takes.ty simplelife:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[jta]

hi whiteraven,

just want to share to u, a guy in wales managed to get his wife even though his bank account was negative..he even stated in his sponsor letter that his money used for visa payment was a loan but he owns a house, has a job but not a high paid 1...another guy he is in benefits but still he manage to get his wife... For me in applying for spouse visa, it's a matter of genuinity of relationship, completeness of documents to be submitted and braveness to gamble for visa payment...be positive and just keep moving...goodluck

[whiteraven]

depends on the mood of the officer reading the application at the time i suppose:D thanks for that.

[joebloggs]

depends on the mood of the officer reading the application at the time i suppose:D thanks for that.

thats so true, much of it does come down to the ECO's view of your visa app, especially when its a borderline case

another thing to do is a budget of all your out goings (bills, rent, food etc) to hopefully show you do have enough money to support her without recourse to public funds..


simplelife you waited near 6yrs :doh, as bad as me, it took more than 2 1/2yrs of chatting to go and visit her for the first time, and if i had not been made redundany then, she might still be waiting nearly 8yrs since we first chatted :D

time does go quick thou, my misses has been in the uk nearly 4 yrs now :Help1: you would have to wait probably 3 or 4 months even if you have everything ready now.. visa process is so slow :NoNo:

[simplelife]

thats so true, much of it does come down to the ECO's view of your visa app, especially when its a borderline case
simplelife you waited near 6yrs :doh, as bad as me, it took more than 2 1/2yrs of chatting to go and visit her for the first time, and if i had not been made redundany then, she might still be waiting nearly 8yrs since we first chatted :D

time does go quick thou, my misses has been in the uk nearly 4 yrs now :Help1: you would have to wait probably 3 or 4 months even if you have everything ready now.. visa process is so slow :NoNo:

yes Mod. Jo, "true love waits " as the saying goes and have no regret as we love each other more each day.

I just wondered if I can apply for unmarried partner visa or Fiancee visa, I just realised that within that period of time we lived together as a man and wife for more than two years in total. I ve been to UK 3 times and he`s been here in the Philippines 7 times.

[jackmac452]

Hello Whiteraven...Sorry to hear about your circumstances....if fact I find myself in the same boat. My missus has just had a baby (2 months old now) and when I came back to the UK. I was made redundant (with no pay...ouch that hurt me)...being 59 now I cannot even hope to find work now here in the UK.. Nisa is still in the Filipines and now she has had to back to live with nanay in Limasawa...the worst part is..sending a little bit of money each month I save from my dole money..it's just not enough for them both.....but fortunately...she is a wonderful lady and she understands the predicament I find myself in. It's tough my friend, no ready made solutions I'm afraid..the pound is falling to 71 peso's now...My thoughts go out to you and your missus...I hope that you find the strength to get through it all together....Good luck my friend...take care..let us all know how you go on.....

[ginapeterb]

I have been reading this thread recently, and I have noted the contents Joe makes i his post, and I think he is spot on, with his advice, not having a job can cause problems when it comes to applying for spouse visa's.

I know Keith often relates on the forum that its possible to get a visa approved for your spouse/fiancee when on benefits, but I have yet to hear of this happening, although I think someone recently said on the forum that there husband/partner, had in fact been on benefits when she applied and was granted.

With the Global economic slowdown and the number of manufacturing and service sector jobs declining, I feel for all those out there who are worried about their situations when it comes to applying for these visa's.

But it was always my understanding that those who are in receipt of public funds, could not expect to be sponsor's of foreign nationals, I know this may hit a nerve with some of you who are reading this, but Joe is right to say, that if you are in receipt of Income Support, Job Seekers allowance, which is only for 6 months in any event, and or other benefits related to unemployment, how can you expect to sponsor a foreign national to enter the United Kingdom to live on the same public funds.

To Whiteraven who made the original post on this thread, I would caution him against making any application at this time and wasting P50,000 or thereabouts, in my estimation, he runs the risk of loosing his money, and the risk that his wife's application will be declined, on account he has been unemployed for 2 years, unless of course he is fairly independantly wealthy, in that he has a substancial amount of capital in the form of savings and investments, that can produce an income to support his wife in the UK.

With interest savers rates running pretty low, at present, even on amounts of £500.000 or more, some quoted as low as 1.8 per cent, offshore, one would have to have a fair amount of capital to secure an advantageous decision.

The only key that seems to open the door to a successful visa decision is a long term regular employed or self employed income.

I think readers should bare that in mind before moving to apply, I am not familiar myself with what benefits are acceptable to support an application as sponsor, but maybe someone else knows for a fact what those benefits are.

When you fill in the VAFW2004 etc, I assume their is a section on public funds, and I am pretty sure it asks the question is your sponsor in receipt of the following benefits, and there is a list.

I wish everyone the best of luck with their applications. in any event, but would advise some to exercise caution before committing to paying the visa fee.

[KeithD]

I know Keith often relates on the forum that its possible to get a visa approved for your spouse/fiancee when on benefits......
I know of 3....one was me :)

[darren-b]

If you read the rules they states that "There is no objection to the British citizen/settled sponsor receiving any public funds to which he/she is entitled in his/her own right. The important factor to consider is whether there will be a need for the sponsor to claim additional public funds to support the applicant. The fact that an applicant may not be eligible to claim public funds is not in itself sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the Rules."

So there is no reason why someone on public funds can't sponsor someone, so long as they have enough money to adequately maintain both themselves and their partner without claiming any additional public funds. I guess it would be unusual but it can and does happen.

[ginapeterb]

Darren makes a good point, however, I personally witnessed a co-Brit in Manila back in 2005, who was fiancee was declined a visa, even though he felt he could prove that he could support the fiancee without the need to claim additional funds.

The guy was called Kenny, we stood together all day outside chatting, he admitted to me he lived on Income support, and did not pay any council tax, or other taxes, he was called in to see the ECO, and about 1 hour later came out and said, they had been declined, the reason given, was insufficient income to support a.n.other.

I think one shoe does not fit all, each case then is taken on the merits of the case, however I stand by my experience which says, those who do manage to secure visa's for their fiancee's on public funds, are few and far between, notwithstanding that Keith is one of them, showing that in that case, its not impossible, but rather unlikely, or say a slim chance.

[whiteraven]

ive already decided not to make an application until im on a better footing however long it takes. my wife has already said she is prepared to wait even if it takes a year or more,just goes to show i made the right choice in marrying this lady:) thanks for all your advice and support.

[whiteraven]

jackmac452 i feel you must be in a harder position than me and wish you all the best for the future.

[jackmac452]

Thank you my friend.....listen..please dont give up....today my old boss brought me an application form for my old job back on the NHS..out of the blue..so things do happen for us....yes it is hard.....but sshhhh..in 6 months time..I get Pension credits and then I'm off...we can live easily on the 130 quid a week where we will be going...hehehehe good luck my friend for the future..these Filipino ladies are wonderful and very Loyal (all the ones I have met in China are)..take care...by the way..my Avatar is not me..it's my new born son...He looks just like his dad....Gwapo..and wrinkly...hehehehe..but they all call him "The American Baby" in Limasawa... bloody insult that...hmmmm...just kidding..

[KeithD]

...we can live easily on the 130 quid a week where we will be going.....
:omg: That's the weekly fish bill in my house.....and I don't eat fish! :cwm24:

[whiteraven]

glad to hear all is going well, i would love to move out there myself but have three sprogs here already:D these ladies are the most loyal i have ever met and loving. i get fed up with being called american and people calling me joe in the street to when im out there:angry:
just a thought but i will be fifty next xmas and have been told i can take a tax free lump sum out,if i put that in the visa application do you think that would help?

[whiteraven]

was referring to personal pension sorry.

[jackmac452]

I don't know about the tax free lump sum...but the way we will be doing it..is..I get a two year business visa for China (already have one.) and going back to Shenzhen and living in the Filipino community there. Nisa will work (you cannot stop her) and together we'll be bringing in 8500+ plus yuans....more than enough to get a nice appartment and send junior to Kindergarten (I want him to be able to speak.Tagalog/ Vasayan..English and Mandarin....most Pinoy kids out there can do that) it will give him a good start that he cannot get here or maybe in Filipines. I was told you cannot get work in Filipines, but lots out in HK. or you can teach English in Shenzhen like I did. 7 quid and hour...My son is 23 and he has gone out there now and is getting married there to his Filipino G/F. He loves the place....Anyway..it was just a thought...Good luck my friend..

[jackmac452]

8,500+ Yuans a month....

[jackmac452]

Ahhh..the personal pension....just like mine, in 10 months time....yes..it can be taken out there, the best way I have found is join the Nationwide Building Soc. and get it put in a Cash card account...you then can use the card anywhere in the world......anywhere... and Pay NO FEE'S on your withdrawl's...and you can take out as much as you want (up to 300 quid a day) best to manage it online though...I used mine for 2 years in Guangzhou and HK. and never had any problems at ALL !!! and we used it in Manila also with no problems (use the main banks though) hope this helps you mate..

[whiteraven]

gives me plenty to think about,all the best to you and yours:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[PeterB]

...i will be fifty next xmas and have been told i can take a tax free lump sum out

You can indeed! I combined all my personal pensions and put the funds into a SIPP draw-down fund last year. At the same time I took 25% of the non-protected rights fund as a tax-free lump sum.

It's annoying that the current financial crisis has reduced the value of my SIPP by 60%.

[PeterB]

... the best way I have found is join the Nationwide Building Soc. and get it put in a Cash card account...you then can use the card anywhere in the world......anywhere...

Just be aware that, when your card expires, Nationwide will not send the replacement to you (not in Phils, anyway). For the last six months I've not been able to use a card on my Nationwide account.

Many other banks will send cards to Phils - I have received BoS and MBNA cards since I've been here. I'm not sure why Nationwide have this petty restriction. Since I no longer have an address in UK, the only way I can obtain my card is to pay a visit to my 'nearest' branch. Now, who can tell me where my nearest Nationwide branch is?

[jackmac452]

Ahh..yes of course..I forgot to mention that...my card went to my daughters house and she passed it on to me (her address is on my Internet account now)....I've just got mine for Aug.2011...good point though. Nearest Branch?.... Dover???

[PeterB]

Passed it on to you? I've just been looking at the terms of international courier companies, and most appear to prohibit the sending of bank cards.

[jackmac452]

Hmm.. PeterB.. I still live in the UK.. hehehe..it will be going with me..and the next one she gets will come in a registered letter along with photo's etc...I'm registered at her house for my social payments etc. Oh how the (small) mighty have fallen...from owning my own company to state benefits....but I'm happy...not upset or angry...it's all in the game...I just worry about my loves though....

[somebody]

Just be aware that, when your card expires, Nationwide will not send the replacement to you (not in Phils, anyway). For the last six months I've not been able to use a card on my Nationwide account.

Many other banks will send cards to Phils - I have received BoS and MBNA cards since I've been here. I'm not sure why Nationwide have this petty restriction. Since I no longer have an address in UK, the only way I can obtain my card is to pay a visit to my 'nearest' branch. Now, who can tell me where my nearest Nationwide branch is?


Next to the Jolibee init:Erm:

[kermit123]

thats so true, much of it does come down to the ECO's view of your visa app, especially when its a borderline case

another thing to do is a budget of all your out goings (bills, rent, food etc) to hopefully show you do have enough money to support her without recourse to public funds..


simplelife you waited near 6yrs :doh, as bad as me, it took more than 2 1/2yrs of chatting to go and visit her for the first time, and if i had not been made redundany then, she might still be waiting nearly 8yrs since we first chatted :D

time does go quick thou, my misses has been in the uk nearly 4 yrs now :Help1: you would have to wait probably 3 or 4 months even if you have everything ready now.. visa process is so slow :NoNo:i been waiting 33 years for my wife (sould have gone to philippines when i was younger ):rolleyes: and shes not getting away now lol:xxgrinning--00xx3:she allways complains about the chains but i said dont run away and ill take em off lol:rolleyes: gaz/maybs