just a dream or reality?

[ticker]

if i decided to up roots and move from the uk to batangas to live with my filippino gf, what visa and financial requirments would i expect? i will have a small income of 400 pounds a month and 30 thousand pounds in savings, would this be acceptable by philippine rules, like i said before, is it just a dream i have.

[Tawi2]

Have you been before bearing in mind that a month long holiday is totally different from the gritty reality of spending a prolonged period of time there,as you said its just a dream but these sort of things can turn into nightmares.Four hundred quid a month at the moment is around 30 thousand pesos?Could you live on that?What about your health as you get older?Always think of the realities mate,your money,your life,your call,no one else can decide for you,the choice is always yours :)

[Arthur Little]

What about your health as you get older?Always think of the realities mate ...

:iagree: ... as an older person myself, I would urge you to think VERY carefully before making any rash decisions.

[miss.piggy]

Have you been before bearing in mind that a month long holiday is totally different from the gritty reality of spending a prolonged period of time there,as you said its just a dream but these sort of things can turn into nightmares.Four hundred quid a month at the moment is around 30 thousand pesos?Could you live on that?What about your health as you get older?Always think of the realities mate,your money,your life,your call,no one else can decide for you,the choice is always yours :)


:iagree: ... as an older person myself, I would urge you to think very carefully before making any rash decisions.

:iagree::iagree: and perhaps a long vacation spent in Batangas will give you the feel of what it's really like to be there. :) It's not just about the money -- it's also the way of life which you have to check on. :)

[ticker]

thanks for the reality check Tawi2, yes, i have been to the phils a number of times and know what to expect, my gf visa application was turned down, for reasons which baffle me, moving to the phils seems the only option open to us at the mo. Any thoughts on why i shoud or not purchase a house in the batangas area, always good to get outside views on things, thanks for your reply.

[Tawi2]

Why not marry your girlfriend :) You got 30K salted away,that will pay for a decent wedding,honeymoon for a week in Hong Kong and your still going to have 25'ish left :) Loads of people have the dream to retire there,but you have 10 years before thats going to happen,lots of things can change inside 10 years,she could be here then anyway and decide she wants to raise a family here,things change:)

[vbkelly]

if i decided to up roots and move from the uk to batangas to live with my filippino gf, what visa and financial requirments would i expect? i will have a small income of 400 pounds a month and 30 thousand pounds in savings, would this be acceptable by philippine rules, like i said before, is it just a dream i have.

hi ticker before you proceed your dream to live in phillipines firstly you need to stay for a couple of month there with your gf, second find it how much the costs of living every month i.e build your dream house, foods, house bills, and the important is the health care then and if you found out is good enough to live there will your free to make your own decision.

[bornatbirth]

why didnt you get the visa granted? :Erm:

just go and marry her and she will be here in no time :xxgrinning--00xx3:

until you see every advantage of both the uk and the philipines,i wouldnt up sticks.

i was thinking the same until i realised i like the uk more,you need to make sure you have a good backup plan incase things go wrong :Erm:

[whiteraven]

i have to agree with the comments already made, although you have enough money to make your move things could go pearshaped if your health takes a turn for the worse or your relationship breaks down and then there are complicated issues over your ownwership rights of any property bought over there.

[New Shoes]

I think £300 per month might be a little tight once you've taken off all the weekly/monthly living costs. I read a while ago (ie when the pound was worth more pesos than it is today) that £500 to 600 per month was a much better amount to live and to enjoy living in Phils.
So with that logic, £300 at todays value might be tight. For sure you could live on that but would you be able to live life and enjoy it?? Just a thought.....

[ticker]

thanks everyone for your advice, which as been taken on board, there are still major issues, one being, she's married, which we are in the process of annulment, yes, its difficult, something always rears it's ugly head, but, she's worth it, thanks again.

[Arthur Little]

i have to agree with the comments already made, although you have enough money to make your move things could go pearshaped if your health takes a turn for the worse or your relationship breaks down and then there are complicated issues over your ownwership rights of any property bought over there.

VERY :gp:s ... especially the healthcare consideration!

[somebody]

ANother point to bear is the pound may very well get much weaker before it gets stronger.

[cheesewiz]

if my savings now is enough to keep me going to phils or invest in a business i will and i am definitely stay there for good but im afraid not:NoNo: before thinking of living in the Phils again... it means need to work more harder and longer i suppose:rolleyes:

[donnabelvaldeo]

on my opinion, i think it will be better off to wait until her annulment finished, get married then apply for a visa for her. Base on my experience, though its nice to live here in the philippines because of it natural beauty, living here on a comfortable life is very hard to maintain. as other members here had said, you need to have around 500 - 600 pounds to live comfortably. The cost of medical treatment here is very expensive, though we have national health insurance(philhealth) it only cover 20% of the hospital bill excluding doctor's fee and medication. As of buying house, a decent house could cost as much as 30k pounds depends on your choice. So imagine if you only have 30k pounds saving, it will only go in buying a house. And if you happen to decide to sell the house in the future, because of the economic crisis that the philippines is experiencing, it will take time before a potential buyer can be found.
its best to have a long vacation to see what life is here in the philippines, then from that experience, you can decide.

Good luck.

[fred]

on my opinion, i think it will be better off to wait until her annulment finished, get married then apply for a visa for her. Base on my experience, though its nice to live here in the philippines because of it natural beauty, living here on a comfortable life is very hard to maintain. as other members here had said, you need to have around 500 - 600 pounds to live comfortably. The cost of medical treatment here is very expensive, though we have national health insurance(philhealth) it only cover 20% of the hospital bill excluding doctor's fee and medication. As of buying house, a decent house could cost as much as 30k pounds depends on your choice. So imagine if you only have 30k pounds saving, it will only go in buying a house. And if you happen to decide to sell the house in the future, because of the economic crisis that the philippines is experiencing, it will take time before a potential buyer can be found.
its best to have a long vacation to see what life is here in the philippines, then from that experience, you can decide.

Good luck.

Couple of points that may be a little misleading ..Sorry.

1.


The cost of medical treatment here is very expensive


Simply not true..Its so cheap that apart from Philhealth I have decided not to get involved with further medical insurance..Like most other Brits here,I would fly back to UK depending on how severe the situation is..
2.

because of the economic crisis that the philippines is experiencing

Crisis? What crisis?

[fred]

if i decided to up roots and move from the uk to batangas to live with my filippino gf, what visa and financial requirments would i expect? i will have a small income of 400 pounds a month and 30 thousand pounds in savings, would this be acceptable by philippine rules, like i said before, is it just a dream i have.


You can come here and simply stay with a series of visa tourist extentions for up to 2 years..No financial requirements required...
My advise would be to come over and rent a small apartment unit AWAY from her family..You will soon find out how far your 400 a month will go..Its doable but depends very much on the lifestyle you wish to live.. As long as you keep your 30k in the bank and dont touch it,I cant see the harm in you having a go at realising your dream..Hey..If you only last a month at least you can say you tried..
I know it sounds a little harsh and perhaps a little shallow of me but I must repeat this one point.. NOT WITH OR ANYWHERE NEAR HER FAMILY..Your 400 will last 4 days probably...
If you are lucky.:doh

[darren-b]

thanks everyone for your advice, which as been taken on board, there are still major issues, one being, she's married, which we are in the process of annulment, yes, its difficult, something always rears it's ugly head, but, she's worth it, thanks again.

Living in the Philippines with a married woman may not be a sensible thing to do for a foreigner.


Simply not true..Its so cheap that apart from Philhealth I have decided not to get involved with further medical insurance..Like most other Brits here,I would fly back to UK depending on how severe the situation is..

First issue is that you may be too ill to get back to the UK easily. Second issue is that if you are living outside of the UK for more than 6 months you may well be charged for healthcare in the UK.

[jonathan47]

trouble or beauty of the NHS depending on your point of view is they dont ask if you are entittled to treatment or not !!! ever been asked to show your passport or status before treatment ....!!!

[darren-b]

trouble or beauty of the NHS depending on your point of view is they dont ask if you are entittled to treatment or not !!! ever been asked to show your passport or status before treatment ....!!!

Not for emergency treatment, registering with a GP can be slightly different as many members on here have found out.

[joebloggs]

Living in the Philippines with a married woman may not be a sensible thing to do for a foreigner.



First issue is that you may be too ill to get back to the UK easily. Second issue is that if you are living outside of the UK for more than 6 months you may well be charged for healthcare in the UK.

right on both accounts :xxgrinning--00xx3:

but if you lived with her for 2yrs you could apply for a unmarried partner visa, you would need a lot of evidence, but as Darren has said, not a good idea living with a married woman in the phils thou.

and Fred, as soon as your moved from A&E, you might have to start paying for your treatment :cwm24:

[fred]

right on both accounts :xxgrinning--00xx3:

but if you lived with her for 2yrs you could apply for a unmarried partner visa, you would need a lot of evidence, but as Darren has said, not a good idea living with a married woman in the phils thou.

and Fred, as soon as your moved from A&E, you might have to start paying for your treatment :cwm24:

But Joe how could I? I am but a poor homeless pensioner with no savings or income with the odd disability here and there!! :bigcry:
There must be something that I'm entitled too surely?? :cwm24:

[fred]

First issue is that you may be too ill to get back to the UK easily. Second issue is that if you are living outside of the UK for more than 6 months you may well be charged for healthcare in the UK.There are always many many issues in life that make certain people afraid to realize their dreams..
Better just stay in a watch Eastenders eh!!

[JimOttley]

Living in the Philippines with a married woman may not be a sensible thing to do for a foreigner.


Yes, it might be worth pointing out why it's not sensible :)

Adultery is a an offence in the Phils punishable with a jail sentence for both the man and woman. If she doesn't have an annulment the estranged husband can
have you thrown in jail but more likely he will use this as a pretext to extort money from you.

Jim

[JimOttley]

if i decided to up roots and move from the uk to batangas to live with my filippino gf, what visa and financial requirments would i expect? i will have a small income of 400 pounds a month and 30 thousand pounds in savings, would this be acceptable by philippine rules, like i said before, is it just a dream i have.

400 quid would be tight, very tight and as others have said the pound could weaken, indeed the peso may even get stronger on it's own, I would not bet on things remaining the same as they are today for many years ahead.

Also you can not personally own property in the Phils, it's really the land you cannot own, so thinking of buying a place is a bad idea. The only thing you can get in your own name is a Condo because you are not buying the lot it stands on and I believe in reality what you are purchasing is just a 50 year lease on the Condo you don't have outright ownership.

Even after you eventually get married the above still applies to you personally, if you did buy a house and lot it would have to be in your wife's name and if anything happened to her, you would be at the mercy of her family who would inherit the property from her.

There are ways to have rights to a property assigned back to you but I think it's a bit of a legal minefield, to be honest.

Jim

[darren-b]

There are always many many issues in life that make certain people afraid to realize their dreams..
Better just stay in a watch Eastenders eh!!

My limited experience of Philippines healthcare has shown me it's the main thing I would want to have covered if/when we ever move to the Philippines as literally it can mean life or death. Never said it was an issue to stop ticker realising his dream, just that your solution may not work.

Personally I think of health tourists as being no different to benefit cheats.....

[Sim11UK]

There are always many many issues in life that make certain people afraid to realize their dreams..
Better just stay in a watch Eastenders eh!!

Have to agree with Fred here, I'm not saying you should just bury your head in the sand...sometimes you just have to get on with life...Nothing is guaranteed.

[jonathan47]

darren -b i was talking from a male members point of view who was/is british returning from a period away, its unlikely that he would be asked for evedence of his rights to treatment...even if he was asked for id ....imho

regards
jonathan

[Steve.r]

I worked in Saudi for 2 years with expat status, not Uk taxed. I decided to pay a nominal NI payment, as I remember, something like £7 a month to keep my NHS status as fully paid. I went to the local tax office to make sure this was correct before I went.

I am also thinking along the lines of settling in the Philippines too. A similar situation to Ticker. I am actively looking for work, as an engineer and teacher/lecturer I might be able to find something to keep me employed to pay the bills.

hth

steve

[jonathan47]

teaching english might be an option, tfel courses the have organisation and placement or set up on your own, you wont make much money but enough maybe to pay for day to day needs , food accomadation, i have a few ideas for when i retire to the philippines, some depend on my assests when i retire !!!

Jonathan

[darren-b]

darren -b i was talking from a male members point of view who was/is british returning from a period away, its unlikely that he would be asked for evedence of his rights to treatment...even if he was asked for id ....imho

regards
jonathan

Do you know this for certain though? I admit I hadn't been to my GP for almost 20 years and they re-accepted me with no questions - though I had nothing wrong with me (I went there to get my wife registered). But I can't comment what would have happened if I had an existing serious illness the first time I turned up there.

[tuft249]

you sound like you really want to be together so i would do like fred suggested renting a place i think your budget is fine. i stayed in tacloban for two months in a very cheap 3500 piso amonth aprt which wasnt luxury but ok .i also need annulment like yourself but she has a child which ex partner doesnt want to ever leave the phils.that was only my second ever visit to phils but after a few weeks i felt @home there.but two months is alot different from permanent. its worth trying it .without too much financial commitment.

[fred]

Personally I think of health tourists as being no different to benefit cheats..... I really do hope that you are not referring to me in that statement ..
I have paid my stamps since I was 16 with little or no hospital treatment thereafter ..If I want treatment in my home country then trust me...Ill get it!!
The NHS is not all that anyway..My father waited so long in a North London hospital "emergency ward" that he had his stroke there and then in the waiting area..It still took them another 30 mins for the ***** to see him..He died not long after that BTW..
It would be a pretty serious measure for me to resort to the NHS these days as I am fortunate enough to be able to afford treatment here or anywhere else in Asia for that matter..

Anyway..What are the Mitchell s up to these days?? Do they still own the Vic or what??

[darren-b]

My comment was aimed at any non-UK residents who believe if they visit the UK they are entitled to use the UK NHS for free. So if the cap fits....

BTW it doesn't matter how long you lived in the UK and how much you paid in 'stamps' in the past, entitlement to the NHS is based on current residency.

[justchecking]

hi, I just spent 14 months living with my (now) husband and daughter in the philippines - i renewed my visitor visa every 2 months (which needs budgeting, you can renew in laguna or manila from batangas though, so fairly simple) but we lived on around £350 a month - a small apartment, unfurnished, nothing at all fancy, used public transport and the local market - but for both me and my husband it was the most affluence we have ever experienced (I came back for my daughters education as private school was out of the question financially).

It seems there are some questions to ponder but I would suggest you ponder them over there with your lady - you could discuss them forever without ever getting close to an answer (I wasted nearly 8 years)- give yourself a time limit if it makes you feel better, go for 6 months, see how you feel and then decide about the next 6 months, after a year you'll have a much better idea of the issues - and probably a whole stack of new things to wonder about!
live life your way..........

[JimOttley]

My comment was aimed at any non-UK residents who believe if they visit the UK they are entitled to use the UK NHS for free. So if the cap fits....

BTW it doesn't matter how long you lived in the UK and how much you paid in 'stamps' in the past, entitlement to the NHS is based on current residency.

NIC's build up entitlement over time for example pension rights which are payable oversea's to non resident British Citizens.

NI was a system designed to entitle people to access to the NHS and to Unemployment benefits, Pension rights came later.

Many people living abroad will continue to pay voluntary NI contributions in the UK in order to retain full pension rights, so what exactly is different about the NHS?

It may be the rules but it's not morally right when someone has paid their dues over many many years for them to be refused treatment because they choose to live abroad for a few years.

If your home base has absolutely irrevocably changed then yes I can see your point but few people moving to the Philippines are going to cut themselves off from the UK that way, they may well still have taxable assets in the UK and may well still be paying tax in the UK on payments from their pension annuities and other investments etc.

So should they be refused treatment just becuase they have been out of the country for x length of time?


Jim

[fred]

NIC's build up entitlement over time for example pension rights which are payable oversea's to non resident British Citizens.

NI was a system designed to entitle people to access to the NHS and to Unemployment benefits, Pension rights came later.

Many people living abroad will continue to pay voluntary NI contributions in the UK in order to retain full pension rights, so what exactly is different about the NHS?

It may be the rules but it's not morally right when someone has paid their dues over many many years for them to be refused treatment because they choose to live abroad for a few years.

If your home base has absolutely irrevocably changed then yes I can see your point but few people moving to the Philippines are going to cut themselves off from the UK that way, they may well still have taxable assets in the UK and may well still be paying tax in the UK on payments from their pension annuities and other investments etc.

So should they be refused treatment just becuase they have been out of the country for x length of time?


Jim


Very well said Jim..You make far too much sense I'm afraid!

I decided long long ago to leave the UK as I felt completely cheated almost on a daily basis by those with an opinion not unlike those of Darren B.
It would be far better for me to have been born Polish so that I could have legitimately availed of almost any British social service without the requirement to have ever contributed even one Penny.
(and without fear of being called a cheat by an opinionated coward hiding behind his monitor and keyboard):xxparty-smiley-004:
Well sorry but I have just decided not to subscribe to these type of injustices and will now definately recoup some of the money that was stolen from me by the cheats in the British Government in recent years..Its much easier than you might think..
I have just decided to apply for my sons university grant that he not entitled to..For starters.
Darren B...Thank you for the inspiration.

[fred]

hi, I just spent 14 months living with my (now) husband and daughter in the philippines - i renewed my visitor visa every 2 months (which needs budgeting, you can renew in laguna or manila from batangas though, so fairly simple) but we lived on around £350 a month - a small apartment, unfurnished, nothing at all fancy, used public transport and the local market - but for both me and my husband it was the most affluence we have ever experienced (I came back for my daughters education as private school was out of the question financially).

It seems there are some questions to ponder but I would suggest you ponder them over there with your lady - you could discuss them forever without ever getting close to an answer (I wasted nearly 8 years)- give yourself a time limit if it makes you feel better, go for 6 months, see how you feel and then decide about the next 6 months, after a year you'll have a much better idea of the issues - and probably a whole stack of new things to wonder about!
live life your way..........

If you ever decided to return then you would be far better off with a 13a visa which is valid for 5 years..Only requirement is to report once a year and a 300PHP fee..
Cheers,

Fred.

[darren-b]

It may be the rules but it's not morally right when someone has paid their dues over many many years for them to be refused treatment because they choose to live abroad for a few years.

If your home base has absolutely irrevocably changed then yes I can see your point but few people moving to the Philippines are going to cut themselves off from the UK that way, they may well still have taxable assets in the UK and may well still be paying tax in the UK on payments from their pension annuities and other investments etc.

So should they be refused treatment just becuase they have been out of the country for x length of time?


So exactly how many years do you need to have been in the UK so that you should be able to live somewhere else and visit the UK and claim from the NHS for life? 5 years would get you British citizenship, is that enough? How about if you were born in the UK and only worked for a few years then left, is that enough? What about someone who has been out of the UK for 30 years? In some cases maybe the rules aren't morally correct, but unfortunately rules like this have to be black and white.


(and without fear of being called a cheat by an opinionated coward hiding behind his monitor and keyboard):xxparty-smiley-004:


My opinions are based on the law. Based on your thoughts it seems as I haven't got full value for the amount of taxes I've paid I ought to be claiming for things I am not entitled to.

BTW everyone on the internet is in 'hiding' including you.

[bornatbirth]

making friends fred :xxgrinning--00xx3:

it does a little strange that some leave the country and expect to get something back :Erm:

but it does seem a little unfair,after paying taxing that you can still claim your state pension when moving aboard but cant get nhs treatment after a certain amount of years :Erm: i cant see the problem myself.

[JimOttley]

So exactly how many years do you need to have been in the UK so that you should be able to live somewhere else and visit the UK and claim from the NHS for life? 5 years would get you British citizenship, is that enough? How about if you were born in the UK and only worked for a few years then left, is that enough? What about someone who has been out of the UK for 30 years? In some cases maybe the rules aren't morally correct, but unfortunately rules like this have to be black and white.

As I said if the home base has irrevocably changed, the person has sold up, has no UK taxable assets or business, has upped and left, then yes under current rules they should not really expect treatment as a tourist.

But I think in many cases the rules are not morally correct and certainly in the case of pensioners who have contributed all of their lives I think it is just wrong.

I think my problem with all this, is that I don't think the rules have to be black & white, rules like this are usually black & white because someone can't be bothered to think up something better.

I don't think retired pensioners should be refused treatment because they choose to retire abroad, they get their pension abroad so why should they not come home to get treatment now and then.

For the rest of us I think the one year limit is restrictive, if you are going to have charges they could be scaled on an accumulated contributions basis, that would be fairer to everyone. There are many different ways you could implement this, you could retain the arbitrary absence period but scale the charges on an accumulated contributions basis, or you could scale the allowed time out of the country based on contributions history, I'm sure people could think up many other ways that would be more in the spirit of the NI system.

Whenever people suggest things like this there is always the old "oh well, it's too hard to administer" argument, well it shouldn't be too hard, I mean how hard is it to do a bit of arithmetic, we have computers for that.

Just my thoughts.


Jim

[fred]

My opinions are based on the law.OK then...Here`s "the law"...

Are you taking up or resuming permanent residence in the UK?



Under the current Regulations, anyone who is taking up or resuming permanent residence in the UK is entitled to free National Health Service (NHS) hospital treatment in England. If your intention is to live permanently in the UK you will be exempt from hospital charges from the date of your arrival in the country but you should expect to be asked to prove your intention and that you are legally entitled to live here. This exemption applies to your spouse, civil partner and children (under the age of 16, or 19 if in further education) if they are living here with you on a permanent basis.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Entitlementsandcharges/OverseasVisitors/Browsable/DH_074376


OK..So if I should decide to return home to resume my UK residency as I am legally entitled and thereafter require FREE medical treatment how then would I be breaking the law?
Are you a solicitor? If not,what are your credentials to give me or other British nationals legal advice?



So exactly how many years do you need to have been in the UK so that you should be able to live somewhere else and visit the UK and claim from the NHS for life? 5 years would get you British citizenship, is that enough? How about if you were born in the UK and only worked for a few years then left, is that enough? What about someone who has been out of the UK for 30 years? In some cases maybe the rules aren't morally correct, but unfortunately rules like this have to be black and white.Your comments seem to be based on nothing but a mix of pure conjecture ,opinion and irrelevant questions that have nothing to do with the law or how it is structured.
Please be more specific as a few here have suggested to me that you are either a fraudulent keyboard lawyer or a Government immigration spy that has infiltrated this site for some reason.
Can you provide us clarity?

[darren-b]

If you moved back to the UK to resume your residency then I agree totally that you should be entitled to receive FREE medical treatment as soon as you arrive. But at no point have you stated that would be the case, in fact everythng you say suggests the opposite. Which means...

"If you move away from the UK permanently, you will no longer be entitled to medical treatment under normal NHS rules."

Not sure how you can claim my question about what it takes to get free healthcare for life was irrelevant. With immigration/emmigration to/from the UK happening more and more, and a greater number of people obtaining British citizenship/passports who weren't born here it is likely to be a bigger issue in the future.

I notice you choose to ignore my question about whether I ought to falsely claim benefits. By your admission you are now considering claiming something from the UK government you are not entitled to, which shows the sort of person you are.

[fred]

If you moved back to the UK to resume your residency then I agree totally that you should be entitled to receive FREE medical treatment as soon as you arrive. But at no point have you stated that would be the case, in fact everythng you say suggests the opposite. Which means...I resume my residency the second the plane lands..Its my right to do so and you have no idea about my intentions to stay..
Of course the situation could alter at which point I could leave at any point and resume my residency here.. No laws broken and I have received that of which I am fully entitled..
I will now give this advice freely to all British expats that are lucky enough to have retired old and young alike..Like me!

[fred]

I notice you choose to ignore my question about whether I ought to falsely claim benefits. By your admission you are now considering claiming something from the UK government you are not entitled to, which shows the sort of person you are.Actually I have just applied for the grant on behalf of my son ..
Turns out he`s perfectly entitled to that too..I had no idea!
I must admit..This conversation has really proved to be quite fruitful !!
I wonder what else I might be legally entitled to?? I`ll have to ask my Polish friend..He`ll know.

[darren-b]

I resume my residency the second the plane lands..Its my right to do so and you have no idea about my intentions to stay..
Of course the situation could alter at which point I could leave at any point and resume my residency here.. No laws broken and I have received that of which I am fully entitled..
I will now give this advice freely to all British expats that are lucky enough to have retired old and young alike..Like me!

Resuming it is one thing, proving it if required is different. Some PCTs won't even take owning a house in the UK as proof of residency, and some require you to have been resident for 6 months before you can register as a resident.


Actually I have just applied for the grant on behalf of my son ..
Turns out he`s perfectly entitled to that too..I had no idea!
I must admit..This conversation has really proved to be quite fruitful !!
I wonder what else I might be legally entitled to?? I`ll have to ask my Polish friend..He`ll know.

If your son is entitled to it and gets it then that's good for him. My arguement has never been about someone not being able to get something they are entitled to.

[jackmac452]

You could do what me and my missus are going to do..We're off back to live in China, so she can work and I'll look after Junior..I have the same amount saved as you and get just a bit more per month, but we found we could live very well there on that..Plus health care? we just walked in to the free clinic's on every main road there and get treated there and then (maybe different if big problem) we just made a small donation out of thankfulness for the treatment..plus..two teeth out = £7..in UK £147... Visa's (L Visa..standard tourist visa for one year is £90...not bad) but maybe thats not for everyone..just pointing out that there are alternatives to everything..Anyway, good luck mate and go for it whatever you do...dont be regreting not doing what you would like to have done and never having done it....