Arthur,!

I have read all your details included in the past posts and there is an almost identical situation re the finances. The big difference is i have no property. I once did of course and it was a nice house in Wimbledon, in the years when i spent my summer hols in Glen Isla, renting a house from Lord Inchcape! Things went pear shaped, as they say, when my first wife and i were divorced and the house ( a few years later to be sold by her for just under 1 million pounds) went to her.

I have lived the rest of my life abroad. 17 years iin France, 5 years in the middle east (where i met my present wife) and 2 years in the Philippines. It is during the last two years that i have been slowly relieved of any savings i had. Partly because of the exchange rate which was 87pesos to the pound when i arrived here.

On reading all that has gone before, it is very evident that i shall not be able to get my wife into the UK. I suppose that France is a viable alternative as i once had my carte de sejour there, and i think they are not as ruthless over the visas, as they are in the UK. The language may be a problem for my wife at first, and i would not get some benefits that i would be entitled to in Britain. The quality of life there is however very good, but i digress!

So it seems i have to go over to GB, get myself settled into a rented house, find some work and stick it out through thick and thin, until i am better off financially. We must not forget that our little girl Chloe, is a British citizen, and i have already been given a pension rise for my wife with her accompanying NI no for what it is worth. There seems to be nothing wrong (in my simple mind) in my being given housing benefit at first, as long as i had got off it by the time we were able to apply for the settlement visa. I would send her sufficient funds each month, which would be recorded and go some way to proving that i was able to support her as well as myself, at the same time cementing our relationship even further surely. If i was also able to secure an offer of a job for her, then i believe that would be another plus.

I must say how kind you and Keith have been with your concern and help, This must be a totally unique forum! It is so sad that things are the way they are, but upwards and onwards i suppose.

Arthur, do i assume the final outcome for you was a success, and was it because of your house? The thread seemed to stop before the end of the story, if it has ended that is!

I must stop prattling on now, but i think by doing so i may have clarified my siuation somewhat.

Thank you Keith, and thank you Arthur once more.
Best regards
John