hi all im stewart, returned, looking for advice

[imagine]

hi everyone i was here looking for advice over a year ago i think it is now, I had been getting to know a philipino lady, at first i was looking for advice on visa ect for her to come to uk, she works in israel, in november 2009 i was diagnosed with cancer,ill from january2010 for almost a year, which stopped any plans we had, also the plan had changed to me going to live in philipines with her, i had a real bad year fighting this cancer the cheemo was hard to cope with, almost dying 4 times, but im blessed the cancer is gone now,my idea is to rent my house here to provide some income for at least the 1st year, if all is good and i cope with philpine climate i will sell after that year,, now my question id like help with please if anyone can, i will marry in philipines, i understand that if no pre marital agreement is made that in philipines , on a reationship breaking up you keep what you had before the reationship, would that apply to my house or do i need an agreement written up here in uk? i figured for that 1st year to protect what i have, after doesnt matter, also that if anything happen to me , there would be no high leagel fees between countrys for my wife, should house need selling urgent, to pay for my medical fees should i get ill,, it would be better that my daughter here could deal with this, and she would make sure my wife got what she entitled to ect,
hope someone can help ,, thanks stewart

[sparky]

hi there and welcome to the forum

you didnt make totally clear whether you had met your lady as yet or visited the Philippines.

if the answer to either is not yet i wouldnt make any serious decisions yet

[imagine]

hi sparky , thanks for reading my post, no i havent yet met brenda my lady, we were supposed to meet in cyprus before i got ill, and was unable to be there, we have been in constant comunication ,skype voice yahoo/ msn/ mobile phone , a lot of hours everyday again i was to visit her in israel at christmas, this time due to her being ill is postponed and now rebooked for monday 17th jan,
also i have never been to philpines

due to the many hours we talk, i would say we know each other very well and have become very close, i know that this is not complete without meeting in person, im confident of a good future reationship,

i know how my question must sound, but i do think , that in the event of brenda needing to sell my house, that it wopuld be lenghty and i expect that the solicitor costs would be high due different countrys,
for this reason i ask this question, i know it would be quicker and simpler for my daughter to deal with it here,
and not to keep from brenda anything shes entitled to , thanks :-) stewart

[bornatbirth]

your going to buy a house in the philipines after you marry her?

first of all, i wouldnt sell up and move to the phliipines when you have the chance of getting cancer again

why not keep your house here and just live off the rent, live there but come back in case you get ill again, you could spent time in both countries each year...better still get your wife here in the uk until she as a uk passport which will take 3 years in which time you should know if your clear of cancer as it take 5 years to clear?

if you make a will and leave everybody something, i dont think it matters what country they live in

[imagine]

thanks bornatbirth, (thats a good time to be born lol,) thanks for your suggestion, it does seem a sensible solution, with regard to wills and well the law, scotlands law differs a little from england on some matters of that kind, im just not sure of it, but im now 56 yrs, old , i concider what my life span may now be 5, 10, 15 yrs, more i hope , but if less then selling the house after a year may be better im undecided,
buying a house in philipines, my girlfriend brenda has enough money and more to buy a house herself and doesnt want or require my help, though she will treat it as ours, she worked away from home for over 10 years and earnd enough to do quite well in philipines, she has no desire to live in uk, it being a second choice only in the case that i have to return then she will come with me,im comfortable knowing that she wants nothing from me but love , thats cool, thanks , stewart http://filipinaroses.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

[bornatbirth]

why the rush to go to the philipines?

let her buy a house there and live off the rent from yours back in the uk

the only reason for her to get a uk passport which will take 3 years, if you do get ill and need to come back to the uk she can come with you, without the need to get a visa also you will know if your clear from cancer..the cost of cancer care in the philipines wont be cheap and maybe far more expensive than you think.

[imagine]

part 2 . ps,thanks again bornatbirth
as much as i understand she needs visa to come here, wich will be easier if i go to philipines and we get married,,,, then she can come back with me?

im sure she would do this for me, even though she doesnt want to live in uk, i think 3 years living in uk to get passport, would be a sentence for her, and i need heat , the cold is painful now, again it is a good point to be considrerd thanks , stewart

[imagine]

ps part 3 lol, sorry bornatbirth, i may have miss understood, can the 3 years be either in uk or philipines , or just by living in uk for 3 yrs?

[imagine]

thanks again bornatbirth, you have some very valid points, and i will be taking serious consideration of them all, the downside of living here 3 years is that i or both of us would have to work to survive, im no longer fit for many jobs, at the moment im still off work, come april i will be conscidered fit to resume work, i would need to find new work as my old job no longer is available to me,this is why i consider april to be a good time to move, but in philipines i can retirehttp://filipinaroses.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

[stevewool]

i would really wait until you have met each other in person before any plans are made , what my friends have said before are all correct in what they say, good advice from all,

[imagine]

thank you stevewool,i will be seeing her first before final plans, but only for 2 weeks being in israel, after this she will be going back to philipines, yes youself and all the advise from your friends is invaluable to me , i appreciate this very much, thanks stewart

[bornatbirth]

if she came to the uk on either a fiancee or spouse visa then after the 3rd year she get a uk passport...a little longer with a fiancee visa depending on how quickly you got married.

im not sure how long you can stay in the philipines and still get a spouse visa as the longer you are out of the country the harder it will be and also your planning to sell up and take everything with you, you are aware that you will need to buy the house in your wifes name as you (as a foreigner wont be able to buy in you name).

im not sure how easy it will be to get her a visa everything you need to come here, if you ever got ill again.

hopefully other members can help you out more

[imagine]

initialy i intended to rent my uk house for 1 year mininum, if it is an obviouse advantage to keep my uk house, then i wont sell,
i would have thought the longer i would be married in philipines the easier it would be to bring her to uk, i see from what you say i was wrong,
the house in philipines will be my girl friends house, paid for outright with her own money, and obviousy will be in her name,although we will treat it as ours it will always be hers, im happy with that , should our relationship fail,i want nothing material of hers, and if i still have my uk house i would expect the same,any income from my house will be like a houshold income and will be ours and not mine, i think that is a fair solution, i feel iv nothing to loose , but much to gain

[joebloggs]

if you could stay in the phils with your g/f for 2yrs and have good evidence you lived togther , it might be possible she could get an unmarried partner visa and come to the UK on that, not sure if legally she could have a claim to any of your property or cash, but it might be worth looking into,

http://www.visalogic.net/united-king...aspx?t=4&t2=24

[imagine]

hi joebloggs, i would intend to marry her in philipines, 2 reasons , so i can stay there without problems and not have to leave and come back every 3 months, i hear many do this , a trip to hong kong and back, the other reason is as anyone wants to marry, so being married i asume is easier to visa to uk ?

[somebody]

HI Welcome

Firstly meet in person and I would advise on seperate occasions before making any serious decisions. Now this lady im sure is as wonderful as my Loving Wife But on here and elsewhere there are many tales of guys and ladies having there heads turned and age and experience counts for nothing we are all foolish in love..

Firstly you cant buy a House in Phill well you can buy it but you cant own it as a non filipino citzen.

Dont invest to much in Phill and have no back up plan emgency funds for whatever may happen. Plenty have terrible tales of getting into financial messes in phill

Before you think im cynical and anti filipina im nothing at all like that I would advise her to be wary of you as well

The Internet makes us think we know people and their lives inside out when we dont really know that much at all.

Ask peope on here they will tel you the first time together is still metting a stranger who appears to be familiar and sometimes it simply doesn't work out for one or the other party. Many do work though

If she has worked and traveled abroad and has propety and savings of her own it may be quite easy to get a visa

Dont take this wrong you have been though a most traumatic time recently and glad to read things seem to be on the up but do take some time to see how things pan out its very easy to think after the hard times that this seems a dream come true.

Dont think its bad to keep your eyes open and keep an eye for any danger signals. Just read of the issues members of this forum have encountered.

Sorry if this seems harsh but this forum prides itself on telling people things as it is, as its very important as you learn in being a "Rich British" going to Pinas that there are many pitfalls

I wish you both much happiness but take sometime to make sure you dont rush in

[imagine]

thanks somebody
yes i understand how it is different in person to the internet,and it is needed and is important, much more can be learned of each other in person,
but also on that its possible to reach quite deep inside a person on the internet via txt , via voice such as skype and mobile phones, when the physical comunication isnt there,especialy when many hours are spent together, my decisions to be with her were made before i got ill,, during that time i told her to forget me and find someone nice as didnt know if i would get through it, she stuck by me, she couldnt get visa to come to me, she did want to, thanks for your advise , stewart

[joebloggs]

andy whAT ABOUT BECKHAM

[grahamw48]

Hi Stewart.

There has been some really good advice given to you here, and in particular about the real NEED for you to spend a lot of time with this lady before you make any life (and bank balance) changing decisions.

The last thing I would do is sell a property in the UK.
Houses are cheap to rent in the Phils anyway, and sooner or later property here will become a good investment again.

If you have any kind of illness or weakness in your body I would not want to be living in the Phils for any length of time.

Most importantly, though I respect your view on internet relationships,etc, believe me there have been wiser and more genuine men than you who have come a cropper after hooking up with a lady in this way.

Take things one step at a time my friend.

I wish you good luck anyway, and there will always be EXPERIENCED people here to advise.

[imagine]

thanks graham, yes i appreciate all the good advice given , it is not likely that i would be investing money in philipines, my girlfriend brenda has property already in philipines and she will buy a house in her name for us, with her money, she suggests on a higher elevation where the climate will be better for me,and it has been her suggestion that i try philipines for 6 months to 1 year before i make descision to stay permanent,if then i need to return to uk she will come back with me and i will still have my uk house, it has been myself that had ideas of selling my house, brenda my girl friend objected , advising me not to , just incase i needed to come back, she sees that to buy again at a later date i would have to pay more, she has a very sensible head, and wants nothing from me, thank you, all advice is appreciated and i dismiss none of it, stewart

[Sim11UK]

it has been her suggestion that i try philipines for 6 months to 1 year before i make descision to stay permanent

Welcome back imagine
Your lady seems very sensible, definately would try staying for that length of time, to see whether you like it...It's not for everyone, for a start, the heat can be very oppressive, which can be very tiring.
If you can get enough income, from renting your house, then that's the way I'd do it.
Anyway, glad you're in better health now, good luck! with it all & good luck! when you meet her...it's so much different, but much better in person...Keep us posted.

[imagine]

thank you Sim,

[somebody]

thanks graham, yes i appreciate all the good advice given , it is not likely that i would be investing money in philipines, my girlfriend brenda has property already in philipines and she will buy a house in her name for us, with her money, she suggests on a higher elevation where the climate will be better for me,and it has been her suggestion that i try philipines for 6 months to 1 year before i make descision to stay permanent,if then i need to return to uk she will come back with me and i will still have my uk house, it has been myself that had ideas of selling my house, brenda my girl friend objected , advising me not to , just incase i needed to come back, she sees that to buy again at a later date i would have to pay more, she has a very sensible head, and wants nothing from me, thank you, all advice is appreciated and i dismiss none of it, stewart

Seems like she has her heads screwed on

As well as the heat and humidty and mossies!! Some Westners simple find it oppressive to find it very hard to go out on their own when they want. Some also find the poverty in some areas around them very hard to deal with

I would also especially with the whats happened recently medically investigate local docotrs clinics and hospitals if there for any time.
Medical treatment is not cheap especially if more non routine medcines and procedure maybe required in Phill.
A simple fever the wifes brother had meant we spent a fortune in medcines and luckily our family is oversupplied with doctors and nurses so we didn't need to spend out even more.

I dont want to teach u to suck eggs but even for me as a fit young man who runs everyday etc I found the heat humidty and mossie bites plus the odd dodgy stomach could really take the wind out of my saills especially on my first couple of trips.

Good luck for your Flight and trip I hope it is a wonderful time for you both and you have life long happiness together

[imagine]

thanks somebody, previouse to this info of medical costs i have always been under the impression that medical though private was cheap in philipines, though i did have concerns about their experience in cancer treatment, i did see the possibility that if i neede further cancer treatment that as long as i was still fit to travel that i may need to return home for treatment, if this happened i would be married to brenda, and assume she would be allowed visa to come with me ? hopefully it would be processed quickly under the circumstances , im not sure how long it does take, thanks for the info, stewart

[stevewool]

stewart , you seem to know what you are doing and wanting in your life and with the help from brenda seems you both will get it too, the phils is a wonderous place yes and one day i will be there too, if brenda is the one for you and you for her you are blessed, just take it easy and enjoy it all book that flight to see her as soon as you can

[imagine]

thanks stevewool, i will enjoy it , im booked to fly this monday all being well, cant wait

[Terpe]

Stewart,
Firstly, a warm welcome to the forum.

Secondly, on the issues of getting to Philippines, visa', visa extensions and long term staying, I prepared this information recently for another member.

Please take some time to visit the links, I'm sure they will provide useful info for you.


When you travel to the Philippines from UK you get a free 21 day visa at arrival immigration.
When you arrive you must have an ongoing ticket to either your orgininating country or another country. Lots of people use what is called a cheap "throw away" ticket.

If you want to stay longer than 21 days you can get a 38 day extension (21days + 38days = 59days) at an immigration office in the Phils.
Better to do this at least one week before your visa expiration.
I have seen on this forum that some members state that it's possible to purchase the extension at arrival at the airport. But I have no experience of this. Nor how much it would cost.

If it was me, I would get the 59 day visa from the Phils Embassy/Consulate in UK before you leave.
This could be a money saver as the cost is only about £22 (I think the 38 day extension is about £50 in Phils)

If you have all your ducks lined up with your paperwork etc, you should have no problems getting married within the 59 days.
You may need to check the latest info for paperwork needed but in principle

Your Birth certificate

Certificate of No Impediment to Marry from local registry office. Then present these documents to his Embassy/Consulate in the Philippines to be issued a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry. This certificate is needed for the application of a marriage license.
BTW some forum members are now reporting that they were also required to obtain a CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage) from NSO (National Statistics Office) so you might need to do thid as well.

Apply for the marriage license in your fiancée's home town at the registry office. (or locality of where marriage will take place)
After you apply for the license there is a mandatory 10 day waiting period while the marriage banns are published

Sometimes (sometimes depending on your ages) you might also be requested to attend counseling sessions prior to being allowed to be married.

Anyway there's no reason why you can't accomplish all this in less than 30 days

Staying on beyond the 59 days requires you to extend your visa in two month increments at any immigration office up to 16 months. Beyond that, further extensions require approval by the main office in Manila. This can continue up to a total of another 8 months (4X two month extensions). Eventually you will have reached 24 months in Phils.
At that point you must then leave the country. Although you can return immediately to start another 24 month process.

Look here for fees of all the above:-

http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php?...=282&Itemid=43

You will notice that after 59 days extension you need the Alien Certificate of Registration.
This is now the ACR I-Card and is a microchip-based credit card-sized identification card issued to registered aliens replacing the paper-based ACR.
It has an embedded computer chip with biometric security features capable of data management and can be updated electronically.
It is fraud and tamper-proof/resistant with the following data:

1.Personal information such as name, age, date of birth, place of birth, etc.
2.Photograph
3.Date and status of admission
4.Visa type granted/date granted/date issued/expiry date
5.Biometric information (2 digitalized fingerprint templates)
6.Signature
7.ACR and ICR/NBCR/CRTV/CRTT/CRTS and CRPE numbers
8.Travel details
9.Payment of immigration fees details

The ACR I-Card serves as the Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC),
Re-entry Permit (RP) and Special Return Certificate (SRC) of the holder upon payment of the required fees.


Your other long stay options are the 13a visa (PHILIPPINE IMMIGRATION VISA) and the SMILE, (was SRRV-Special Resident Retiree's Visa)

PHILIPPINE IMMIGRATION VISA (13a visa)
Non-Quota Philippine Immigration Visa (Section 13(a) of the Philippine Immigration Act)

Info and application form here:-
http://philembassy-uk.org/visaform3.pdf

But I have seen in posts on this forum that it is much easier and simpler to apply and obtain this visa from within Philippines. However it may help you to understand just what is needed if you take a look here:-

http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php?...d=26&Itemid=35


All documents to support your application must be properly certified as true copy.
Sworn statements or affidavits should be notarized.
Foreign documents must be duly authenticated by the Philippine Embassy or Consulate at the place where they are issued.

This visa is only available to citizens of a country which grants permanent residence and immigration privileges to Philippine citizens.
This non-quota immigrant visa is a one-year multiple entry visa which should be renewed in the Philippines for three (3) consecutive years.
On the fourth year (3rd renewal), the applicant may apply for permanent residency in the Philippines.

SMILE (previously known as Special Resident Retiree's Visa)

For all details on this look here:-
http://www.pra.gov.ph./main/srrv_program?page=1

To be perfectly honest I have never known or known of anyone who ever took this up. Also, I admit I have never really studied or researched if there are any cost/value benefits.

Finally, don't forget that UK has a Double Taxation Agreement with Philippines so your pensions (incl state pension) could be agreed for taxation purposes to be taxed in Philippines rather than UK. Since the Philippines has a tax rate of zero on pensions, means your pensions will be tax free. (This agreement does not apply to government pensions such as civil service and most other public sector)

Hope this helps

[imagine]

thanks Terpe, excellent information, seems complicated at first glance, but im sure it all comes together, why cant things be easier without all this red tape lol, thanks again, this very usful valuable information for me, stewart

[Arthur Little]

Stewart ... back. Having been one of many who greeted you first time round - a year past last August - I remember your intention to visit Brenda in Cyprus until illness intervened. Since then, she has moved to Israel ... and again, your plans were forestalled - due, on this occasion, to Brenda being unwell.

Fortunately you've kept in regular touch throughout, your cancer is at least in remission [hopefully cured] and you're now fit enough to travel to Israel next week.

My advice is for the two of you to make up for lost time by getting to know one another really well. Only then, will you be in a position to guage where your future together lies. Do please, consider very carefully, the full implications involved if you were to choose to settle in the Philippines should (God forbid!) your health decline for any reason. At the age of 56, it's worth bearing in mind that hospital treatment abroad is extremely expensive ... whereas here in the UK there's our world-renowned NHS to fall back on - even in the worst-case scenario.

[imagine]

hi Arthur, thank you for the welcome back, brenda was already in israel before i got ill and was supposed to meet in cyprus, thank you also for the hospital treatment costs info , i assumed was cheap before this info, its looking good for my cancer,it shows gone(i guess that means its in remission) it was a hard fight, a year of it,but you know it was the treatment i was fighting my body didnt like the cheemo at all. unfortunatly over the past few days while i have been messaging here, a problem arrised regarding brendas visa, she stopped her work due to getting ill, she is ok now but her visa expired about 2 weeks ago,and is not allowed to renew it due to her stopping her work, there was another little problem also we had to concider, though she was going to try wait untill after our 2 weeks together we have decided that i cancel going to israel, and she will return to philipines, she tells me it is easier to get a tourest visa in philipines than it is to get one from irael, and come see me while she is touring , so to speak, the plan is to return to philipines together in april at which time i will have finished preparing my house for rental and my affairs in order. once in philipines our plan is to be married, if you or anyone see any flaws in this plan , please i welcome your opinion ,,, i know it all seems a rush but almost 2 years and about 18 mths since we was supposed to meet in cyprus, a lot of time comunicating. between us, i dont have doubts on our reationship, having almost died 4 times in the year, i realy feel iv nothing to loose, the only concern is can i cope with the climate , and that i have all the valuable info,( thankyou everyone) stewart