So, seeing as things are looking less than positive with regards to jumping ship from or too the UK and the Philippines (at least in my case)... I was wondering if anyone could offer any ideas on how couple (one from each country mentioned above) could get to be together. What i'm asking myself is - Is there another country that is easy to get into from both locations so that it would enable a couple to achieve a life together. I think i'm clutching at straws here but if anyone here has any thoughts, knowledge or suggestions on this i'd appreciate the input.
If you want to be together in life you have to think seriously which country you want to live in. Every country has immigration laws and laws on marriage that have to be followed. As you said that you want to "achieve a life together", I am presuming that you love this Filipina. With this being said, start making plans about your future together. There are lots of threads on here which offer advice about the pros and cons of being together in either the UK or the Philippines. Both of you should make the correct decision together as a team. Best of luck in whatever you both decide. It is an expensive process but love conquers all My wife and I decided on marrying in the Philippines many years ago and we have two children born in the UK and we are all together in the UK too.
Europe option is mostly closed off with Brexit unless you have some ancestry that allows you to claim European passport. If you can claim a European passport then can look at countries different to passport country to make use of freedom of movement rules. Parent or grandparent born on Island of Ireland would let you claim an Irish passport. You could move to Ireland but takes five + years to get Irish citizenship and still challenges to getting wife there especially if they suspect that you are using that to get round UK rules. If you had Irish citizenship then could move anywhere in Europe afterwards and use freedom of movement rules to allow both of you to live together. That is the long game. Depends on your skill base but with right skills and qualifications then could look at immigration abroad with a visa that covers family. If need to get those skills and experience then again this is the long game. Alternate option is to look at nurse training for wife in Philippines and hope can still use to move here or elsewhere and take you with her. Again a long game option as have to qualify and gain necessary skills and experience. Some form of skilled visa to move here may be another option but depends on her skills and experience. No easy short term options.
Only thing that springs to my mind is Cyprus. I lived in Cyprus 2013-2017 and there are a lot of Filipina OFW’s there. Brexit hasn’t affected UK citizens moving there and still easy process. So maybe wife gets an OFW job and you move there ?
Thanks for all your inpit folks. I didn't recieve any notification of your posts hence my being late to acknowledge. And as yet i have not read them properly as i'm at work on a short break, but i'll read properly layer and reply where neccessary. Thanks
Is that still the case ? Cyprus was in EU and still is. Quick google says that Brits require a visa to live and work there now. Not in schengen area but believe working towards that. Before Brexit believe could have just moved there but now expect that will require a working visa to go and live there while earning a salary.
you may well be finding out more than I know now, but I do know that UK and Cyprus have an agreement outside of Brexit that afforded everything being the same as when we were in the EU. Even when I moved there in 2013 I had to get residency so probably no different than now. I.e there was talk whilst I was there that state pensions would still be received but all annual increases would cease. I know this didn’t happen due to the lateral agreement. The other issue was medical and everything is still the same as when we were in the EU https://beincyprus.com/blog/can-i-move-to-cyprus-after-brexit
As big Mac suggests, sponsorship is one route but I know locally (Dorset) even the sponsorships are usually coordinated through agencies in Manila. I think the easiest route for Filipinos to work abroad is through agencies in the Philippines, down the OFW (overseas foreign workers) route. Although there are lots of opportunities for OFWs around the Middle East and other Asian countries, in all kinds of employment like house maids, Nannie’s, carers etc, the UK seems to specialise and want only professionals ie doctors, nurses etc. I may be wrong here but that’s the impression I get from the wife who talks to people back home in the Philippines. GJD223, Nov 26, 2023Report #4Reply
Biggest issue for OP may be pink slip limitation below as under the impression he still needs to work. Link was quite informative so many thanks. "One of the main restrictions for British citizens with a Pink Slip is the prohibition on working for any Cypriot company. The Pink Slip is a temporary residence permit that does not grant permission to work in Cyprus. If you wish to seek employment on the island, you will need to apply for a different type of permit, such as a work visa or work permit"
You correct @bigmac Ive worked in both Riyadh and now UAE. Loads of kabayan here, how I met my wife. You will see in service jobs. Hotels, restaurants, customer care, even professionals IT, accounting in addition to Nanny etc.
there are also lots in Cyprus, that’s where a friend of mine met his partner, whilst she was OFW as a chef.
Maybe easier to answer this if you give a bit more details about what(?) is keeping you apart. If you have a trade of some kind you might try Australia - only 8 hour flight to the Philippines - mind you very expensive to move there and buy property from what I've been reading! If you have an Education might look at teaching English abroad... Eastern Europe or China??? If you own a property, you could still look to sell that short term to satisfy the UK VISA Rules... maybe downsize... get your partner into UK and working... to top-up your income... Very risky to train her up in the Philippines so she can find work abroad as an OFW (anywhere) because the first thing Filipina the majority of OFW's (married or not) do when they go abroad is find another guy
John, thanks for the post, it's much appreciated, As are everybodies. I lost my job today so have a bit on my plate and don't feel i can put my mind to replying to all who replied at the moment. I'm not particularly well qualified, not wealthy and really i just scrape by. So it's not looking much like i'm going to be able to realise the dream. I won't give up, but the brakes have been applied. I could do with getting away for a totally new start in a new setting all together. I'm really clutching at straws here but if anyone knows anyone or IS anyone that has any contacts regarding employment opportunities in Cyprus or indeed the Philippines i open to possibilities. Life sure aint easy is it. And i'm sure i've had it easier than so many people too, that's the sad part.
Fazer you have my sympathy, I quit my job on the 12th of December last day was 12th January and for me this was rather premature I expected to work a few more years, I'm 65 next month so a different situation from you and I'm not broke but neither am I as wealthy as I intended to be. The new owners of employer, I am convinced wanted me gone, I was expensive so they changed my title and role and sat back, the situation was intolerable for me so I quit, I might still take them to court but I don't really want the hassle. So most of my dreams are dead too, I wanted to retire back to Scotland and buy a flat (still maybe possible) but I also wanted to own a place in the Phils that option is dead for now until my daughter reaches the age of 18 when I might reconsider my options. What's your field of expertise Fazer?
You have an annual income of at least €30,000and receive it outside Cyprus. You will deposit €30,000 in a Cypriot bank account, which will be frozen for three years. You will enter Cyprus at least every two years. If you have dependents, you must have an additional annual income of €5,000. https://visaguide.world › moving-to Moving to Cyp The above is an extract from the requirements of a Brit moving to Cyprus
