Living in the UK with my Filipino Wife, Annaliza
Today’s Guest Blog is from David Walker from the United Kingdom. David wrote an article regarding the process of meeting his wife and bringing her to live in the UK. It’s quite an ordeal! Thank you very much for making the effort of writing the article, David, and all the best of luck to you and your family! -Bob
May I introduce myself, my name is David Walker, 40 years old white British male ex military (French foreign legion).
I only joined because of the French cuisine, frog legs and snails and not forgetting the white ice cream hat which was made famous in an old Laurel & Hardy film back in the 1930’s.
I have spent the past five years either in Iraq and Afghanistan working for security companies and recently return from Kabul where I have many Filipino friends working for a number of foreign companies out there.
I first met Annaliza in Dubai at the airport terminal 2 and within a few minutes on first meeting each other was in argument with Egyptian taxi driver why “he didn’t like Americans”. Don’t get me wrong Dubai a great place with fantastic hotels, restaurants and shopping for all and welcome western culture to a limit. But seem to have too many anti western taxi drivers.
Annaliza had been working in Dubai for 3 years and was paid well for a Filipino in Dubai she still had to rent and live with many Filipinos and her last room she shared was with 4 other girls. My view is that Filipinos are not paid well in Dubai and work long hours but are always smart and friendly and it’s a shame that employers in Dubai and elsewhere don’t give them more credit with better wages.
Even in Kabul Afghanistan many Filipino are working here some for good western companies and other not so good. Many working long hours and travelling in sub standard vehicles on very dangerous roads with little or no security. A Filipino female friend of mine was murdered in May 07, and her body was thrown down a well. She was murdered by the company driver and another both locals because they know she had been recently paid. She was due to return home to the Philippines. One of the main problems when recruiting locals in Kabul is they do not check them for pass history or security checks some companies turn a blind eye on this matter (cheap labour).
Annaliza was at the time working for a freight company in Dubai and she arranged the transportation off the coffin back to the Philippines. It turn out that the woman who was murdered was working for an Indian company and had no written contract with them.
Getting Annaliza to the UK was no easy matter first she’d applied for tourist visa and was refused on the grounds she wasn’t earning enough money in Dubai. I had to contact the UK Embassy in Dubai and informed that she is my Girlfriend. I would sponsor her whilst she was in the UK for the grand total of six days. I had to provide letter from my employer, six months bank statements and pay slips. I find it very strange that Annaliza was employed with employers letter to travel and had savings with return ticket on Emirates and was only visiting for six days but still refused her tourist visa, anyway the visa cost 142 USD.
Then we planned to get married in the UK that’s where the paperwork starts for both of us. You need to apply for fiancée visa which cost 1000 USD you cannot marry without this visa in the UK. The fiancée visa allows you to stay for six months in which time you must marry or leave the country. You cannot work or claim any public funds the sponsor must provide them with accommodation and funds whilst they are in the UK. Both of us need to provide proof of address in UK, bank details for six months, employer letter and Annaliza even needed letter from employer in Dubai allow her to leave the UAE.
Once we were both in UK, we had to contact our local register office and book interview for marriage. At the interview Annaliza had to provide proof of visa, proof we are both living together and date and place of marriage. And I had to provide proof that I was divorce it’s called final decree absolute in the UK. Then you are separately interview asking question about each other.
You need to pay a small fee about 30 pounds for the service and your details are displayed for 16 days the reason for this any person wishing to voice concern over the marriage may do so within the 16 days that’s the law in England and Wales.
Then the register office will post you the paperwork off marriage which is valid for one year from date posted. And on the day of the wedding you will receive your marriage license signed by marriage officials, Bride and Groom and 2 witnesses.
Then you have to contact the home office immigration visa department and book interview for marriage visa and get them to send you the visa form. You can send the form back with the marriage license and both passports it will take up to 8 weeks and will cost about 390 pounds for the marriage visa. Or you can book interview and go to your nearest visa office and get your passport stamped the same day cost of marriage visa 595 pounds for the express service. Please note you both need to attend the interview providing proof off marriage, and again all the details you had to provide when we both applied for fiancée visa.
Annaliza was given limited resident permit until 2010 and after two years she will be granted permanent resident visa after passing the exam.
At the moment her visa will allow her to work but cannot claim any public funds and even if she wishes to travel to any European country Annaliza would need to apply for visa.
And if you wish to apply for British citizenship normally you will have to wait up to 8 years and now you must do a citizenship test. And the question are not easy most Brits wouldn’t pass today, like how many members are there in the welsh assembly and when was the dog license abolish.
And having gone through all of this, I still have Filipino friends still talking rubbish one claiming her (hubby) can get her UK passport even without her living in the UK and taking the citizenship test. Another claiming she can work on tourist visa and now she’s back in the Philippines.
We both now live in a small market town called Ramsey about 88 miles north of London in the part of the UK called the Fenlands. Ramsey dates back to the 6th century and the fenlands were drained in the 16th century by Dutch engineers reclaiming good farming land back from the marsh lands.
Annaliza now works for BUPA in a nursing home in Ramsey with other Filipinos and was told the other day by the Grand Aunty (big boss) filipino here in Ramsey. There’s 70 filipinos living in Ramsey most work either in the nursing home or at the local turbine engineering company. It won’t be long before I see a Red Ribbon cake shop and Jollibee on the high street and a Jeepney. Annaliza likes the UK from experiencing blowing smoke from her mouth when it’s cold here and a recent trip to Morocco Atlas Mountings and see snow for the first time and not forgetting her favourite shop in the UK Marks & Spencers.
I have been to Philippines twice and back in May 2008 had our honeymoon in Boracay. It’s a very nice place and I love blue marlin fish. I have tried most of the supermarket in UK and do not sell it. Then the penny dropped, it’s like asking a cod and chips in Boracay. I remember my first trip to the Philippines and we stayed in Subic. We planned to go to Baguio thru Victory Liner, Big mistake. Never in my life that I have take the bus that stop for every cow and chicken on route. We got as far as Tarlac before I got off. We spend the night in a lovely hotel. Even though I love seafood, I’m not too keen on eating “tuyo” in English too yuck to eat.
I hope that this will be an eye opener to anyone who wish to come to UK and thinking that it’s easy because they have a UK boyfriend but it’s not the case. Late this year the government will change the rule again and making it much harder with all applicants outside the European Union will need a finger print and photo visa to enter the UK.
For EU expats living and working in the UK it is alot easier. Got married in the Philippines, my wife was already studying in the UK (we met at grad school) so no problems entering the country. Then it took 3 months to get a 5-year temporary residence card (EEA2) for her which allows her to work as well. And this card was free under EU rules.
The card is endorsed in her passport and is also supposed to offer visa-free access to the Schengen countries on the continent. Unfortunately only some countries such as Holland, Denmark, Germany and Italy are allowing this - despite all Schengen countries rectifying the specific treaty in their national laws.
The message being - yes it is easy to come to the UK, but only as spouse of an EU national. It is like that in many other EU countries as well, (such as Holland) - regulations for EU expats are less strict then for their own nationals.
Having been married to my Filipina wife for 8 years and living and working in Saudi, Hong Kong, UK, Canada, Switzerland and currently in Bermuda during that time, it has seemed that half of our lives have been spent in immigration offices or foreign embassies. We have probably killed off acres of rain forests just with the amount of paperwork we have had to complete.
As David mentioned it can be a nightmare trying to get your better half into the UK. The last time we lived in the UK, my wife entered on a visit visa which was valid for 8 years, however we didn’t realise (or forgot) that it was only for stays of upto 6 months. This realisation took place 6 months and 2 days after she entered the country, so we contacted UK Immigration who said she had to leave the country immediately. She couldn’t appeal or apply for an extension or permanent residency, even though we had been married for 5 years and had a 3 year old son. The only way she could apply was to go back to the British embassy in Manila, much to the astonishment of our family and friends. So we decided as a family to go to Manila for a vacation and on reaching Manila we completed the necessary paperwork only to be told it would take 3 months to process !!! So after 2 weeks I had to go back to the UK to work and our family was split up for over 2 months…..not a nice time. Anyway after the papers had been in the embassy for 2 and half months we had to retrieve some as I had the chance of a job in Bermuda and had to apply for a visa……the result being that after a 3 months process the British Embassy in Manila turned down her application as she may be moving to Bermuda.
So as you can imagine our love for anything to do with the UK evaporated at that point. However after being an expat for 10 years, and only spending a few months back in the UK during that time, I have no intention of ever moving back home to the UK. In fact our next move will definitely be to the Philippines……can’t wait
Hi Dave-Unlike you I got married in the Philippines back in the early 80’s and since I was working in Nigeria at that time we got married again in Lagos so that we had a commonwealth marriage certificate.
Before we returned to the UK to live in 1988 my wife applied at the British High Commision in Lagos for a visa to accompany me to the UK to live stamped in her Filipino passport.When we arrived at Gatwick B Cal in these days we had two kids by this time my wife went through one gate for others and me and the kids went through UK nationals as they had Brit and Filipino passports as both were born in the Philippines and registered at the Brit Embassy when born.
After arriving in the UK my wife applied for citizenship in 1989 and was granted it in 1991.Just last year she applied for her Filipino citizenship as you now can have joint citizenship and last week she applied for her Filipino passport.So after 25 years she has went full circle.Incidentally we built a house in 2005 in Bukidnon and we will move there to retire at the end of November.Anyhow all the very best in your married life and I hope the Dutch did a good job and the flood plains of Ramsey stay dry at least until your wife gets her citizenship despite applying to get on “Who wants to be a millionaire”.
Regards.
Jim.
If you hold a British passport,you cannot bring your philippino wife into the UK under the EU family Permit(this is free of charge)you have to pay hundreds of pounds for a visa then pay hundreds more when you get here.
Thought we were supposed to be in the EU.I just cant wait to get the hell out of rip off UK. 
But if you hold another EU countrys passport,the answer is yes you can come to the UK its your right under EU legislation,we will process your visa straight away,be about three weeks SIR
I’m Retires and here in Davao going on 4 years now and love every minute of it. Moved here in Feb. 05, got Married in June 02. That last year before I retires was the worst “23 MONTH APART BEFORE I COUND HOLD HER AGAIN :cry:” , (ok to be exact 23 months and 21 days!) Second E-mail address (Can’t get in the enter in mail for some reason) schly200248@yahoo.com but the other one is my main address. Hope to see you here when you visit and then Retire.
Could tell you of my Love for Filipina Wife “Rebecca” and Davao but it might take all day and 4 or 5 pages to list them all
Steve (A.K.A-Sidecar)
hello dave
im currently doing a fiancee visa for my filippina and i have to tell you this has been sooooooo very complicated. i also have a son in philippines.its been 18 months now since i have been with them.my son was 3 months old last time i held him and he will be 2 in december.if i wrote about all we have been through with immigration in usa it would certainly be a series of books i would have to write.advise to anyone who wants to bring thier wife,fiancee to thier country have alot of money and patience ready.its a long road coming. mabe i should have made a raft and floated to philippines and got my fiancee and son and floated back to us.
salamat dave
I am Portuguese, passport issued in Macau Portuguese Consulate, cause philippine law if issued in Macau, only give me 7 days visa for stay philippine. If I marry a filippino husband, can I get a longer visa for go Philippine?
Who knows the way please help me. My contect email is net_coffee@hotmail.com
this is unfair, if passport issued in Portugual, can have 90days visa automatic. But I am living in Macau issued in Macau, I just can have 7 days!!
why I read here many people have many problems for apply the filippina wife moved to his countries for living?? Why my filippino husband married me already easy stay in Macau and get resident? He didn’t apply in Philippine government get any visa already can go with me. Don’t marry in Philippine, right? If you go government make a sponser paper for her and prepair get marry paper get a visa for her in your consulate, (not philippine consulate) . she can as a tourist go your place get marryFilippino can go HK get marry with you also. Bring the marry contract to your government (not philippine government) apply your wife go your country to living with you. Am I right? Cause I didn’t do anything pass the philippine government to bring my husband in my place.
Hi David
It seems like you had a hard time getting your filipina to you but like they say “waiting only makes it better when you finally get together.” I have been married to two filipinas.The first time I was living there, was married there, and was in the military. I think it took one or two trips to Manila to get everything done including getting a US passport for my daughter. The second time I was in the states and my wife was in Israel and it took about six months to get a fiancee visa so I don’t have any complaints.
Sir David,
Maybe my case is different but i hope that you can give me an enlightenment. I really would like to work in you country. So, i applied through internet. Luckily, i was accepted by the recruitment agency in UK. I was really happy, however my concern is, I just started my application maybe for about a month and i can see that the processing is really fast. With this, can you tell me what are the possible documents in going there? THANK YOU..
I AM A FILIPINA…
G’day!
I am a 24yo filipina and my bf is 27yo british . We are applying for a fiancee visa and need lots of advices. We met once last 2006 iwhen he went here for a vacation. We met in a pet shop in the mall near his hotel and felt a sudden connection for the first part of the conversation about DOGS ( we both love dogs). We went out twice as friends then he went back to UK. Almost 2 years of friendship and constant skype talk then the relationship started just this year. We both spend hours and hours in the internet searching for the things that we need to have to apply for a fiancee visa.But we are worried because we can’t prove that we already met because when he was here, we did not think of taking our pictures together and we don’t have any emails to show the counsil because we always talk on skype. Other thing that he is worried of, is that he is only 27 and does not have that much savings yet. We need lots of advices from everybody about our application. Thank you so much
Cheers!
Faith
HELLO MARIA
EMAIL ME……DAWALKERZ@YAHOO.COM
DAVID
HI FAITH
PLEASE EMAIL ME dawalkerz@yahoo.com
david
Such a story! Congratulations to you and AnnaLiza. I also hope to enter UK too. Honestly United Kingdom and Ireland are the two states I am not allowed to enter..I am only here in the Schengen area and I am Filipina. There was no trouble entering these countries for I am with an Italian but UK, indeed such a vague possibility for now unless I would have an EU passport as well.
I am a brit now living in the philippines and married to a filipino I was fortunate that when I met my now wife of 31 years I was serving in the British forces in HK we decided to get married there but as I was only 20 I had to get my parents permission as the age of concent is 21 anyway after a lot of toing and froing I finally got the marriage licence and we were married and as I was a member of the british forces and now my wife also came under that umbrella I had no problems taking her to the UK and after 3 years she applied for citizenship,but that was a long time ago and the laws in the uk have changed alot and some for the worse hense why I now live in the philippines.
Dear David and wife,
Just read your very interesting article. So glad you’ve made the knot after all the
difficulties encountered by you both. Congratulations on your nuptials and no doubt that marriage will be forever. When I met my British husband 28 years ago,
I flew to Spain, which, at that time, didn’t require Philippine nationals for a visa. I breezed into Spain without much ado, while my husband stayed for a few more weeks in the UK to collect his house things to be transported to Spain, where we planned to live half of the year. Spain, 28 years ago, was rather poor, and didn’t even have the proper road network until they joined the EU n 1986. Still, things have turned really well for me and my English husband, he being a northerner from Cumbria. I have no qualms as to your lovely wife lasting it with you forever. Filipina women have an excellent tract record in keeping their British husbands for life! So, despite your trials and tribulations, kudos to your patience
and your wife’s mental strength—a quality Filipina women possess—without having to flaunt it.
So, dears, this is all for now, but good luck and stay happy together. Mabuhay! God bless you and your future family.