Live in the Philippines

Live in the Philippines helps expats with visas, moving and other services regarding the Philippines.

Most important considerations?

How to Move to the Philippines / by

When you think about becoming an expat – moving to a different country – what are your most important considerations?

Of course it varies from one person to the next.  Truth is, the vast majority of people never even consider making a move abroad.  It simply is not something that many people even think about.  But, for those of us who do think about it – or even do it – there are many things that might influence our decision on where to move or even if we will make the jump.

I have been living in the Philippines for 15 years already.  There are many thousands of expats living here.  But, even with many thousands of expats, we are still a tiny minority here in the Philippines.  Sometimes you can go out around town, in Davao where I live, and not even see another foreigner, although that is not as common as it used to be.

When I do talk to other foreigners, I often ask them what considerations they thought of when they first decided to move to the Philippines, or any other country.  Here are some of the responses that I commonly hear.

Which Way Will You Go
Which Way Will You Go

Weather

For many of us who are from colder, or wetter climates, many people say that they really wanted to escape the cold, wet weather.  They found the weather where they lived to be dreary, boring, or just downright unpleasant.  Choosing to live in a tropical climate was a change that they found important, and enjoyable.

Of course, making a move to the Philippines, you have to carefully choose where in the country you will settle.  For example, if you choose the wrong place you might be coming to an area where the rain comes in as a deluge.  If you hit an area that is prone to typhoons, you might want to go back to the cold weather again!

Thankfully, in the area where I live, we are not usually subjected to bad weather.  No place on the earth has perfect weather, but it can’t get much closer than what we experience here in Davao City.  Here in Davao we get nearly daily thunderstorms, and they are VERY heavy.  However, they usually happen in the evening, around dusk, and usually only last for 30 minutes or an hour.  That’s not bad!  It keeps the area lush and green, but leaves most of the day dry and sunny.  Perfect!

City or Rural?

Another big consideration is whether you want to live the City life or a more rural lifestyle.  When we lived in the States, we lived in a rural area, with 5 acres of land.  Out in the countryside, as we would say back in the US.  When we came to the Philippines, we opted for the City life instead.

Why?

Because of availability.  In a developing country like the Philippines, if you go rural you can expect that only very basic products and services will be available.  In a big City, like Davao, the number of products and services available are almost limitless.  We are able to get just about anything we want or need here.  It has changed a lot over the years, but only for the better.  When we first moved here, even in the City, selection could be limited, but as I said, it has gotten great.  And, I only expect it to improve more!  No complaints.

Family

For those moving to the Philippines, probably one of the main considerations is connected to women.  There are many people who have Filipina spouses, and the majority of people that move to the Philippines, in my experience, either are married to a Filipina, or are coming here looking to have a relationship with a Filipina.  When choosing where to live, it often is connected with where their wife is from.  Most expats who move here choose to live in the city where their spouse is from, or at least nearby.

When we first moved to the Philippines, we lived in General Santos City, which is where my wife is from.  After a couple of years we decided to relocate to Davao City, about 3 hours north by car.  So, we are still relatively close to family, but are in a larger city where we can easily get the amenities that we want or need.

Other important considerations for us

I mentioned earlier about availability.  That concept ties right in with this section, things that are important for us.  I would say that in this category there are two things that really attracted us to living in a large city.

  1. Internet.  Having good internet is very important to me.  I earn my living using the Internet, so it is probably the most important consideration for us.  Without good, fast and reliable Internet, I really would not be able to live in the Philippines like I want to.  Living here in Davao, I have been able to get very good Internet.  Currently, I have two different Internet services that I use.  I have a DSL line, and also LTE/4G wireless service.  I feel that redundancy is a very important thing for me.  I want that if one service goes out, for whatever reason, that I have a backup that works.  From time to time both services will be down, but that is very rare.  If we lived out in the Province, far from the City, this type of Internet reliability would simply not be possible.
  2. Schools.  Because we were a relatively young family when we moved to the Philippines, with young children, quality education for our kids was an important consideration.  Of course, we wanted to have good schooling available for our children.  When we moved to the Philippines our kids were 8 years old, 3 years old and 1 month old, so you can imagine, this was a major consideration for us.

What about you?

What about you?  What are major considerations for you when deciding where you might resettle?  Whether it be moving to a country that you have already chosen, or searching for the right country that matches your needs.  What items are in the top of your priority list, and why?  I’d love to hear from you and know what you are thinking!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I tried the provincial life at first, while I like it, over time I became bored. I found that long term, provincially available health care wasn’t sufficient. The biggest reason I made the move to a larger city turned out to be boredom. Yes, I found I get bored easily and need access to things to do and robust public transportation wether by air, sea or land.

  3. Another informative and thought-provoking article, Bob. Thanks.
    —For me, a 72 year old Type 2 diabetic, I would have to list “A close proximity to quality medical facilities” as probably my number one priority. For some of you young Testosterone driven males, this probably does not even cross your mind but you should stop and think: where would you like to be when your first heart attack or stroke or other major medical issue strikes? Way out in the province, kilometers and multiple hours away from a good medical facility or in a city relatively close to life-saving help. When that time comes, and it WILL come if you live in the Philippines or any where else in this world, it would behove you to have a doable plan. It’s not like you could jump in your truck and drive 30 kilometers to a hospital. You life would be in the hands of those around you.

    • Hi Richard – Oh, it does cross my mind. Since moving to the Philippines, I have had 3 major medical issues. Two of those were life threatening. Those were a stroke in 2001, and a very serious infection last year. I also had dengue in 2009. So, medical care is an important consideration. I admit that it was not much of a consideration when I first moved here, especially because I was still relatively young, just 38.

      I am thankful that excellent health care is available right here in Davao, and I have no concerns about that. If I was living out in the province it would be a major concern, though.

  4. Excellent thoughts there Bob.

    The scariest thing I hear from fellow expats is their thoughts on health care … and how to pay for it. People write to me often asking about cheap, comprehensive health care insurance. Well I hate to be the guy who clued them in on the fact that there’s no Santa Claus, but “cheap” and “good” very seldom go together. Certianly not here in the Philippines were you and I live.

    When I bring this up I often get the answer, “Oh I’m in good health, I’m not worried about that”.

    Well here’s a clue. Everyone who is sick today _was_ in good health back before they got sick … and none of us knows when something will happen. Health care costs _have_ to be an important consideration.

    And school availability and quality ties right in to the “where do I live” question. Living simply out in the provinces is great for _cheap_. But don’t think you are going to live in a nipa hut under a palm tree out in the boondocks and also find decent schools for your children.

    Again “cheap” and “good” are almost always mutually exclusive.

    • Hi Dave – Paying for health care is indeed a major concern to me. With PhilHealth, that helps a lot, and my savings. However, if a major medical problem would arise, I would have trouble and would have to make some serious decisions. I guess that is the case for most expats around the world.

      I do feel that the medical facilities here where I live are good, even excellent in many ways. Cost is relatively inexpensive especially when compared with the USA.

    • I have a health insurance policy through Blue Cross that covers 100% inpatient, doctors fees and emergency room up to 20 million pesos per year for $1250 per year which is a good price compared to other countries and it supplements the Philhealth I have.

      • Sir

        Can you tell me where did you buy that policy? I would like access to something like that.

        Salamat Ron

        • Ron,
          I got the policy at Blue Cross in Makati City. The premium is based on age. Since I am now 56 and in the next age range my premium will be going up when I renew in Nov. The policy is good at most any hospital.

  5. Hi Bob.
    Actually you hit the nail on the head on all accounts.
    For ME it would be living out in the province, but close to a larger city for the kid’s school and other amenities like shopping, restaurants, etc. But since I also like to fish I would like to have a place close enough to fishable waters. Also, I want to open a small Cantina, so it would have to be accessible to the general public.
    So, actually I’m thinking Valencia, Negros Oriental, not very far from Dumaquete where there is a great college for my kids, also good high schools. Valencia is higher up and temps are cooler, also elec is much cheaper. I have a good friend living there and she’ll help find a nice reasonable place. You can actually grow strawberries there and peach, plum, cherry and other NW type fruit trees, up in the mountain of course!
    So! that’s my thought, been putting a lot of research and thought into it. Place is fairly close to Bais where Asawa ko grew up and still has friends and relatives there. Close enough for her to visit, but still far enough for them not be on our door step every morning, lol!

    • Hi Heinz – Nice to hear from you, my friend! I would caution you to don’t make too firm of plans until you have been here for a couple of years, your thoughts, opinions and desires will change after you have been here.

      Fishing might be tough. There is little (zero) sport fishing here, really. Most of the fish left in the Philippine waters are quite small, and the commercial fishermen who fish for a livelihood have to go far off shore, even to different countries. But, you might find just the right spot, who knows! Make sure you bring your own fishing gear, because you really can’t get that sort of stuff here.

      The cheapest electricity in the country is in Mindanao, where I live. But, the Visayas region where you plan to settle is also relatively cheaper too. That said, Philippine electricity prices are among the most expensive electricity in the world, so be ready!

      We have strawberries growing here in my area too. Not too common in the Philippines! Nice to have, though.

      Good luck with your coming relocation!

  6. When I made my move (to Thailand) my biggies were
    1. A non-predatory society, in which everyone was included, there was no begging, and people were polite and helpful to each other.
    2. Top-to-bottom happiness: not just some happy people and others resentful; I wanted everyone to be happy.
    3. A rich, intact culture.

    Thailand delivered all three, so I jumped on the plane!

    • Wow, sounds wonderful, Godfree! So, seriously, there are no beggars in your area? That is shocking to me. We have plenty where I live.

  7. How adaptable and adjustable can I be? Change is easy for some not so much for others, I like to believe I am of the former. The primary consideration comes down to health, Aging with serious disabling and deteriorating conditions, physically forcing me from the ‘Work Force’. The combined conditions and complexities in my personal circumstances often force me to choose between Medicine and food. Etc… Limited fixed Disability Income seemingly will go a bit farther there. First excursion has been in planning and will happen real soon. Following your posts I have found many valuable answers. Still not understanding processing though, having never traveled internationally. If I understand correctly I need to secure a round trip ticket (Have arrangements paid and destination to showing I am leaving) I am confused how it works when extending stay etc… Do airlines extend return flights indefinitely? Which E Book explains it simply Bob? I find your materials very beneficial, as I have said before you do a tremendous service. It is incredible to me, how informative Your band of authors can be in painting a picture of Life in the Philippines.

  8. Given the aging, Jeff Knick, that would also indicate that it would be important to live in an area where good health care is available as well. I am glad that I have been able to be even a small help to you in finding the answers that will help you. Thank you for that! Don’t worry, extending your stay is easy and you will not have a problem with it. The airlines won’t really be of help on that, but you just do it through the bureau of immigration. You will likely want to not have a round trip ticket, just a one way, and a cheap throw away ticket out of the country to satisfy the requirement for an ongoing ticket. For the best information on all of this, I would recommend my book series “How to move to the Philippines” The PH Pro Package should have every bit of information needed! http://expatisland.com/ph-pro-all-in-package-2/

  9. May I ask Jeff what country you call home? If the USA and you have serious disabling and deteriating conditions as you state I would suggest you stay there as you will not find treatment in the Philippines as cheap as in the USA, that is if you have Medicare & Plan B in which case your out of pocket cost is practically nil along with the best health care in the world. Been in the hospital 3 times in the past 4 years, non invasive surgery (cancer) Gout and these 3 stays would have cost close to $100 thousand but my out of pocket money was only $450. So, think again, as Philhealth will not pay that much and you can’t use Medicare in the Fils.

    • Heinz, did you take into account your premiums and the 1.6% income tax for Medicare you’ve paid all your working life with no income cap? You have to add that to the $450 plus ongoing premiums. Still far less than your estimate for the bills, although in CR, say, your bills would have been about 20% of what you would have paid and I’m confident the result would have been the same or better.

      • I got a little chuckle when you mentioned CR, Casey. 🙂 The reason being, here in the Philippines the abbreviation “CR” means “Comfort Room” or bathroom. That was the first thing that came to mind when I saw it in your comment, then I realized that you live in “Costa Rica”. 🙂

  10. Jeff I would suggest getting a round trip ticket with an open return date. A one way would only save you a hunred or so. If you decide it’s not going to be what you thought you will have the return ticket for one year. It’s a lot more expensive to buy a ticket from over seas to the United States. Even Business people will buy a ticket to the USA and then get a round trip ticket to the USA if they know they will be returning.

  11. Thank for the recommendation thats kinda where I was leaning after reviewing the choices. I Will Purchase because I already know the certainty of its value. Even though cheap throw away was the answer I was looking for.

  12. Thanks Guys (Heinz, Mel) You both make valid points I’ve gone round and around with in consideration of all. Fresh input and unbiased thinking are much appreciated and most welcome.

  13. I chose rural Siargao Island, the north side of it and I loved it except for my english neighbor. and in 2017 will be out in the rural outskirts with the hillbillys south of cagayan De Oro city. Here in ther US I was born and raised in Indianapolis and couldn’t wait to get to the country which I did. I like bein out of touch. my river house here in the states had no internet and if i danced right on a wedensday on my right foot I got some phone signal. as long as i can drive to civilization with in 45 mins i am good. Live in the foothills of North carolina also…no net, no phone, nice quiet land and a plotful of good garden. got three hectars we are gonna raise goats and chickens and fish and crops. always been a loner, i tend to piss people off haha

  19. Don’t forget to raise Wabbits, taste better than chickens and easier to slaughter. Harvest them at about 16 weeks @ 5lbs and you’ll have meat galore, even a cash crop!

  21. My place is still in between city and rural, from my terrace I can see a virgin forest (still), in the morning I listen to many tropical birds, even eagles showing up here (also still) and the city is only 12 k’s away, I enjoy the peace and the better air quality up here but if I need the hustle or bustle of the city I swing myself in a taxi or jeepney and go.

  23. Like Andreas, we chose to enjoy a country life close to town. We are less than 20 minutes from a sizeable town that has everything we could need including good health care. But, we have total peace and tranquility and fantastic Tico neighbors and lots of room to pursue agricultural activities such as growing coffee. I can foresee a day, however, were we might want an urban lifestyle especially when our younger son is off to college.

    I think for people from the States not close to retirement age or who have limited funds, seeking affordable, quality health care is a primary reason for going expat. Unless you qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, health care in the U.S. is expensive and potentially bankrupting even if you are employed or are able to get a policy thanks to the ACA when you could not before. Costa Rica has a great balance between private and public care and I no longer worry about becoming bankrupt due to a major illness and I don’t even have private insurance.

    I don’t think you could find a more stable country or one more friendly than here either. Choosing a spot with the best weather is a bit tricky though, amazingly so for such a small area of land.

  24. Bob u mentioned u have 2 services one for back up. Which one is the best, and i’m assuming DSL is wired into home ? And any other thing worth mentioning that is good to know ?

    • DSL is always better than cellular if it’s at least 2mb or more, since it’s a steady stream and usually far higher speeds are available than even 4G can provide. Cellular is a shared service, so depends on the time of day or the strength of the signal. I use cellular but only when traveling or as backup on those rare occasions that our DSL goes down. – Casey (not Bob)

      • Here in the Philippines, you just never know about Internet. My DSL is the fastest speed that is available – 5 Mbps. My LTE, though, using the cellular network gives me between 30 – 65 Mbps, and is half the price! 🙂

  25. Hi Michael – I have DSL from Globe (Digital Subscriber Line) and yes, that is wired over the telephone line. I have LTE through Smart Communications, which is wireless. The LTE is much faster. But, if I download anything requiring a large amount of bandwidth, then they throttle my speeds. So, I use a mix of the two. They are both excellent and reliable, just have different strengths and weaknesses.

    • Stop making me jealous Bob.

      We asked PLDT for DSL a few years ago but we were told that we have to wait for a connection to become available. Last week they said they were coming to install and lo and behold discovered that there are no available connections!

      As for the LTE, we are just out of the reception area. I can get it in town but not where I live.

      We make do with the Globe standard connection but it leaves a lot to be desired.

      Cheers

      AJ UK

      • Hi AJ – I am not completely sure what a “Globe standard connection” is. My DSL is Globe, and it is way, way better than PLDT. I had PLDT for years and finally got so fed up with them that I booted them and went to Globe. The Globe is way faster, and also way more reliable. I would recommend checking into it to see if Globe offers DSL in your area, I think you will be much happier with it than anything PLDT can give you.

        • Apologies, our Globe is DSL, got me terminology in a twist, but we are lucky if we get 1/2 mb. That is the reason that we want to try PLDT.

          • Hmm… not sure which plan you have. I have the 5 Mbps plan, and I always get at least 4.5 mbps, except on rare occasions, maybe like a total of 30 minutes a month I will experience a slowdown. I never got even 1 Mbps on PLDT. Good luck! Has Globe ever been out to check your line and figure out what is going on?

  29. PLDT improved a lot. Since 2 or 3 month I was no more offline. I pay 1040 something a month incl phone and the speed is even ok for online streaming. When the connection was down it last only a few minutes. Compare to the speed I had in Germany this is nothing but its the choice of an expat. I have a better life now b4 just a faster internet connection ;-).

  32. Its a special technologie, frequence bla bla don’t have much idea about it. I just know they are implementing LTE in Germany in places not hanging on the glass fiber net e.g. villages in the deep provinces. Germany’s inet providers paid billions to the goverment to use those frequences. For PH a good way to speed up. I am waiting only till I am sure my area is really covered.

  38. I am ready to buy but I want to be sure. So you say the speed is throttled. How fast then? If I don’t need a half day for a download its ok. B4 2 Gig I got in a few minutes. But not here hehe.

  39. There is only one way to know if there is coverage in your area, try it by having a friend test with an LTE phone or other LTE equipment. Speed is not throttled unless you violate the rules, mostly by downloading too much data. If throttled it is worthless, around 1 mbps. There are ways to bypass the throttling though, which I will not post here.

  41. Hmm… I would love to… I don’t have portable LTE equipment, though. I used to have a pocket wifi that would be great for that, but I sold it as I no longer needed it. I could probably bring my big router over, but not the antenna.

  42. I used a USB stick with a prepaid smart card before. The connection was mega bad, 2 years ago. I had to go upstairs on the terrace to have a weak connection. But that was not LTE. Smart is generally a bit weak here. Sometimes I have no connectivity at all. I wonder if the LTE would be better. But hey to disconnect your working router, that’s a bit too much. I remember we had a friend here with a pocket wifi but her connection was down and she asked me for access to my PLDT wifi router… But Bob Martin, my fresh milled coffee is also good if you come up here even without router for a chat and we’ll see what we can cook for you and Feyma. 🙂

  43. I am sorry, Andreas, but testing with a USB stick on 3G is of no value in knowing what the performance of 4G/LTE will be. If LTE is working in your area, of course it will be better. It is either available or not. If it is available it is fantastic. If it is not available it is nothing. The only way to know is to test it out. I don’t mind bringing my router over, but without the antenna it will be hard to know how good of a signal you can or cannot get. Let’s give it a try.

  44. Ok if you really would :-). My house is maybe high enough to test the signal, specially on the terrace. Nobody’s antenna here is reaching the height of my terrace. I can even spit inside their satellite dishes hehe. The house of a other German is called “The Church” here, mine is the fortress hehe. Reminding me to Hitler’s retreat http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obersalzberg .Its looking so high because the landfill. For more details about the time, day and food served… PM lang haha before all expats are showing up here. 🙂

  45. After living through yet another dreary ‘summer’ (ha!) in England, the thought of some sunshine is very encouraging. But I am 65 now and feel perhaps I have left it too late. For me, security (in its various forms) is important and so I would seek somewhere with relatively low crime (I know Davao is very good in that respect), good hospitals and a stable environment. To be in the sunshine every day whilst not feeling secure would be pointless. When I ask people about weather in The Philippines, I am often told that it only occasionally has thunderstorms but MindanaoBob says it is almost daily (how refreshing to have someone who tells it as it is). It would be an advantage to live somewhere with a low cost of living but coming from the UK with ‘free’ healthcare and ‘free’ education, plus the cost of electrical goods and energy in The Philippines being so high, the advantage is not so great. Also, my Filipina partner can earn a good wage here in the UK but in The Philippines I think it would not be worth her working for the wages offered. On balance I think I would not really be much better off financially. And I feel I would want to isolate myself so much from the noise of Filipino life (traffic, karaoke, cockerels) that perhaps I would start living in a mini-foreign country. On the positive side, there are factors such as the sunshine, beaches, local foods, flora and fauna and experience of a different culture. One of my mottos in life is “he who hesitates is lost” but you wouldn’t think so from what I have just written! Maybe if I was 45 instead of 65 I would be thinking differently.

    • Hi Steve – I can understand that. I lived through so many dreary summers, winters, springs and falls in the USA, that I sure do enjoy the nice sunny weather here in Davao. 65 is not too late. I chose to move here at a young age (38), and I am glad that I did it, but many people move here in their 70s or even older!

      For security, I highly recommend Davao. Good weather too, friendly people, etc. I feel that I have found a great place to live.

  46. On Internet Speed, regardless of what kind of service you have, if the website you are using or it’s servers get bogged down during prime time I think it is going to be slower ?

    For my last 6 visits I have been bringing a netpad or is it a notepad ( not quite a laptop ) and use it with a Globe Tattoo. I get constant full scale signal strength.

    I use Facebook most of the time as a way to stay in contact with local friends and also to see what is happening locally. Most of the time I have what I would call ” decent ” speed but during Prime Time, about 6 PM to 11 PM Facebook seems to slow down to a crawl. Even the chat feature is intermittent. Other websites seem to be closer to normal speed for the equipment and connection I am using. This indicates to me, that somewhere in the system it is getting bogged down from so many on the website, in this case Facebook at the same time. After 11 PM or later it gets back to normal.
    I don’t have that kind of situation here in the USA, with any kind of regularity like I have had on my visits to PH.

    • Hi Bob – The things that you are mentioning are very important, and are all available here if you choose the right place. I have found Davao to be perfect for me, but Iligan is also a nice place, and I have been there many times. If you were there for longer periods you could get great Internet there. I have a friend who is a real Iliganon, and he gets great Internet in the 40 Mbps range.

      • I am sure there are many other options available but for me it is only short term visits and with what I have been using it does OK for me. It seems the past couple of visits that Facebook slows down to a crawl in the evening hours. I think this may not be so much of an ISP problem but more of whatever Facebook is using for servers in that area or region must get overloaded with activity.

        • Hi Bob – Yep, for a relatively short term visit, even if those visits are many, there is only so much you can do. I have no issues with Facebook, I think it is more likely an ISP speed issue. 🙂

  47. My most important considerations, based on my visits, would be a constant supply of electricity ( minimal brownouts of short time duration ), Constant water supply either from a well or municipal system. Something between urban and sub-urban, single dwelling residence in a reasonably quiet neighborhood, good health care facilities, a residence not prone to flooding, a variety of consumer and commercial / industrial stores and shops, reliable internet of decent constant speed. The more I look into it, relocating to PH is Not necessarily a ” bargain ” that it might first appear to be. In some things yes but in other cases such as the cost of electricity no, especially if you prefer to have Air Conditioning going on almost all of the time.

    My biggest concern would be, what happens if my money runs out before I do, but I think I would have that concern wherever I live.

    • Good electricity. That is one place where Davao really shines! We had a one hour brownout last night, but it is very rare. In fact, it is rare to even have a 5 minute brownout here.

  48. Hi Bob, been living in Manila 7 years here you have everything the best shopping malls first class hospitals, lots of things to do the countryside is
    Just 2 hours drive away, the minus side is to much traffic to many people
    Living in Manila but you take the good with the bad no were is perfect ,
    Could I live in the province not for me I would be bored to tears lots of
    Expats have this dream lying in a hammock under a mango tree it always
    End up them getting bored or skint and going home, to Steve in England
    I would stay were you are you have to many doubts I left England 7 years
    Ago and I’m glad I did wife could not take another winter, Derek in pasig.

    • Hi Derek,

      I do feel that Manila has a lot of great advantages in terms of what is there to offer. On the other hand… for me personally, I could not live there. The downsides are too much for me. But, for those who don’t mind those things or can live with them, why not? I feel that I have found the perfect spot for myself here in Davao!

  49. We’re on our way to the Philippines to retire. So while we stop off in Hawaii to visit family I will apply for my 13a visa. I am assuming that since I will be on an immigrant visa I will be able to purchase a one way ticket? If I’m wrong let me know.

    Our largest consideration is health care costs. We’ll be getting PhilHealth but also have Tricare we can use while living in Cebu. I understand it’s a pain to file claims but I’ve read people are doing it so I’ve never been scared off by nay sayers.

    We’re super excited about this next chapter of our lives and I’m looking forward to our adventures to come.

    • Hi Jim – The only thing that I would question about your plan is when you said you are going to “stop off” in Hawaii and apply for your 13a visa there. That sort of sounds like you will just be there for a few days or so, I am not sure. It takes at the very minimum a month or so to get the visa, 2 months is more likely. So, you would need to stay for a while to accomplish your plan. I would also be a bit worried about doing it far from home (I don’t know where you live, because you mention traveling to HI to do it, so I assume you live on the mainland). If you need a certain document to present (you never know what they will ask for, it changes all of the time), you might not have it in hand, and may have to go back home to get it, etc. Anyway it is doable if you allow yourself time, and have every possible document with you.

      As for TriCare – that is a real mess from everything I hear, so good luck, hope it works out for you.

      • We will be in Hawaii for 5 months. We have every document they could dream of asking for (even high school transcripts from 40 years ago). I am fairly confident we have it.