Visa Problems – No Worries! Usually Solved!

Down Under Visa is presented with many kinds of problems that couples are having trying to meet the requirements for their visa application. We could just say –“Sorry mate, but we can’t help you, and walk away. However, that’s not how we roll! Rarely will we turn down a case. We accept the challenge.

Our clients present us with many difficult scenarios and many serious problems such as:

 ·         Health problems

·         Child custody issues

·         False documents

·         Annulments

·         Previous visa application refusals

We have even had couples who are squabbling simply because of misunderstanding one another. With our help clearing up the confusion, they were able to once again be in harmony, and get their treasured Partner Visa. With our years of experience and expertise in acquiring fiancée visas, we find a way to work through any issues our clients are having.

We deal with problems as they come. All legitimate clients are entitled to a fair go, and we do whatever it takes.

Two Common Traps Facing Beginners in the Visa Process

Down Under Visa are Australian Registered Migration Agents. Most of our clients are Australian men who have fallen in love with Filipina women, and want to get them visas so they can migrate to Australia. There is a variety of issues that our clients face, but two of them occur quite frequently, so I would like to focus on these issues in this blog post.

Trap Number 1

The issue that comes up the most is when the client tells us that their lady is married. They will say, “But she is separated from her husband.” The problem is that, to get married, or to apply for a prospective marriage visa, both parties must be free to marry!

The Philippines do not have a “no fault” divorce such as Australia does. A married couple may be legally separated, but “the marriage bonds shall not be severed.” The Philippines has an annulment process instead. (Refer to the Family Code of the Philippines)

Vigan City: A Touch of Spain

Vigan City is on the western coast of Luzon, and is a famous in the past as the centre of Chinese trade ships during the 15th century, Vigan was once an island itself. After hundreds of years of erosion and silt along the Mestizo River have now made Vigan a part of the mainland of Luzon itself.

Vigan City is like a city set in a time capsule and is still continually being preserved for all the generations to come. The city since 1999 has been credited as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This induction brings light to Vigan and allows for the world to take notice of one of the last remaining Hispanic towns within the Philippines.

Philippines President, Elpidio Quirino and Padre Jose Burgos, a Philippine National Hero, both call Vigan City their home. Quirino was born in 1890, Elpidio in 1919 was elected to the Philippine Congress .He freed the Philippines from American control in 1934 and then became the vice president to Manuel Roxas. Roxas died in 1948 and Quirino became President for six years but his administration suffered from corruption.

If you love history you will enjoy strolling along the cobblestone streets of Calle Crisologo. There is also something for animal lovers who visit Baluarte – a mini zoo owned by former Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson.

When visiting the historic area look out for the horse drawn carts which the Mestizo Historic District with its ancestral homes which encompass several architectural designs including Spanish Colonial, European, Filipino and Oriental elements.

There are several districts within the city to see first-hand the time honoured traditions of Abel weaving and pot making. From hand and foot powered looming to kneading of pottery by caribou oxen to produce traditional pots, urns and jars.

Vigan City is a city set in a time capsule and preserved for generations to come. The city has been marked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999 and is small in size but big in beauty and history. From the churches of St. Paul’s Cathedral to the bold St. Augustine cathedral the beauty of these structures will astound you. Not only are they beautiful in themselves but the bell tower, cemetery and plaza’s which surround them keep a person in full photographic mode along the way. Many of these sites can be toured on foot or by tricycle transport due to their close proximity.

For those looking for fun adventures outside of the historic distinction visit the Balurate Zoo. From tigers to ostriches this zoo carries many local and regional animals for everyone to see and enjoy. The unique dinosaur statues are another great photo opportunity for the whole family.

From the river tours of the Mestizo River to the distinctive eateries, cafes and local hang outs, Vigan City has it all. One trip and you will fall in love with such a small city with a massive hold on the heart and soul of the Philippine Islands.

Jeff Harvie is an Australian Registered Migration Agent (MARN 0959797) who has given up the quiet life in Australia a few years back for one more adventurous with his Filipina wife and kids in Manila, Philippines. He runs Down Under Visa, which specialises in Australian partner visas for those Aussie men who fall madly in love with the local girls and want to bring them to Australia.

In the Philippines-Batan Islands

When looking at the map of Luzon in the Philippines and to the right at the top you will see the Batanes Islands. The capital of Batan is Basco which was named after Capitán General José Basco who led the Philippines to victory over New Spain, which is now Mexico. He established the Economic Society of Friends of the Country, which revived the tobacco industry in the Philippines and made the colony independent, by freeing it from the control of New Spain, which is today part of Mexico and other Pacific Islands including Philippines.

Basco the capital of Batan has around an 8000 population along with a very small airport that links to Manila the capital. The 1980 Batanes province population of just over 12,000 was only a 6% increase over the 1948 population. The estimated 1989 population of 14,000 was a 6% decrease from the 1988 estimate.

The Japanese invaded the Philippines starting at Batan Island. Their 14th Army began its invasion with a landing on Batan on 8 December 1941, making this the first landing on American territory, which was the same day as the attack on Pearl Harbour. It’s fair to say that Pearl Harbour was the major news story for that month.

The Philippines suffers from natural disasters and on June 1, 2008 a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the Batanes Islands but there were no casualties or damage reported.

Batanes has the smallest province in the Philippines in terms of population and land area and is composed of ten islands and islets located about 270 kilometres north of mainland Luzon and 161 kilometres from the southernmost point of Taiwan. The largest islands are Itbayat, Batan and Sabtang. The Batanes Islands are so far flung out in the China Sea that from Y’ami- some people say that the islands may have belong to Taiwan.

Electricity on the island is provided by a generator, which is only switched on between mid-day and midnight. Most of the Ivatan people here have never travelled to the mainland, let alone the capital. Batan scenery is totally different from elsewhere in the Philippines. The island is dominated by a dormant volcano, Mount Iraya, more than 1,009(1,517) metres.

Mt. Iraya can be climbed, but only during the height of the dry season and with the aid of a guide. The usual way starts at Basco.  A partially well paved road from Basco to Imnajbu in the southeast winds along the island’s rocky cliffs, down to the beaches and rocky shores, and back up again. Though this can be done in one day, at least one overnight stop is suggested.

Jeff Harvie is an Australian Registered Migration Agent (MARN 0959797) who has given up the quiet life in Australia a few years back for one more adventurous with his Filipina wife and kids in Manila, Philippines. He runs Down Under Visa, which specialises in Australian partner visas for those Aussie men who fall madly in love with the local girls and want to bring them to Australia.

The Western Curse of Feminism

I believe that while some aspects of feminism in the west may have helped women
in certain ways, I also think that western society has suffered from it. The
unintended consequence is a nearly 50% failure rate in marriages, an appalling
statistic.

With these kinds of unfortunate failures, many men think
that the solution is to head to the Philippines and marry a
"submissive" Asian woman. They have a “mail order bride”
mentality, believing that a Filipina will do anything for the
man who rescues her from poverty.

These men are surely mistaken. Just forget everything that
you have been told about subservient Filipino women who
are “trained by their mothers to serve men.” This is just a
myth. If you think you can find a Filipina who acts like a
docile little lady that only speaks when spoken to, and bows
and calls you “Master,” sorry mate, not going to happen.

Me Tarzan - You Jane

While Filipina's are not the submissive type of woman that some men have been led to
imagine, they are, however, happy being ladies. They won't want to swap gender roles with
you, and aren't going to be making radical feminist-inspired anti-male put-downs; they want to
marry a man who is a man!

You will find that Filipina ladies are non-confrontational, if they are treated kindly and with
respect. They are good cooks, will clean the house, and take wonderful care of her husband and
children. She will happily take care of you as a loving and feminine wife does, but expects to be
taken care of in turn by a strong man who will protect and support his family.

However, don’t think that you can act like a tyrant or a King in his palace and get away with it.
In contrast, don’t act like a “metrosexual” style spineless wuss either. If you’re a strong good
man, who is a loving, kind, faithful, devoted family man, a good provider, and treats them well,
most will stick by you and treat you with the respect that a good man should have.
Respect must be earned and it must be deserved. If you’re lazy, cheat on them, are a bad
parent, treat them with a lack of kindness or are violent, they will very quickly lose respect for
you.

Harmony

My wife and I have tremendous respect for each other, and for each other’s unique abilities and talents. When one of us is weak or in need the other will be strong. I take care of the men-things, and she takes care of the woman-things. I don’t put on the apron, and she doesn't put on the overalls. She spoils me rotten, and I spoil her rotten. 

We would be lost without each other, and that’s how it should be. Find the right Filipina lady, and you have found the perfect partner and wife.

Language Issues with Your Filipino Lady

Most Filipino’s (who have gone to school) were taught English. English is the Philippines second language. No other Asian country has as many English speakers. Street signs, and the labels on products in stores, are all in English. You can communicate easily and survive without speaking a word of Tagalog in the Philippines.

 However, most ordinary Filipinos prefer to speak Tagalog during every day conversations, or in whatever regional dialect is spoken where they live. The less educated and the poorer the person is….and the further you get from Manila…the less that person will want to have a conversation in English. Those that are forced to speak English to communicate with you will commonly say – “it gives them a nose bleed”

The Aussie Mumble

One very important thing you should recognize is that – very few will learn how to speak or understand the Aussie Mumble! I can honestly say being and Aussie myself, that we tend to mutilate the English language, pronouncing some words very strangely. We make entire sentences sound like single, long words, by running words into each other.

Entire letters can be mumbled away into oblivion. Our adenoids are just as important to speech as our vocal chords are! As the locals are fond of saying - we “swallow our words.” There isn’t any clear exact pronunciation for the Aussie. No-way-mate!  And the poor ladies have to try to interpret what the heck we are talking about in our mumbling Aussie drawl. 

No worries – your Mahal will get used to it in time, just as you will have to get used to her accent, which is another whole issue that we will leave for another post!

So until she gets used to your accent and speech patterns: Speak slowly. Speak clearly.

Try to annunciate each letter and syllable of a word, the ones that we have long considered superfluous.  And very importantly - encourage her to please TELL you if she doesn’t understand what you, or other Aussie family or friends are saying. What’s funny is that she will feel like it is her English that is poor when she is in your world of language mutilators and mumblers, and not yours!

The “Shy” Filipino Stereotype

Filipinos may avoid talking to English speaking people, or even make eye-contact if they feel insecure with their English and be embarrassed, which comes off as shy, and to Aussie’s, this can also be seen as a sign of rudeness or contempt. Explain to her and try to help her overcome her shyness so as to not cause any unnecessary offense or misunderstandings with your relatives and friends, who may think she is being aloof or ignorant. Explain this to them also.

When you are with her family, realize that this is why they may seem to be ignoring you, just because they feel embarrassed about their poor English. While it is fun and cute for you to learn Tagalog, and a little is useful, her improving her English is much more practical.

So just hang in there, it is a learning experience, and you and your Mahal will gradually be in sync and understanding each other on a higher level. And remember - love conquers all!

Don’t Be Afraid To Speak Your Mind To Your Filipina

Western men have spent the last 40 years being told that we are being patriarchal and dominating when we are trying to be decisive, strong, and reliable. We are encouraged to discover our “feminine side,”which is apparently always a positive thing. We are even expected to believe that the Queer Eye for Straight Guy people can come to our house and fix all our testosterone-induced problems.
Many TV shows and movies tell you that the wife and kids hold the moral high-ground and are the smart ones, while the dad is a buffoon. Then there is the bad dad who can’t go to Joey’s baseball game or watch his daughters dance recital because he has to work late (so he can pay for the uniform and baseball gear and the dance lessons). So then what happens?

Men end up scared to be men. He goes to visit his lady in the Philippines and agrees to everything. He expresses no opinion about anything, so he won’t be accused of being patriarchal and dominating.
When her relatives try to take advantage of him, he meekly opens his wallet and says “here ya go,” even though he can’t really afford it.

This spineless bloke is also scared of being seen as a racist; so he surrenders his own cultural identity
and conditioning to her and the Filipino ways, no matter how bonkers they are. What she wants, she
gets. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind! You have experience and intelligence. Use it!

If the person you want to spend your life with has an idea with which you don’t agree, one that may

adversely affect your relationship and your future - Then TELL her! 

Here are 7 things that you DO NOT want to do:

1. Give more money to relatives than you can afford or you are happy with.

2. Sponsor relatives to come to Australia if you’re really not happy with the idea.

3. Put off her immigration process just because her mother doesn’t want her to leave, if you think

it should be started. These things take time and the longer you wait, the longer it takes.

4. Agree to get married in the Philippines instead of Australia just because she wants to, if you

would rather have your wedding in Australia.

5. Wait three years to fill out her immigration application because her parents want her to finish

going to college first, if you feel strongly otherwise.

6. Have your bed full of 7 and 8 year old children if it makes you uncomfortable.

7. Change your diet to nothing but Filipino food, while she is not willing to make any dietary

changes. 

TALK about things!
Begin your relationship making joint-decisions, and make sure BOTH of you do plenty of compromising.
This is what good marriages are built on, and it will ensure that you have a close relationship - where
BOTH of you are happy and fulfilled - for many years to come.