Second Helping of advice please

I share that view.

Hi, I'm getting married in Manila in September. I have 4 weeks out there. booked my appointment at the Embassy For the day after I land. My good lady has arranged all that needs to be.
Hoping to be able to start the spouse visa while I'm there. Anyone with any tips would be very grateful.

What do you need to know Luke?

You need to compile what is effectively a dossier of evidence in support of your future wifes application.

Also do you satisfy the financial requirement by grossing over £18600 per annum?

Yes thanks. I have read all the info and meet all the requirements for the wedding and the spouse visa. It's more when she is here that I'm concerned about. I live in a small town in bucks. It's very quiet, and her coming from Manila leaving the family is more what I'm worried about.
So I'm just try to find out how it has been for others that have made the move?

OK. I was just trying to get the ball rolling there. IE get you to let us know a bit more about what stage you were at and what advice you were after. But clearly, from what you now say, you don't need help so much on the visa process.

Again, where do we start? The first thing I did when my wife arrived in the UK was to take her clothes shopping. Actually before that I asked her not to bring heaps of shorts but suggested she bring all of her jeans and hoodies as she was arriving 1st October. Then we she arrived in Manchester I took her for shoes and and a warm jacket and some warmer tops etc. A bit of a challenge as she is 4ft 10inches high.

To be honest it took some time for my wife to adjust. She did have bouts of homesickness. And getting used to the food here was challenging. It does depend a bit on the Filipina. We live in the Isle of Man and it isnt exactly Manila either but we have Filipinos here on the Island which helps a lot. And we located the local oriental shop where we get in a certain amount of Filipino food each week.

It did take her time to adjust to the weather but that is long since behind us. She sometimes complains it is too hot here now.

Another thing we did very early on was to register her with the local GP and open a bank account for her.

And I bought her means by which she could contact home anytime while I was at work, in our case an iPad.

Also, once my wife had got her visa we gave her a good couple of weeks to say goodbyes and all that. Her nephew's birthday was around that time so she stayed for that. Stuff like that. As it was the last time she would see them all for a long time.

Any how, any more questions do ask. And also wait and see what some of the other chaps on here say.

Its probably true to say that Filipinos are one of the most adaptable people when it comes to upping sticks and moving to another country, for many years now Filipinos have spread themselves across the globe to find work and better their lives for them and their families.

Except for the small obvious matters of food and climate that John has mentioned I think there is nothing to worry about that a warm coat and a rice steamer cant put right

Oh yes. Can't wait for the rice ha.

Thanks, just trying to make it as easy as I can for her. But have the wedding to look forward to 1st.

Yes. I never came across rice cookers before my wife arrived. Great gadgets especially if you like rice.

If her family can all access the Internet then in theory she can use Skype or Facetime. If not, allow for some fairly sizeable telephone bills because she is very likely to spend hours on the phone and will not think that texts actually cost money.

Yes. Indeed. My wife left her notebook type laptop at home to her mom so they could stay in touch via internet.

Sensible approach. But if the lady's folks live in the countryside, as is the case with Kay's parents, they can get cellphone coverage but probably no internet.

I don't like the sound of large telephone bills, something definitely to be considered though, in other words find yourself a woman with a good internet connection

Its certainly very expensive having Filipina loved ones that's for sure.

"Don't ask me how I know that!"

Bought a couple of fresh bukos yesterday, to give that being in the Philippines feeling to the Mrs. Just drinking the juice right now. LOL. £2.50 each, mind.

What are bukos John? pray tell

You pulling my leg?

Give the lad a coconut

She was claiming they were too sweet mind (like goldilocks and the porridge). Not like at home she said.

A young coconut?