Help- charity worker needs some advice with bringing son and wife to Australia!

hypobuang · May 2012

kumista!

I hope you guys can help me with some advice. since 2005 I have been staying on and off with my wife in the Philippines on my aussie disability support pension (therefore I have a very low budget!). the government is changing the rules regarding me staying with my family and i now have to stay in Australia. this is devastating news for myself and my family. I love the Philippino people and will now have to bring my wife and son here, so I need some good advice on what forms to fill out and requirements regarding permanent residency for my family.

My son is nearly 5yrs old, we have been married for 4yrs and have been together for 7yrs.

We have been donating books to schools in Bohol and Leyte. the last shipment went last week but we plan on keeping the book progam going, but are now including clothes for the kids. so far we have donated nearly 3,000 books to 25 schools that are all severely underfunded and in remote locations. We are also active rotary members and are involved in medical/ dental missions, caring for the disabled and elderly, reforrestation, mangrove planting etc.

I have recently started a facebook page called 'giving smiles' its all about the book program. we dont recieve any money for the book program, its totally self funded and the books are sent in balakbayan boxes so freight is costly. Books are bought from garage sales and op shops. more recently local schools have been helping out with some of thier old books.

LBC have a page called 'LBC foundation'. we put some pics in there if you want to chek it out.

Im really hoping that a migration agent will read this and have some compassion for our situation and offer some help. All I need is some advice on what to do. Im not very smart, but am good at donating books and helping the poor! Im terrible at anything to do with filling out forms and get really confused quickly due to my disability.

any replies PLEASE keep them to engish as I dont speak tagalog (only Cebuano, gamai lang!)...

hypobuang · May 2012

PS. I contacted one migration agent thru philippines.com.au website but he wanted $240 for advice and a step by step guide on what to do. he wanted around $5300 to act on our behalf (to visa approval stage). but he said there would be extra fees for transport and other documents. (his usual fee was $3600, but he gave us a discount to $2400).

Times are hard due to the new laws the government is imposing on the disabled. Many DSP recipients will just be leaving thier wives and will be forced to stay in Australia without them. The next to be hit will be the old aged pensioners abroad. Its sad but its just the way things are going. I cant bear to be away from my lovely family so its best that they will come here to start a new life...

thanks in advance for any advice kind people!

lock_code2004 · May 2012

@hypobuang - welcome to this site..

im not an expert, but to better understand/clarify, I would like to ask some questions if you don't mind:
- I believe you are an Australian Citizen?
- And you are married to a Filipina?
- You mentioned you are married, so therefore your son is Australian by decent?

if all these are true.. then you need to apply for your wife a Partner Visa: Offshore Temporary and Permanent (Subclasses 309 and 100)

start reading here: http://www.immi.gov.au/migrants/partners/partner/309-100/

i suggest you also get in touch with the Australian embassy in manila, so they can offer advice to you.. goodluck!

hypobuang · May 2012

thanks so much for the link Kya, Ill check out the immi link. I'm actually a NZ citizen but have been here for 30years so Im a special catergory visa holder (class 444), same as an aussie really.
yes my wife is Filipina, we were married in the Philippines, but my wife has never travelled outside of the Philippines. ill look at the link you gave now... daghan salamat po!

lock_code2004 · May 2012

@hypobuang - you are most welcome..

yes.. so your wife is valid to apply for either visa309 (temporary) or visa100.
but since you are married, she is eligible for visa 100 (permanent residence).
goodluck..