JC and Immigration Rant

[biggles 509]

"Linked in the Philippes but not in Thailand, in the USA but not in Canada. " 

Not in Australia either and we even have Queen Liz as our head of state!! 

[Bushcraft 2,572]

England is a cruel mother - she sometimes eats her children.

[jacko 8,786]

14 hours ago, Bushcraft said:

It's a disgrace - to my knowledge no other country does this to its pensioners living abroad, or in some countries but not others.  

I believe the Australian system deters living overseas... I have heard the comment that they need to be resident in Oz sufficient time. One pal moved back. I will let someone who knows what they are talking of respond.

[gus in cebu 37]

1 year balikbayan visa on arrival if you ask nicely and tell them your girlfriend / fiancée will be arriving later or is waiting for you .

This is absolutely incorrect.
Balikbayan is not a visa , but, a privilege .
A privilege granted to a spouse or family member of a Filipino .
Not girlfriend/fiancee !
The act states the husband/child must be arriving with the Filipino citizen .



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[Butch 3,456]

12 hours ago, gus in cebu said:

 

This is absolutely incorrect.
Balikbayan is not a visa , but, a privilege .
A privilege granted to a spouse or family member of a Filipino .
Not girlfriend/fiancee !
The act states the husband/child must be arriving with the Filipino citizen .



Sent from my Mi A2 Lite using Tapatalk
 

 

Technically yes, it is a privilege, but when it is granted it acts in the same way (well, it alters the parameters of one) as a visa and can be granted to a fiancee on discretion of the issuing officer. Hence when I get one, my Visa has "BB" written on it.

Secondly, the documentation they say is needed to support a balikbayan visa ( I call it a visa because it technically is, even the Immigration officers refer to it as such) is never needed, at least I have never been asked to provide it when at the front desk, nor was I asked for it when renewing.

I have also, numerous times informed the immigration officer my girlfriend / fiancee is outside or arriving later and been issued one,  but then again since 1999 I've only been visiting the RP 3 times a year along with having lived there as well,  so to be honest, I think that I've got a fairly good idea of how it works.

Immigration are quite relaxed about issuing the BB visa, at least in NAIA , which something you are quite obviously unaware of. Might be worth checking how the system works before accusing someone and bleating on about me being "absolutely incorrect", then simply copying the words from the web.

As you say, it is on paper, a privilege extended to spouses and family, but I would like to reiterate, having been through NAIA countless times, alone , I have never been refused a BB Visa when I've asked, and only once was I actually not given one. I could arguably put that down to the number of stamps I have in my PP, but I would hedge my bets on the immigration officer not really giving a shit whether I have one or not.

Edited December 17, 2019 by Butch

[Butch 3,456]

On 12/16/2019 at 7:57 AM, yogi100 said:

We know someone who has just gone back to the UK with kidney problems (he does not drink) and as soon as he told them he'd been living in Thailand they informed him that they would be expecting him to pay for his treatment.

He was a London bus driver who had taken an early retirement package to come and live in Pattaya six years ago after having paid into the UK welfare system all his working life.

He has no property, not much money and had only been in his company pension scheme for eleven years.

Sometimes the best option is to keep schtum, say you've been living with relatives. Another way is to go into A&E, but you have to provide either an NHS number or address, again, use a friends address and tell them you're lodging there, never admit to have lived abroad, they won't check if they don't suspect anything, thus if he is English then he should be ok.

It bloody stinks though, the amount of cost that "medical tourists" from places like Africa and now China are costing the NHS is disgusting, these are people who have never paid a red cent into the system at all, they come over, get free "emergency" treatment then go home,  leaving a bill behind them. Nigerians are the worst offenders from Africa apparently.

 

[yogi100 1,925]

1 hour ago, Butch said:

Sometimes the best option is to keep schtum, say you've been living with relatives. Another way is to go into A&E, but you have to provide either an NHS number or address, again, use a friends address and tell them you're lodging there, never admit to have lived abroad, they won't check if they don't suspect anything, thus if he is English then he should be ok.

It bloody stinks though, the amount of cost that "medical tourists" from places like Africa and now China are costing the NHS is disgusting, these are people who have never paid a red cent into the system at all, they come over, get free "emergency" treatment then go home,  leaving a bill behind them. Nigerians are the worst offenders from Africa apparently.

 

But this bloke is a raving leftie who is that naive that he would simply refuse to believe that he, an Englishman would be expected to pay again for health treatment he's already paid for through his NHS contributions. It must have brought him down to earth with a considerable shock when he found out that the wonderful socialist paradise that the likes of himself had helped to create was not so wonderful after all when it came to his personal welfare.

He's the sort of prick who'd open the door to all and sundry and let 'em use the NHS and everything else free of charge. You argue with him about it and all he can say is that you're a racist etc. He was even ranting one time about 10,000 Muslims marching through London protesting about the terrorist attacks which we all know is complete bollocks, they were probably protesting that there were not enough of them.

 He's likely a pal of Gawd Elpus AKA Mr Pastry or whatever he's calling himself these days on that new forum he's helping to moderate FFS.

No one, least of all myself was going to mark his card about what to expect when he turned up to throw himself on the mercy of the NHS with his problem. But he has little money and rather than raise a rumpus they'll probably give him the treatment he should rightly receive without further ado. The NHS can't afford to receive any more bad publicity than they already get.

I couldn't stand the bloke but was sympathetic to his plight. Some mutual friends who have kept in touch with him since he returned to the UK have been keeping me up to date with the developments.

[yogi100 1,925]

1 hour ago, Butch said:

Sometimes the best option is to keep schtum, say you've been living with relatives. Another way is to go into A&E, but you have to provide either an NHS number or address, again, use a friends address and tell them you're lodging there, never admit to have lived abroad, they won't check if they don't suspect anything, thus if he is English then he should be ok.

It bloody stinks though, the amount of cost that "medical tourists" from places like Africa and now China are costing the NHS is disgusting, these are people who have never paid a red cent into the system at all, they come over, get free "emergency" treatment then go home,  leaving a bill behind them. Nigerians are the worst offenders from Africa apparently.

 

He's one of those arse holes who'd say the NHS at least in London would collapse without immigrant staff in the hospitals while conveniently overlooking the fact that most of the patients these days are immigrants themselves. Or the offspring of immigrants.

The number of fatal and non fatal stabbings in London is at an all time high and most of the offenders and victims are young people of immigrant stock. But still enough for London to be able to claim that it is the knife crime capital of Europe. That's some accolade for what used to be a city in which just a few decades ago any murder would be reported on the front page of all the national newspapers. And those London victims of stabbings and slashings with knives, machetes and swords all have to be treated in London's hospitals.

[Butch 3,456]

5 hours ago, yogi100 said:

But this bloke is a raving leftie who is that naive that he would simply refuse to believe that he, an Englishman would be expected to pay again for health treatment he's already paid for through his NHS contributions. It must have brought him down to earth with a considerable shock when he found out that the wonderful socialist paradise that the likes of himself had helped to create was not so wonderful after all when it came to his personal welfare.

He's the sort of prick who'd open the door to all and sundry and let 'em use the NHS and everything else free of charge. You argue with him about it and all he can say is that you're a racist etc. He was even ranting one time about 10,000 Muslims marching through London protesting about the terrorist attacks which we all know is complete bollocks, they were probably protesting that there were not enough of them.

 He's likely a pal of Gawd Elpus AKA Mr Pastry or whatever he's calling himself these days on that new forum he's helping to moderate FFS.

No one, least of all myself was going to mark his card about what to expect when he turned up to throw himself on the mercy of the NHS with his problem. But he has little money and rather than raise a rumpus they'll probably give him the treatment he should rightly receive without further ado. The NHS can't afford to receive any more bad publicity than they already get.

I couldn't stand the bloke but was sympathetic to his plight. Some mutual friends who have kept in touch with him since he returned to the UK have been keeping me up to date with the developments.

The problem with people like that is that he will blame everyone but migrants for the issues, he will blame the right wing govt for not putting enough into it.

The argument I use against people saying that "migrants help the NHS run, without them it will collapse" is :

"I agree, but the migrants using the NHS are working and paying taxes, not claiming benefits and have a right to work in the UK as they have brought with them the skillset needed to legally live here, unlike the leeches and illegal immigrants who abuse the NHS and have never paid a dime into it".

Sounds like the bloke won't like the reception he gets, maybe it might be worth pointing out to him that one reason he is getting charged for treatment is due, in part to the cost of treating those who have not paid into it. Then laugh.

[biggles 509]

On 12/17/2019 at 5:32 AM, jacko said:

comment that they need to be resident in Oz sufficient time

On the day you apply you must have been in oz for 2 years. Once approved it is portable, mate has had it paid into his thai bank for 15 years. No annual adjustments tho. Another mate had to return after 15 years in BKK. Had no family there, had to rent accom. 

[Blackwell 288]

Bit off topic. There are a number of rules regarding Australian Age Pension, and it’s portability.

Basic one, to be granted a pension you must be present in Australia, AND you must have the INTENT of living in Australia permanently. If you have been living overseas before being granted the pension, you need to wait 2 years before applying for portability. This rule does not apply if you have been living in Australia up to pension age.

I believe people overseas continue to receive the same increases as those in Aus. There are some parts of the payment  (certain supplements) that they may not receive, and payments are subject to AWL (ie you need to have 35 years residence in Aus for full pension, below that it is pro-rated.)

Thai Visa is a good source of information on the Australian Old Age Pension, with the caveat that it’s a “forum”, not an official site.

[gus in cebu 37]

[quote post="1260539" timestamp="1576575164" name="Butch"

I have never been refused a BB Visa when I've asked, and only once was I actually not given one. I could arguably put that down to the number of stamps I have in my PP, but I would hedge my bets on the immigration officer not really giving a shit whether I have one or not.


So the generalized comment ..in your original post ..just ask for a BB and you'll get one is not correct ..
You forgot to add ..have a long history of visitation , including previous BB stamps .. but , that's still not a guarantee ..
This topic is regularly discussed on PI forums and I can assure you .. not everyone relates the same experience as you do ..
I have a similar PI history that u do, Inc living there for 4 years ..I'm going next month ..I'll try your strategy , but not holding out much hope ..I might owe you a beer ..who knows !



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[Butch 3,456]

On 12/20/2019 at 12:50 AM, gus in cebu said:

[quote post="1260539" timestamp="1576575164" name="Butch"

I have never been refused a BB Visa when I've asked, and only once was I actually not given one. I could arguably put that down to the number of stamps I have in my PP, but I would hedge my bets on the immigration officer not really giving a shit whether I have one or not.


So the generalized comment ..in your original post ..just ask for a BB and you'll get one is not correct ..
You forgot to add ..have a long history of visitation , including previous BB stamps .. but , that's still not a guarantee ..
This topic is regularly discussed on PI forums and I can assure you .. not everyone relates the same experience as you do ..
I have a similar PI history that u do, Inc living there for 4 years ..I'm going next month ..I'll try your strategy , but not holding out much hope ..I might owe you a beer ..who knows !



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Just returning home from the RP from over Christmas, was issued a BB Visa on arrival after asking. I actually asked the immigration officer if I could have one as my wife is arriving on a later flight, she looked at me, and then stamped it in and wrote "BB". I suppose I now owe myself a beer ?  - Got to use these HK$ for something I guess.

Edited January 5, 2020 by Butch
shitty Hong Kong airport wifi