The Filipina visa applicant is employed, and circumstances with a visa application means that maybe she needs to leave her job, possibly earlier than she had planned to.

This is an issue that comes up from time to time for Down Under Visa clients, and needs to be handled with sensitivity particularly by the Australian sponsor.

Jobs in the Philippines

Good jobs are often hard to find in the Philippines. Yes, there are jobs, but the good ones are few and far between. Working 60 hours a week on a 6 month contract at SM, or living and working in a stranger’s house whilst hand-washing their clothes, yes not so difficult to find. But well-paying, long-term employment…..these jobs are hard won!

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW’s) often have the best jobs available. My wife Mila gave up her job as a teacher because she could work in Taiwan and later Hong Kong and earn far more as a domestic helper. That work paid for a large house for her parents, which would not have happened otherwise. Jobs like this take time, effort and money to get. OFW’s are hard workers who have sacrificed a lot! They are often stuck overseas in some sometimes fairly horrible countries, and working for often very strict employers. Yet they do this to further their families and themselves.

Common problems

My point is that the process of your lady migrating to Australia often clashes with the requirements of maintaining that great job!

There could be issues with:

• Getting time off to organise documents and other visa requirements. Some employees only get Sundays off, and others don’t get any days off at all. This can make it difficult getting documents certified, etc.
• Getting leave in the first place to travel overseas.
• And in some countries it always seems to be that bit harder to get a visa granted due to perceptions of Filipinos by the locally-employed staff.

Sensitivity is required

As I said already, these jobs are often hard-won. And if, like my wife years ago, she has a job that could build a house for her parents, then this is not something a Filipina lady applicant will take lightly. However you can be in a spot where to further your relationship and to get together you need to make some tough decisions, or more realistically SHE has to make some tough decisions with your support.

Just realise that she is going to be worrying herself sick about what happens if the application fails, or the two of you fail? What if she tosses in that great job and the visa is refused and you walk away? Where is she then? Reality is that if she finishes an overseas job without seeing out her contract, she is “history” in regards to getting another one. Mila left Hong Kong early and broke her contract to be with me years ago. Had she then tried to go back, she would have had no chance.

Clearly you should be decent and never expect that level of sacrifice if you are just doing a try-before-you-buy thing. If you are not 100% committed to a future with a Filipina lady, then be very mindful that she will still need a good life after you’ve moved on.

But if you ARE committed and will stand by her, then you need to assure her of that. And if she needs to give up a salary but still has commitments, then you need to be prepared to make up for that loss. In most cases you’ll find it completely affordable. But most of all, you need to understand her situation and show that you do understand with some serious sensitivity.