[gweilo]

Hi All,
This week, was politely told by immigration that there is no visa for my girlfriend to apply for.
We have been living together since 12 Oct 07, i am a resident and she is filipina, we have extended a number of times and this time was told that no more visitors visa will be granted. I am unable to apply for a dependant visa for her as i am currently going through a nasty divorce that is expected to take another six months.
My G/F is pregnant and our baby is due on Sept 26
The fact that she is pregnant is irrelevant to immigration and was told that "they have excellent healthcare in the Philippines". At the moment unless my divorce comes through there is a very good chance that our baby will be born abroad. Even the Non-local pregnancy scheme that the government has installed at hospitals does not help as it does not help obtain a visa, i have been told that even if i pay the $39,800 fee there is absolutely no confirmation of a visa for her.
She has no criminal record and has never overstayed
The UK granted a 6 month multi entry visa with no problems whatsoever. but my business and home is here
Feeling absolutely helpless, alone and very angry at immigration,

Gweilo

[Meerkat]

Feel for you dude.. that sounds tough.

Sorry I don't have any helpful suggestions....

[Boris]

Have you appealed it ?
Get a good lawyer and fight like hell.

[KnowItAll]

Appeal on what grounds?

[gweilo]

Knowitall is correct there are no grounds for appeal except they are seperating two people who love each other and starting a family, the visa is up to the case officer, i tried going above her but her supervisor found no reason to extend the visitors visa. We have been told that dont even try the macau/china visa run.
my only option is to go back to the philippines, bring her here and hope we get two weeks entry, twice a month until the airlines won't let her fly because of the baby. she has a doctors appointment on april 18th but even that does not guarantee entry.
i had to laugh at the case officer who asked if i had any more proof of our relationship, scan pictures of baby, an offer to take a dna test and all of our pictures, emails did nothing.
i even have my girlfriends face tattooed on my arm. Macau immigration grant a 30 day visa with no problem every time we fly to phils and they smile when they see the tattoo

[KnowItAll]

What would happen if the doctors ruled her unfit to fly and advised bed rest?

[dean-dzai]

Originally Posted by gweilo

We have been told that dont even try the macau/china visa run.

Originally Posted by KnowItAll

What would happen if the doctors ruled her unfit to fly and advised bed rest?

Good advice KnowItAll- just a terrible situation. After the divorce proceedings are finalized, you will marry 'then' apply for a dependency visa right? Are you both keen not to stay in the Philippines? (probably a silly question - but sometimes situations change perspectives).

A border crossing, anything to get another stamp in there. I do know it is more hot for Filipino's at Immigration, we all have different reputations for overstaying visa's. I am happy I have my visa.

[Boris]

The appeal would at least give you time. I.I's spin the procedure out for ages, sometimes years. A good lawyer I am sure could find all sorts of grounds for delay at least.


If the baby gets born here they have an automatic right to stay ( the baby at least ) and then it would be a family welfare case for the mother to remain?

[araucaria]

I sympathise with your predicament, but don’t think you can blame immigration for this. You are asking them to grant a girl a visa on the grounds that she’s pregnant? Imagine the ramifications.

Surely it would be better to arrange for her to be in UK for the birth and leave Hong Kong out of the equation.

[gweilo]

Hi all,
thanks for the replies, we have done everything totally legally and not lied about anything so i will not ask her hong kong obgyn to write her a letter for her unless she is really sick.
immigration do not recognise pregnancy until 27 weeks, i assume because of abortions, we are only 14 weeks pregnant, the complication is that the hospitals now have a set quota for non-local births and september is nearly fully booked already.
We can appeal the visa ruling but we were told that she does not qualify to remain during the appeal, so there is no point.
My company is here and to live in the phils is not a possibility at the moment.
i am going to go to the phils this weekend hoping for a 14 day visa for her on our return, at least then we can have the babies checkup and scan

Gweilo