Best divorce strategy for my currently married/separated Filipina girlfriend

[payxibka 10,044]

Just now, Hank_ said:

 

Everyone seems to be skipping over something .. Guam is a U.S. territory .. Visa is required and the requirements are about the same as for the USA

 

 

https://www.visitguam.com/about-guam/entry-and-exit-formalities/

Not everyone 

[Boiler 43,430]

Why do you have to pay for the annulment? Is she want to get annuled why has she not started the process?

[Hank_ 9,173]

1 minute ago, Boiler said:

Why do you have to pay for the annulment? Is she want to get annuled why has she not started the process?

  

 

Annulment process is P300k - P500K  most times .. that is a years income or more (most times more) !   

[Boiler 43,430]

1 minute ago, Hank_ said:

  

 

Annulment process is P300k - P500K  most times .. that is a years income or more (most times more) !   

OP said he saw no issue getting a visa, spend a couple of months in the US, similar sort of cost.

[Hank_ 9,173]

Just now, Boiler said:

OP said he saw no issue getting a visa, spend a couple of months in the US, similar sort of cost.

Ya .. OP mentioned he doesn't want to spend that many $$$ .. or the years an annulment takes   

 

Without the annulment process I don't think  anything is going to happen

 

 

[Ate 180]

5 minutes ago, Hank_ said:

That isn't in the OPs plan

 

OP considered it in his original post --

 

6 hours ago, Ugly_American said:

My thought is that she could come visit me in the US and obtain a divorce here. Then she could return to the Philippines and I could either travel there and marry her or simply apply for a K-1.

 

That's what my comment was referring to.  Hopefully, the OP will have a fuller picture of the legal requirements for all the options he's considering.  If they haven't ruled out marrying in the Philippines, there is no escape from dealing with the local courts even if his girlfriend manages to get a divorce abroad.

 

[Boiler 43,430]

Cheapest and quickest option would seem to find a fiance without these issues.

[Ugly_American 11]

4 minutes ago, Hank_ said:

Ya .. OP mentioned he doesn't want to spend that many $$$ .. or the years an annulment takes   

 

Without the annulment process I don't think  anything is going to happen

 

 

Thanks for all the comments. I think this will have to be a multi-pronged attack. I feel like MacArthur planning an attack. Pursuing multiple strategies simultaneously is probably the way to go. And to be clear I don’t intend to shirk any laws although I am interested in any legal shortcuts. Spending $10k on an annulment is probably one prong of this attack. Obtaining a signed agreement from the husband whereby he agrees to the divorce and loss of custody while gaining an agreement not to be held financially responsible for past or future child support is another prong. Such a document may be acceptable to the Philippines in combination with a legal divorce in Guam or elsewhere. 

 

So yes, I don’t want to spend $10-20k on all these tangential strategies, but there’s no guarantee any of this will even work. It’s honestly sad thinking about all the obstacles which doubtless ruin many relationship hopes. 

 

As for the B-1 visa... I once had a Thai girlfriend who, on her own successfully obtained a B-1 visa, spent two months with me in the US then returned. If that is a worthy precedent, then perhaps the US would factor in my past responsibility and obtaining a similar visa will be possible. The B-1 isn’t necessarily part of any long term plan, but establishing a good standing with regards to visas can’t hurt. 

 

[Ugly_American 11]

18 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Cheapest and quickest option would seem to find a fiance without these issues.

Very savvy observation. I’ll do you one better. The cheapest and quickest option is to spend the rest of my life beating off to internet porn. Sadly, I found a woman I love who would be a terrific life partner. But on the bright side VisaJourney is a great resource for folks like me to obtain (mostly) good advice. 

[payxibka 10,044]

5 minutes ago, Ugly_American said:

Thanks for all the comments. I think this will have to be a multi-pronged attack. I feel like MacArthur planning an attack. Pursuing multiple strategies simultaneously is probably the way to go. And to be clear I don’t intend to shirk any laws although I am interested in any legal shortcuts. Spending $10k on an annulment is probably one prong of this attack. Obtaining a signed agreement from the husband whereby he agrees to the divorce and loss of custody while gaining an agreement not to be held financially responsible for past or future child support is another prong. Such a document may be acceptable to the Philippines in combination with a legal divorce in Guam or elsewhere. 

 

So yes, I don’t want to spend $10-20k on all these tangential strategies, but there’s no guarantee any of this will even work. It’s honestly sad thinking about all the obstacles which doubtless ruin many relationship hopes. 

 

As for the B-1 visa... I once had a Thai girlfriend who, on her own successfully obtained a B-1 visa, spent two months with me in the US then returned. If that is a worthy precedent, then perhaps the US would factor in my past responsibility and obtaining a similar visa will be possible. The B-1 isn’t necessarily part of any long term plan, but establishing a good standing with regards to visas can’t hurt. 

 

You are not a component of any Visa decision.   The alien gets it on their own accord.

 

Child is under 8, no custody issues.   Mom prevails 

[Ugly_American 11]

2 minutes ago, payxibka said:

You are not a component of any Visa decision.   The alien gets it on their own accord.

 

Child is under 8, no custody issues.   Mom prevails 

Thanks on both counts. I was wondering if I had anything to do with the tourist visa application. Makes sense that I don’t. Nevertheless I bet that’s there somewhere in my file. 

[Chris Duffy 1,256]

Gaum is the answer if she can get approved for a US Tourist Visa

[Chris Duffy 1,256]

59 minutes ago, payxibka said:

To visit Guam requires a US Visa.  May not be the best choice as Visa issuance is not likely that easy.  I would look at other countries such as HK, South Korea,  etc..  as they may be a much better option than Guam 

I think you have to be a resident of Hong Kong for a long time before you can file for divorce there.

 

I don't know about South Korea, but the residency is going to be the issue I assume

[Ugly_American 11]

52 minutes ago, payxibka said:

Not everyone 

 

2 minutes ago, Chris Duffy said:

Gaum is the answer if she can get approved for a US Tourist Visa

I like the Guam plan, provided these two requirements 1). She obtains a tourist visa (not easy) and 2). She works with an attorney who can draft a document and witness the husbands signing of this agreement which the husband agrees to the divorce and custody arrangement (full custody for her). The husband of course needs to be located first. His motivation is avoiding back payments of child support and any future expenses and marital freedom.   

 

The Guam strategy could work but it’s just an extra dice to roll in this unlucky game. 

[Chris Duffy 1,256]

2 minutes ago, Ugly_American said:

 

I like the Guam plan, provided these two requirements 1). She obtains a tourist visa (not easy) and 2). She works with an attorney who can draft a document and witness the husbands signing of this agreement which the husband agrees to the divorce and custody arrangement (full custody for her). The husband of course needs to be located first. His motivation is avoiding back payments of child support and any future expenses and marital freedom.   

 

The Guam strategy could work but it’s just an extra dice to roll in this unlucky game. 

Does she have a court order for him to pay child support in Philippines? I have never heard of a guy paying for child support there.

 

Many guys in Philippines just have a second family due to the fact they can't get or don't want to pay the large fee for annulment in Philippines. Rather common for a man to be married and then go off and take another "wife/Girlfriend" and have a new family and abandon the first legal wife.