Moving to Philippines with American Job/American Salary (Remotely)

    No one answered this? Okay, let me. Your company doesn't own you. Unless it is clearly mentioned in your employee agreement/contract you may remote work anywhere on the planet.

    Far as Visas go, getting one visa or another should be no issue but, you will have to travel back and forth between your home contry when ever it needs to get renewed. Unless you are over 35 and can invest 15k USD you cannot obtain a retirement visa in the Philippines for a permanent stay.

    I beleive you're over thinking it. You don't need anyone's permission to live have you desire.

@Hower

After reading your reply, I feel more confident about the legal and financial aspects of my situation. You’re right—my company doesn’t own me, and I have the flexibility to work remotely as long as it’s not explicitly restricted in my contract, which it’s not. My bosses are quite laid-back and supportive, so I believe their primary concern will be ensuring that I remain productive while working from abroad.

Regarding the visa situation, I appreciate the clarification. Based on what you said, I might have been overthinking the logistics. My main objective is to marry a woman in the Philippines and live there permanently. I was considering the 13A Residency Visa as a way to accomplish this without needing to travel back and forth frequently for renewals. From what I’ve read, the 13A Visa would allow me to live in the Philippines indefinitely as long as I renew it periodically—usually every year for the first few years and then every five or ten years after that. I’m under 35, so the retirement visa option isn’t viable for me.

Given this, would obtaining the 13A Visa through marriage eliminate the need to travel back to my home country every time it needs renewal? If so, this could be the key to making my transition smooth and allowing me to work remotely without constantly worrying about my visa status.

My plan is to plan a 2-3 week trip to the Phillipines after I have been chatting with this woman for 6 months. This should give me enough time to spot any potential major red flags (which she is passing rather well after 2 weeks of twice-daily video chats). My plan is to plan a trip in which the original goal is to return to the US after this 2-3 week period. But as long as the in person meeting went well, I would want to marry her during that trip, and then intentionally miss my flight back to the US where we would begin searching for houses where we could start out life.  Could you potentially see any technical issues related to this plan?

Thanks again for your input. It has really helped put things into perspective. If you or anyone else has more details on the 13A Visa process or other potential challenges I might face with this move, I would love to hear your thoughts!

gbcfinder said . . . .
   
My plan is to plan a 2-3 week trip to the Phillipines after I have been chatting with this woman for 6 months.

This should give me enough time to spot any potential major red flags (which she is passing rather well after 2 weeks of twice-daily video chats).

My plan is to plan a trip in which the original goal is to return to the US after this 2-3 week period. But as long as the in person meeting went well, I would want to marry her during that trip, and then intentionally miss my flight back to the US where we would begin searching for houses where we could start out life. 

Could you potentially see any technical issues related to this plan?

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Your plan is from bedrock to quicksand



   

@Enzyte Bob

Some argumentation behind that statement would be greatly appreciated. Perhaps there is a reason why you use that metaphor? Is it from a bad personal experience?

gbcfinder

Hi and welcome to the forum and hope you find your answers.

I will ask have you ever been to the Philippines? When you say Cagayan do you mean as in Cagayan Valley on the east coast of Luzon?

I would also be very cautious talking about getting married after a 2 week meet just so you can secure working rights here and I will add that it does take time to secure a 13a visa.

There is no divorce here and requires a very long and expensive annulment to become single if things don't work out.

While your ideas are admirable and OMO I think you are putting the cart before the horse but we all make choices in life.

Personally I would make several trips to the Philippines before any hasty decisions here is/can be an acquired taste and not for many, paradise for others.

I spent 12 months with my better half in Manila before moving back to Australia for 6 years where we both continued to work and learn each other. We live here now for over 5/6 years and very happy 14 years on and no never married.

Good luck.

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl

Thanks for the reply.

I’ve never been to the Philippines before—my only international experience was a trip to Russia/Ukraine back in 2009. I’m also not sure where the mention of “Cagayan” came from, as I don’t recall mentioning it in my previous post.

Regarding my marriage plans, they aren’t tied to any one specific woman. The plan is to find a woman who successfully passes through my 6-month vetting process. I’ve only been talking to this current woman for two weeks. If she happens to make it through the 6-month process, I’d consider marrying her, but it could just as easily be another woman who proves to be a good match. This plan has been in place even before I met her: meet a woman online, conduct a thorough vetting process, and, if everything checks out, marry her to start a family. That’s the entire reason I want to move to the Philippines—I can support a family on my salary much more comfortably there. If starting a family wasn’t in the picture, I wouldn’t be considering the move at all.

I should have mentioned this earlier, but I was focused on the work-related aspects of the move. This is a huge part of my motivation for relocating, and I only found out about the 13A Residency Visa after forming this plan in my head. So, to clarify, my decision to get married and move to the Philippines is not about one particular woman; it’s about finding the right Filipina woman to build a life with.

One major challenge I faced dating in the U.S. was the lack of options. When I found someone I was interested in, I’d often overlook red flags, which led to poor choices. In the Philippines, I don’t have that problem due to the sheer number of options available (I’m using Tinder). This abundance of choices allows me to be more objective and rigorous in my approach.

During the first week of talking to any woman, I ask tough, personal questions—essentially “interrogating” them. I document everything they say, record our video chats, and analyze them for non-verbal cues. It’s a lot of effort, but it’s working. Just today, the woman I’ve been speaking to displayed some red flags. I’ll address them with her, but if more arise, I have no issue moving on. This way, I condense six months’ worth of dating experience into a short period. I skip superficial questions like “What’s your favorite color?” and go straight to understanding their history, relationships, and values. After this initial phase, I ease into more casual conversations, which is when subtle red flags are more likely to appear.

The beauty of having so many options is that if my approach is too intense for someone, I can easily move on to others who are equally serious.

In short, my goal of marrying a Filipina isn’t some spur-of-the-moment “puppy love” decision. It’s a serious plan, and I’m willing to do the work needed to ensure that I’m choosing the right partner.

One piece of advice I received that I think will improve my plan is to make more than one trip to the Philippines. I initially wanted to avoid the expense, since I have enough Delta SkyMiles for one free trip, but I realize now that it’s important to invest in this process and make at least one additional visit before making any final decisions.

Silly idea. what do you think the woman you are chatting to will do when you bring up the red flags? If you dismiss her she will go looking for another guy but she will learn and not repeat the same red flags again. Eventually she will perfect her skills and your system will eventually be useless. So what happens if you start chatting to a woman who has perfected her skills already?

You have a much better chance of success if you look for a woman when you get to the Philippines and do not rush into marriage. Spend your trip looking for a good location to work instead that suits your needs then check if you can get a work visa initially.

You should spend at least a year getting to know the woman before you consider marriage.

Trust me I have had my fair share of failures online even after visiting one woman twice and knowing her online for about 3 years.

@gbcfinder (aka 'the mark')

My plan is to plan a 2-3 week trip to the Phillipines after I have been chatting with this woman for 6 months. This should give me enough time to spot any potential major red flags (which she is passing rather well after 2 weeks of twice-daily video chats).

Let me get this right. You are going to 'test' this woman to uncover any 'red flags' " Are you having long term chats with other men on this site ?" Answer: "Of course not dear, you are very special to me"

PASS.

gbcfinder said. . . . Regarding my marriage plans, they aren’t tied to any one specific woman. The plan is to find a woman who successfully passes through my 6-month vetting process.

This plan has been in place even before I met her: meet a woman online, conduct a thorough vetting process, and, if everything checks out, marry her to start a family.

So, to clarify, my decision to get married and move to the Philippines is not about one particular woman; it’s about finding the right Filipina woman to build a life with.

During the first week of talking to any woman, I ask tough, personal questions—essentially “interrogating” them. I document everything they say, record our video chats, and analyze them for non-verbal cues.

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Most normal people spend more time "vetting" the purchase of a used car. So you think kicking the tires for six months fulfills your dream?

Any normal woman would run from you and probably has.

Columbo eat your heart out, seems you have competition.

To the OP my bad with mentioning Cagayan, was from a previous post I read....... walk carefully as at your age there is no great hurry.

Good luck.

Cheers, Steve.

@Enzyte Bob

Kicking the tires? Absolutely not, because that does nothing to evaluate the condition of a vehicle. However, opening the hood, checking the fluids, and starting it to listen for any unusual sounds are practical methods for assessing its integrity.

If by 'normal' woman you mean an American woman with degenerate, promiscuous values who prioritizes her career over family, then yes—I'm glad they ran away. But if you're referring to a traditional Filipina, this approach has been promising so far.

On the other hand, you haven't contributed a single post with any logical argument. You sound bitter, maybe because you're over 50 and have had more ex-wives than you'd like to admit. Maybe you've even been rejected by loyal Filipinas for various reasons.

So, how about this: instead of posting irrelevant metaphors that add no value, why not offer some real opinions or useful information that could actually contribute to these discussions?

@Lotus Eater

Maybe this would be your approach, but to have an effective system, you need an actual process in place. Using your example of asking a question, you're missing a crucial step: the question is meaningless unless you have a secondary method to verify the answer. For instance, if you ask her to delete her dating profile to show that she’s serious about you, and she refuses or hesitates—FAIL. Move on to the next one.

Personally, I have no shortage of matches on Tinder, so there's no need for a scarcity mindset. If she says, 'I’m not sure if I can do that,' or agrees and then doesn’t follow through—FAIL. Move on. That’s what I mean by identifying red flags. This kind of validation gives you actionable information. Simply taking her word for everything isn’t enough. You need to get her commitment on something and then find a way to test her sincerity.

To GB the OP.

Perhaps I have read wrong but are you saying that you can do 6 months of vetting with 2/3 weeks of online chats? Not even meet the woman in person, then spend 2 weeks in country with her and if she fits your wants and needs then you will marry her, find a house and make babies?

Seems very naive and selfish to me, a good woman is not a trinket to be toyed with.

All that aside what if your employers say no you can't work remote, we want/need you here in our office?

I really think you need to visit the Philippines for a months holiday, taste the flavours, culture, people and the environment. The Philippines is an acquired taste.

Good luck.

Cheers, Steve.

@Cherryann01

It’s unfortunate that you see the possibility of her looking for another guy as a problem. In fact, that’s exactly what you should be pushing her to do. One of the women who has made it through my process so far knows I can easily find any number of Filipinas to replace her. That’s the advantage of doing this search in your early 30s, rather than your 60s or 70s, when women might see you as just a 'cash cow.'

As I’ve mentioned before, my method for spotting red flags doesn’t rely solely on a woman’s words. Her words are just a ‘control sheet’—data that needs to be compared against real-world actions. A woman’s words alone can never be trusted without verification; you have to test them. For example, one woman who made it through my process has already deleted her Tinder profile and made her Instagram private because she knows I have other options. While these actions don’t guarantee trust, they do carry weight.

I’m willing to go further and ask them to join a Google Meet call and, while on the call, share their screen and show their text messages. If they hesitate or refuse? That’s an instant 'BYE.' I have 200 other matches waiting who are ready to go through the same vetting process.

You ask, 'What if you’re chatting with a woman who has perfected her skills and is already highly manipulative?' Well, this system is similar to police interrogation methods. Sure, there’s always a chance of encountering a skilled liar, but for most people, in most situations, if you ask enough questions, they will eventually slip up. Lies tend to unravel when you dig deep enough. If you find an inconsistency, you can give her a chance to explain, but then it’s up to you to judge the quality of her response.

Ultimately, if you’re not desperate and you make it clear that you don’t care if she leaves or not, it changes how she behaves.

gbcfinder said . . . .If by 'normal' woman you mean an American woman with degenerate, promiscuous values who prioritizes her career over family. 

if you're referring to a traditional Filipina, this approach has been promising so far.On the other hand, you haven't contributed a single post with any logical argument. You sound bitter, maybe because you're over 50 and have had more ex-wives than you'd like to admit. Maybe you've even been rejected by loyal Filipinas for various reasons.

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I see you don't know anything about normal women, American or Filipino by the opinions you expressed. How's that for being logical?

I've been married to the same woman for 17 years and we are close to the same age. We met in the states and moved to the Philippines in 2018.

Your 35 years old and looking for matches on Tinder. 

Bob, I read and re read all the responses and have come to the conclusion that the OP needs to marry a computer, algorithms, data, 1's and 0's and is easy to shut down or replace. Most human beings don't operate/think that way but it seems we found one. I wonder how long it will take to get through the 200 Filipinas on the Tinder list, I know Filipinos and they will walk away from a control freak.

All relationships are binary, it takes two to tango etc. Golly I am Gay and have tangoed for the last 14 years with my better half and tonight we are waltzing.

I think what the OP misses here is while he thinks he is dealing with a third world culture and poorly educated women they are still human beings and not one bit stupid,,,,,, they are vetting you also GB and sorry to say they will come out on top while you scroll through your tinder list with unrealistic expectations.

Golly and for Gods sake you don't even know if your employers will sanction you working in another country and you simply want to meet a very submissive woman that will ask how high to jump, build a house in her name, make babies (a huge commitment with alimony when it fails).

A word from a man that was married for 22 years, I have a Son 34 and a Daughter 36 and I can tell you that women are not always logical, think with emotion and the heat of the moment and can scratch like cats no matter how you try to placate them.

OMO but I think the bar is too high as are your expectations. Relationships and love take time and sure we all do our vetting over a period of time and not online in 2 weeks and assume you know everything, that takes time and not accomplished with an AI program nor a 2 week chat online, as another member mentioned you are not buying a car or a home. You should be trying to connect with an individual and not a chattel. (remember I mentioned trinkets? Women are not trinkets nor baubles).

If that's your bag I wish you luck as I see you will need plenty. 200 to go.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

It seems crazy to me that you have put so much thought and time into your system yet you simply will not listen to the advice given above by people who are either living a happy life in the Philippines with their partners or like me have visited and  had relationships which failed. I have learned a lot from my relationship failures and I do know that until you actually get there and spend time with a woman, you will never be able to truly get to know them and even after visiting in person, things me not be as you thought,

There was an English comedy show called 'Allo Allo'  that ran from 1982 to 1992. With your interrogation system, you remind me of the Gestapo character Herr Flick although I get the feeling from some of the dribble you have posted here that you would be more like his side kick - Von Smallhausen.

Maybe you should get all the women on a group video chat, ask your questions there, play them against each other and decide who wins the prize.

Cherry I doubt very much there is a prize  worth having, only 200 more frustrations as they can't jump through the hoops on offer. Sort of seems sad that a human being can be so mechanical and only focus on data collection,,,,,, it will be a long haul.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

The OP does not need Tinder or a computer to find a mate, he can do it by hand. (Pun intended)