If you are already married to a Filapina definitely get your 13a Visa from the Philippines Embassy in Canberra BEFORE you come here. It is permanent once to get it but be ready to move once you get it. It has an expiry date if not used, 12 months I think but check up on that. The cost for a 13a visa is chump change, don't worry about it. I promise you, don't come here and do it, it's temporary for the first 12 months, and u must start the whole process again after 12 months to make it permanent. Don't take any notice of the requirements on the web site, they don't update them and there is a few more now such as getting a Federal Police Clearance from Australia and it has to be authenticated by the Philippines DFA (Not the Australian DFA) like this dummy did. Once here permanently, you gotta report in once every Jan thru Feb to update your ACR-1 Card. Also bear in mind if you have to go to the Australian Embassy in Makati to get anything done, you will pay thru the nose. EG: I need my Police Clearance certified...Cost 1200 Piso. All they did was photo copy, rubber stamp and scribble a signature on it.
Forget the SSRV, it is costly and the annual renewal is too.
This may not apply to you but I will put it out there.....I am a Aussie Vietnam veteran. I went to Australia from the Philippines in March to claim my DVA pension and after 9 weeks waiting, they showed me the door. My overseas residency disqualified me for getting the pension. They reckon I will have to live there for 12 months to get it and I'm still not sure they will pay me if I leave and come back to my wife and the home we already own in Batangas Province. Pretty weak state of affairs and as far as I am concerned they dishonored my service to the country. Pee on them. As for center link, I more than qualify for the age pension but it's the same story, can't get it if you live abroad unless you are in a country that has a "Social Security Agreement" with them. I did happen to live in the USA for 20 years and do qualify for a pension to be paid overseas but I have to be living in the USA.
Bring cash or an ATM card if you stay here with visitor visa. New anti money laundering laws has made it hard to open accounts. The missus had to open a USD account and we just drop one of my North Carolina checks in there as required, takes about three weeks to clear.
Why would you want to be a citizen here???? Only advantage I see is a senior citizens card. Feel free to email me if I can help with anything. We have bought a car, a bike, a house, got married, we are eaten up with government red tape and believe me, getting anything done here requires a lot of patience and many trips. Go here, go there, go to this window, go to that window, this paper is wrong, that paper is wrong, you need authenticated paper, you need certified true copy, you ned notorized copy, oh! this one is expired, get it done again. come back in 3 weeks, blah blah blah. It's a good think I still have my Aussie sense of humour and can laugh at all this.