What limitations or restrictions come with sponsoring a new wife to the US

[manofthecoldland]

55 minutes ago, Arizona Kid said:

I have a thought. On $1500 per month income, and he's living in the US. How the hell is he saving enough money for round trip plane tickets to the Phills? Then double that for her. Maybe he knows something that we don't know!

Well, in truth he may well have up to $1,800 /mo. in income, but I know he is short the $20K mark that he will need to qualify for a Filipina fiancee sponsorship. He does have properties however, so maybe his total assets might help qualify him. When he is here for the winter, his frugal lifestyle allows him to save $2-3K during the six months. In our state, at our age, there are no property taxes on your primary residence. Ditto for vehicle regis.., license etc. at a certain age. We drive old vehicles so there are no car payments and the insurance is minimal, plus we suspend it for 6 monhs while in the PI. Medicare is our primary and we both have secondary that covers us for the rest, as well as in the PI. He was an army cook long ago, so makes things from scratch. We eat basic, simple, nutritiious basic foods that are not expensive when bought in bulk, generic.  We have no AC so the elect. is usually $30-35 mo. since the sun is shining most of the wakeful day. We're gone for the high heating cost season, and he burns wood in the late spring and early fall. We live without running water and have outhouses. Hauled water is for drinking, washing dishes and 7 gal. showers at 1 penny per gallon. Laundromats when needed. We have both lived in the bush for many years and the luxuries, conveniences that are the norm for many don't appeal to our type of men. We have home computers, friges, micro wave, elect. stoves, etc. like everyone else, We use simple cheap, dumb cell phone systems.Around town he uses a 50cc scooter. Out of town, a 25 yr. old toyota truck.

   He lives well beneath his income since he is now single. I have a very decent home  and a wife to support here year round, so I live in great comfort while here, but revert to a simpler life when not. He pays small rent here, and I pay very small rent there. He owns there, and my wife owns here. I rent there year round, but we both shut off elect. while not there. 

If he goes ahead with his plan, I don't know how it will work out, since his food costs will double. She will have to work much harder than at the job she has here. She will be able actually live better than she does here since her family are squatters with privy pit. He did buy a new porcelain commode for her house since he wearied of squatting when visiting the place. Ha-ha.

Airfare is cheap at $1K to 1200 round trip per year since we travel off-season each way and have plenty of lead time to search for value fares. 

How and where you live makes a HUGE difference in American and Philippine living costs. When you are retired you use time instead of money to help secure your basic needs, so your costs can be manipulated if you dispense with status seeking.