Re: ASEAN Girl-friend Immigration Question ???
 

That in itself is not a problem here, at least not in Penang. I know of a few unmarried couples including gay couples.

Re: ASEAN Girl-friend Immigration Question ???
 

My understanding is that if an applicant for an MM2H visa includes a "dependent" as part of the application, that person must be a legal spouse (or a child).

If so, presumably an unmarried couple would need to apply for separate MM2H visas (and have two FDs etc.).

Please correct me if this understanding is wrong.

Re: ASEAN Girl-friend Immigration Question ???
 

See there, finally a god reason to marry. :-)
But I don't think same sex marriages would be accepted here....

Re: ASEAN Girl-friend Immigration Question ???
 

Your understanding is perfectly correct. MM2H are not interested in including a dependant unless they are married or as you say a dependant child/parent.

Re: ASEAN Girl-friend Immigration Question ???
 

You are correct.

OP was not talking about MM2H, just the acceptability of living together unmarried. At least that is how I read it.

Re: ASEAN Girl-friend Immigration Question ???
 

I have no direct experience here but recollect that when researching living in Malaysia, before taking the plunge, that muslims are subject to sharia law but non-muslims are subject secular law. Indeed in some states there are religious police going around checking for observance of sharia laws but not on Penang that I am aware of.

So unless the girlfriend is a Muslim I don't think there would be any problem here.

Re: ASEAN Girl-friend Immigration Question ???
 

You are correct about this. Malaysia uses a Dual Justice System. More about this can be found on the Wikipedia page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Malaysia
This also explains the many signs at e.g. restaurants, or liquor stores, that a Muslim can not enter this premise as (s)he would break the syariah law and would be punishable.

Re: ASEAN Girl-friend Immigration Question ???
 

ASEAN allows free movement of ASEAN citizens across its borders. Both countries are members of ASEAN

Your Girlfriend's passport shows clear travel proof in and out of Malaysia with no overstays so this will be treated as proof that she is on holiday, and has done so before. She will need to show that she does have a return ticket and evidence of where she is staying if asked.

What she does not need to have is proof of any relationship with anyone, she is after all on holiday and free to meet anyone she so wishes.

Philippine immigration will not have any issues and will not require any additional papers unless that have grounds to believe that she is being trafficked.

Re: ASEAN Girl-friend Immigration Question ???
 

Does that actually work in practice, mikemike?

Re: ASEAN Girl-friend Immigration Question ???
 

MM... I not too worried about the initial GF's arrival. She'll have all support documents and phone numbers etc.... I think we can all agree that some times even the best "legal" planned situation, can be derailed if you bump into a A-hole gov't official that wants to make you suffer.

Although I'm not too worried about myself making a couple VISA runs (Rich, white western tourist...LoL), I do think she'll be under a bit more focus if it appears she is pushing up against the Tourist visa rules a little to frequently. We've already discussed that we'll be taking a couple legit holidays outside MY, and it's probably best if she returns to her home country a few times just to cover all angles.

Re: ASEAN Girl-friend Immigration Question ???
 

I have no evidence of it failing.

The philippines authorities are over strict on allowing freedom of movement of its citizens re Human trafficking. This has IMHO been abused so immigration can extort. Following huge amounts of negative publicity this has not been as bad as before and now being in ASEAN proper this particular problem has diminished unless travelling from Clark.

Now its the Bullet scam.

I am sure the usual suspects will try something new

Two years ago my wife and my three year old son flew to KL no issues, two years prior to that it would not have been possible without my written consent!!

Re: ASEAN Girl-friend Immigration Question ???
 

I think the ASEAN agenda is to facilitate the free flow of skilled labour across the region, rather than tourists.

AFAIK Filipino nationals can visit Malaysia visa free for 30 days, i.e. with a Social Visit Pass. It is perfectly legal to get back-to-back Social Visit Passes and they can in theory be extended twice, for 30 days at a time. The alternative is to leave Malaysia for a few days and re-enter on a new Social Visit Pass.

But several extensions or ‘visa runs’ in a row will raise suspicions. Do it too often and one risks a fine, deportation, and a ban on re-entry.

This probably means WiredTight’s Filipino girlfriend will not be able to stay (risk-free) in Malaysia as a tourist for more than a few months a year.

JC3

Re: ASEAN Girl-friend Immigration Question ???
 

Free movement of people skilled or unskilled including tourists. Bit like the European community without a common currency but not as good with permanent relocation just yet.

Re: ASEAN Girl-friend Immigration Question ???
 

That doesn't sound right to me Mike.

In the EU a citizen can freely move, reside and seek employment in any member state, regardless of skill level.

The ASEAN Economic Community has a far more limited approach, only making concessions to skilled workers in eight professions: engineering, nursing, architecture, medicine, dentistry, tourism, surveying and accounting. This is less than 1.5 per cent of the ASEAN labour force.

It also appears to me that there is little real free movement of ASEAN citizens travelling as tourists within the region (beyond a month or two) as they are generally only permitted visa-free entry to other ASEAN nations for a period of 14-60 days depending on the country.

There’s an interesting report on ASEAN Skilled Labour Flow by the International Organisation for Migration, here:

http://www.ioe-emp.org/fileadmin/ioe..._11__2014_.pdf

Happy to be corrected – I’m no expert on this.

JC3

Re: ASEAN Girl-friend Immigration Question ???
 

Tourism is included in your list. You cannot have tourism without tourists

The visa free part is not having to get a visa before you leave it is granted on arrival and will be set or the days allowed by the host country. Freedom of movement affecting those countries that did have restrictions by requiring visas to be issued prior to travel.

Unskilled workers are not free to travel as workers. So they get a piece of paper advising that they are skilled labours' or skilled maids etc. These pieces of paper tick box the requirements of the host nation example Singapore manpower commission signing off on work visa for highly skilled maids and domestic helpers, not to mention the highly skilled ticket checkers for the river boat trips!!

This is the first year of ASEAN. The open skies meetings are still evolving as is policy. Lots more to come. The documents first produced have been continually upgraded and will continue to be upgraded.

Some Asean members have a lot to do as their Constitutions are patrimony driven, wholly incompatible with ASEAN aspirations; memberships will have to have flexible arrangements and interpretations or some countries will not be allowed to function in ASEAN.

This is work in progress at a very early stage