Relocating to Ireland - bureaucratic fug

OP, my friend's wife is a Khmer living in England and when she first came across from Cambodia (in itself I seem to remember this wasn't plain sailing) I know that the initial thing which she found difficult to deal with was the low temperatures, even in our Summer. Consequently the home they rented was Sauna-like to say the least.

You should also note that there are not too many Khmers living in the UK - so I will imagine that there a good deal less in Eire. This may sound no big deal to you but to the friend's wife it took a long time to adjust to this. Now she has made a few friends, mainly Thais from the Eastern provinces. But still Thais are Thais and Khmers are Khmers. From what I can gather the Khmer community seems centred around London. (There is/was a summer get-together each year but I would have to search my memory for it if requested).

As we know families figure larger in the life of SE. Asians than for many Westerners as well as expecting lengthy telephone calls back "home" expect the reverse at all hours also. Once in Europe you may find that your partner is expected to send more money back "home" than you may be comfortable with or indeed get bank loans, etc. to pay for things back "home". No doubt you have heard the Thailand ex-pat "sick-buffalo tales". Expect all manner of emotions if a close relative succumbs to something nasty and your partner is not able to return To Cambodia. Something which I have witnessed.

Yet everything which I have written above pales into insignificance with the following : If you want to keep your partner sweet, for the love of all things Holy, ensure than she has easy access to foods which she is used to. Failure to be easy distance from a Chinese/Thai supermarket may make your life Hell.

Okay after so much seeming negativity I can tell you that my friend and his wife are still together after there marriage in 2003. (A ceremony which I attended in Phnom Penh). Most of this spent in NE England after a stint near London almost on their arrival in the UK.

As a long shot try looking on the following site : www.Thaivisa.com

Although, as the name suggests, it is focused on Thailand/Thais there are often questions, etc. raised concerning partners from the neighbouring countries.

Good Luck.

moobie, thanks for the advice. I'm well aware of the issues you raise, but the only one that applies to my wife is the weather. Many wives from SE Asia in similar relationships come from a bargirl background - my wife knows many here and they fit a certain profile such as you describe. However, she shuns them and frankly has nothing in common with them. Her English is impeccable and she has a very cosmopolitan outlook. She much prefers the company of intelligent Westerners and would not be seeking out Khmers in the West anyway. With Facebook and Skype, contact with family is not a problem these days. I have no concern that once we're in she'll settle very well; getting in and getting work are the challenges.

As others have stated, this probably isn't the best place to go looking for immigration advice, but it is indeed the case that you will have a legal right to bring your wife to Ireland (or any other EU state except the UK), by exercising your EU treaty rights. This is actually a much more certain prospect than trying to bring her into your home country. Thank God for the EU, at least in some ways it makes life easier for people... That is not to say that it will be uncomplicated, but you are on solid ground.

However, what Barry says about the current employment situation in Ireland is also, unfortunately, something you will have to bear in mind.

Equally for emma_nz - it's not impossible that you might find it easier getting to any other EU country by your husband-to-be exercising his EU treaty rights, than getting a spouse visa to come to Ireland. However, in this case you could in fact come to Ireland, just not necessarily the same part of it that your husband is originally from :)

OP, perhaps telling what type of work you and your wife are seeking or the skills sets which you folks hold may allow others to provide a more accurate accessment of the job situations/areas where such may be found?

(If you are looking towards "entry level" jobs then I'm reliably inform by my Irish colleagues that you may/will struggle).

Sure moobie - I was wary of asking questions that were too off-beam for this forum; however, since we're under way ...

I myself have been in education some 25 years. I was a high school teacher and principle examiner (GCSE/A Level) in England. For the last decade I've been an English teacher and university lecturer in a Humanities faculty in Cambodia.

My wife, who has excellent English skills has experience as a 5* Raffles hotel receptionist and secretary/accountant in four small-scale international companies. However, we are both happily prepared to 'downgrade' and accept work that is of a more modest level than we are used to.

Andy - if you haven't already done so, check out these links:

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/moving_to_ireland/rights_of_residence_in_ireland/residence_rights_eu_national.html

http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/EU%20Treaty%20Rights%20FAQs

#14. (Off topic. Back in 2003 I was staying in the Juliana Hotel but spent some time down at The Riverside Bar. One evening I was introduced to the gentleman running the Raffles Hotel and was a bit disconcerted how the bar's German owner was getting quite pissed and at times insulting the guy and his "minders". Thankfully, the latter group must have been old acquaintances with him and bore the tirade quite well).

Okay back on topic. Employers as a whole do not like to employ people over-qualified for a position. The feeling is that the time/cost in teaching a person a role is not worth it if they will "jump ship" the moment a better position turns up. The fact that you are fluent English speakers may actually be a negative point in finding employment. For menial/low skill labour it is better to hire those which can be stretched over the working conditions regardless of the legalities. The fact that the EU now has a whole host of Eastern Europeans to exploit (if the employers can) does not help your situation.

One point which you may raise an eyebrow at may not concern your wife but rather yourself. Cambodia is well known in travel forums such as this for its sites, history, etc. but for many in the UK/Eire who never travel beyond their comfort zone, Cambodia is Gary Glitter and paedophiles as Thailand is Ladyboys and sex tourism. I'm fortunate in that the company I keep is more often than not exceptionally well travelled (including work colleagues and family members) but I'm aware of the view which the country holds for many others, be it through direct or overheard conversation. Just be prepared for the uneducated is all I can say. I hope this didn't sound too off-hand?

Before the move try and keep up with the news in the area to which you hope to travel, I normally use this website to catch a gist of things : The Big Project

I hope at least some of this helps.