I am a UK national and it looks like my partners visa will get approved so he can travel here in January 2016 and we'd get married in March.

We've gone through over 18 months of me especially hearing how 'everyone' from the Philippines is on the fiddle and will just keep asking for more and more money ... the trouble with this is, no matter how hard I try, it creeps in to my thinking. Like most people, It's quite difficult to believe that someone loves me.

Now, the issue ... over a year ago he mentioned about having a debt which gets taken direct from his salary as a teacher. We discussed it then and said that if we have to we will settle it before he travels. At the time we estimated that around June next year it might be around £3000 but I really have no idea at this point how accurate that amount is. The reality is, we now do not have a way to repay that sort of amount. We want to continue paying it but cannot clear the balance. He says that they won't let him leave the country (he needs permission as a government employee) unless the debt is cleared.

Where do we actually stand? I've spent a small fortune on this visa, now it looks like it might happen and his old debt could stop us. This has to be it though, there is no option to defer the visa and apply another time, this is our window.

I know when we went to Hong Kong earlier in the year he forgot to get permission (travel permit) from work but wasn't queried at the airport about it, they just waved him through. I suggested he just hands in his notice and leaves before the debt becomes an issue (on the basis they give him permission). That or he hands in his notice, doesn't bother with the permission, in case they deny it on the basis of the outstanding loan, and leaves the country visa in hand. Now, that's probably illegal but I am trying to get this in my head from 7000 miles away!

Surely it must be possible to explain to the loan people that we're willing to pay just not the whole amount, can they prevent him legally leaving the country because he owes money? Does he need a travel permit if he's resigned.

He's asked me to find a workaround without it costing us money we don't have.

Am open to any options you might have.

Please, I kindly ask of you, don't mention your views that you believe this might all be a scam, he's just after my money and so on. Yes, my eyes are open, I am aware of the possibility but I also don't want to be beaten down by all the negativity.

Many thanks