Permanent Resident Visa in the Philippines for an AGetting a permanent resident visa in the Philippines by an American isn't difficult, but there is one requirement you can't avoid: You must be married to a Philippine citizen. I've been asked how to go about getting a permanent resident visa by enough people that I feel it's time to lay out how I did it in black and white.I don't remember when I started the process, either late 2005 or early 2006, but it doesn't matter. I didn't know a permanent resident visa could even be obtained because the information on Philippine-related websites was obscure at best. I guess you could say that I found out by accident.Information about a Non-Immigrant VisaWhile I and my wife were at the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles to get her dual-citizenship taken care of, I asked about the various visas. I was given the information which is the same as this page: Non-Quota Immigrant Visas. I obtained the required forms at that time. Since I only had my wife to worry about, paragraph 2c on that page is all I had to accomplish.Yes, I did everything on that list and when I returned to the consulate, I was given a non-immigrant visa good for one year. When I and my wife arrived in the Philippines in April of 2006, we were legal in every way but the immigration officer at the airport stamped my passport with a requirement to report to the Bureau of Quarantine within 30 days.During this entire process, at some time that I don't remember, I was told I could "upgrade" my non-immigrant visa to a permanent resident visa, so the actions of the immigration officer didn't surprise me.Getting the Permanent Resident VisaThe Philippine Bureau of Immigration information page on Immigrants is confusing. If you do what you're required to do at one of the Philippine consulates in the US, you have very little to do in the Philippines other than paying fees. I think I just needed more photographs for the ACR I-Card (which I'll mention in minute).When I went to the Bureau of Quarantine, they reviewed my medical examination records and then cleared me to go to the Bureau of Immigration. I had to pay some kind of fee, but I don't remember how much.It took me all day to go through the process at the Bureau of Immigration. I stood in four lines, just to get one part done each time. It was so unorganized. I was then told to come back in two weeks to get my ACR I-Card (a photo ID), which is how they control immigrant visas.Speaking of my ACR I-CardThe first card expired in one year. When I went to the Olongapo City branch before that year expired, they took the card from me to obtain a new card (which would expire in 5 years), and I picked up the new card from them more than two months later.During the renewal process, the chief at that office told me not to worry about having a valid card in my possession while waiting for the new one because if anyone was going to harass me about it, it would be them.Anyway, that card expired in May of this year (2012) and I didn't realize it until a couple of days ago, while I was getting reservations for a trip back to the US in November. You see, every year, I have to go the immigration office before the end of February to do an "annual report". It's not a big deal because it's only 310 pesos (less than $ 10.00 USD). Anyway, no one at the office mentioned it would expire this year and I only look at that card once a year (while at that office) - I didn't notice the expiration date was soon approaching the last time and I blame myself, of course.Traveling Away from the PhilippinesAs the chief at the local office explained to me, I can leave the Philippines for as long as I want and return without any problems whatsoever as long as I have a valid US passport and a valid ACR I-Card in my possession. I'm sure there's some other limitation, so I don't push my luck. My next trip will bring me back before I need to register for the year, just to be safe.This coming week, planned for tomorrow (Monday), I'll be going back to the Bureau of Immigration in Manila to get a new card. I think the fee is the peso equivalent of $ 50 USD, but their website only mentions the fee for renewing the 1-year card. Like I told someone by e-mail earlier today, the information appears to not have been updated since 2008. If I fail to renew my card (the visa never expires), the only way to get back into the Philippines would be to purchase a round-trip ticket on the other end and enter the country with the default stay of 21 days (and then , of course, ignore the return portion because I'm a permanent resident). Up-to-date Information and FeesI tell people of my experiences so they know what to expect before attempting to live in the Philippines permanently. I also tell people to get the latest information from the nearest Philippine Consulate because of how outdated and obscure most of the websites are.The worst part about all of these processes are the fees. The Philippine government will "nickel and dime" you to death with all the fees. None of the fees are huge individually, but it all adds up in the end. It's best to have at least $ 2,000 USD (converted to pesos) or more available when you enter the country the first time - keep track of what you spend and don't spend it for something else) - if you have money left over, that's a good thing.merican
Permanent Resident Visa in the Philippines for an American
Permanent Resident Visa in the Philippines for an AGetting a permanent resident visa in the Philippines by an American isn't difficult, but there is one requirement you can't avoid: You must be married to a Philippine citizen. I've been asked how to go about getting a permanent resident visa by enough people that I feel it's time to lay out how I did it in black and white.I don't remember when I started the process, either late 2005 or early 2006, but it doesn't matter. I didn't know a permanent resident visa could even be obtained because the information on Philippine-related websites was obscure at best. I guess you could say that I found out by accident.Information about a Non-Immigrant VisaWhile I and my wife were at the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles to get her dual-citizenship taken care of, I asked about the various visas. I was given the information which is the same as this page: Non-Quota Immigrant Visas. I obtained the required forms at that time. Since I only had my wife to worry about, paragraph 2c on that page is all I had to accomplish.Yes, I did everything on that list and when I returned to the consulate, I was given a non-immigrant visa good for one year. When I and my wife arrived in the Philippines in April of 2006, we were legal in every way but the immigration officer at the airport stamped my passport with a requirement to report to the Bureau of Quarantine within 30 days.During this entire process, at some time that I don't remember, I was told I could "upgrade" my non-immigrant visa to a permanent resident visa, so the actions of the immigration officer didn't surprise me.Getting the Permanent Resident VisaThe Philippine Bureau of Immigration information page on Immigrants is confusing. If you do what you're required to do at one of the Philippine consulates in the US, you have very little to do in the Philippines other than paying fees. I think I just needed more photographs for the ACR I-Card (which I'll mention in minute).When I went to the Bureau of Quarantine, they reviewed my medical examination records and then cleared me to go to the Bureau of Immigration. I had to pay some kind of fee, but I don't remember how much.It took me all day to go through the process at the Bureau of Immigration. I stood in four lines, just to get one part done each time. It was so unorganized. I was then told to come back in two weeks to get my ACR I-Card (a photo ID), which is how they control immigrant visas.Speaking of my ACR I-CardThe first card expired in one year. When I went to the Olongapo City branch before that year expired, they took the card from me to obtain a new card (which would expire in 5 years), and I picked up the new card from them more than two months later.During the renewal process, the chief at that office told me not to worry about having a valid card in my possession while waiting for the new one because if anyone was going to harass me about it, it would be them.Anyway, that card expired in May of this year (2012) and I didn't realize it until a couple of days ago, while I was getting reservations for a trip back to the US in November. You see, every year, I have to go the immigration office before the end of February to do an "annual report". It's not a big deal because it's only 310 pesos (less than $ 10.00 USD). Anyway, no one at the office mentioned it would expire this year and I only look at that card once a year (while at that office) - I didn't notice the expiration date was soon approaching the last time and I blame myself, of course.Traveling Away from the PhilippinesAs the chief at the local office explained to me, I can leave the Philippines for as long as I want and return without any problems whatsoever as long as I have a valid US passport and a valid ACR I-Card in my possession. I'm sure there's some other limitation, so I don't push my luck. My next trip will bring me back before I need to register for the year, just to be safe.This coming week, planned for tomorrow (Monday), I'll be going back to the Bureau of Immigration in Manila to get a new card. I think the fee is the peso equivalent of $ 50 USD, but their website only mentions the fee for renewing the 1-year card. Like I told someone by e-mail earlier today, the information appears to not have been updated since 2008. If I fail to renew my card (the visa never expires), the only way to get back into the Philippines would be to purchase a round-trip ticket on the other end and enter the country with the default stay of 21 days (and then , of course, ignore the return portion because I'm a permanent resident). Up-to-date Information and FeesI tell people of my experiences so they know what to expect before attempting to live in the Philippines permanently. I also tell people to get the latest information from the nearest Philippine Consulate because of how outdated and obscure most of the websites are.The worst part about all of these processes are the fees. The Philippine government will "nickel and dime" you to death with all the fees. None of the fees are huge individually, but it all adds up in the end. It's best to have at least $ 2,000 USD (converted to pesos) or more available when you enter the country the first time - keep track of what you spend and don't spend it for something else) - if you have money left over, that's a good thing.merican
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