Today we got a comment and question from Ron. This is what Ron had to say: Hi John,Thanks for the info on 13a.I travel back to Australia every 13 weeks(have been doing it for four and a half years).I am on a pention that if I am not there in person every 13 weeks they will stop my pension.I have 2 more trips to do Aug and Nov then I qualify for the age pension.That is the time I will apply for permanent residency.I will have to go to Cebu to do this and i hope it will all go smoothly.Yes Cebu Pacific do require you to have a ticket out of the country.The one time I didnt have they refused to stamp my passport and I had to buy a ticket at the … [Read more...]

Today we got a comment from Claudette. This is what Claudette had to say: In terms of obtaining a 13 series resident visa, I think the entire process is perfectly doable without a lawyer. All it takes is to know the process and not to be intimidated by the immigration personnel. A great deal of patience is also necessary as they (BOI personnel) seem to think you are at their mercy and can make you wait as much as they want to get whatever it is you need from them. But in fairness to the BOI satellite office, they processed our papers very quickly. I do wonder though if it is a big factor that the petitioning spouse (myself), is an Ombudsman … [Read more...]

Today we got a comment from Lenny. This is what Lenny had to say: Just got back from Hong Kong Extension run yesterday, Let me clue you in with Cebu Pacific. They insisted that I have a forward ticket OUT of the Philippines when returning there!! Even though I showed them proof I was living here, Billings etc.. I told them I have never had a problem or have been asked for a forwarding ticket upon arriving into the Philippines, they answered yes, it is random, but that is our rule.. So I bought a ticket back to Hong Kong, and they boarded me.. Maybe PAL might be different, just thought I let you guys know what happened…( Was not asked for a … [Read more...]

Today we got a comment from Gary.  Gary wrote in about his experiences in getting a 13(a) Resident Visa to live in the Philippines. This is what Gary had to say: My experience was pretty easy, took a bit of time only because I lived in Dallas and the Philippines Consulate is in Los Angeles. The biggest expense was the medical stuff. We didn’t need anything from the Philippines, Rose already had her docs. Dallas Sheriff’s dept provided my clearance, I think it was around $10, I called around to different agencies. I downloaded the application, provided the necessary docs, medical, fees, etc. and FedEx’d to LA. They called me in a few … [Read more...]

Today we got a comment and question from David. This is what David had to say: Out of curiosity can you obtain travel visas for U.S. citizens at Philippine embassies in countries other than the U.S.? What I mean is: get a 1 year travel visa. At the end of the year pop over to Hong Kong and get a new one. It would be cheaper than extending visas.   Travel Visa   This is John’s reply: David: In most countries, in order to get a visa issued, you need to be resident. Because of document forgeries, etc. they usually won’t issue visas otherwise: Even visit or travel visas. There are exceptions (China from HKG, Myanmar from BKK), … [Read more...]

Today we got a comment and question from Kurt. This is what Kurt had to say: Last year was my 10th visit to the Philippines since 2001. I married my wife on my second visit in 2002. She is now a dual citizen. I retired last year and our plan was to find a place in the Davao area and live there at least half the year returning to the states every 5 or 6 months for a couple of months so I could see my kids. I also liked the idea of being so close to many other countries worth visiting and especially the reasonable airfares to get me there and back. Figuring a 13A was the best route , I started making inquiries. There are several Ex-pat … [Read more...]

Today we got a comment and question from Bryan. This is what Bryan had to say: I got my 13a in London – the Embassy was absolutely marvelous. My wife restored her Philippine nationality in the morning and I was granted the visa in the afternoon.The Embassy personnel were so helpful and the interview with the Consul was completely informal. Even when we got back to Manila the procedure at Intramuros and Quarantine was not a big deal. It would have been even easier if a document was provided giving information as to how many copies of each document were required.The only complaint I have is the digital photograph on my I.card is distorted and … [Read more...]

Today we got a comment and question from Lenny. This is what Lenny had to say: You have to be married to obtain a 13 a…correct?         This is John’s reply: Lenny: Correct. There are other visa types available (Including quota) if you are not married, so browse this site, or the BI site and see if another category may suit you better. … [Read more...]

Today we got a comment and question from Dave. This is what Dave had to say: I may actually go get my 13(a) visa soon … and then not … since I travel very seldom, once a year at most, the Balikbayan stamp is still serving me fine. One thing I’d like to add for all the folks looking for the detailed answers about the cost of different visas … the rule is, YMMV … Your Mileage May Vary. Trying, for example, to calculate the yearly cost of renewing a tourist visa is fruitless, for example, becuase over the course of the 16 months that I was living here on one, procedures and fees changed several times. And different offices (or even the … [Read more...]

Today we got a comment and question from Kevin. This is what Kevin had to say: Hi John, can you tell me how much i would have to pay in visa cost for a tourist visa in for a one year period ?     This is John’s reply: Kevin: I was in and out so much that I only rarely extended, but here’s a close guess (plus or minus a few ’000) It was costing me about 3,000 every extension (to 60 days). So, adding it up (plus the I card cost after 60 days): First 21 days: Free Extend to 59 days: 3,000 Non resident I-card: 3,500 next 120 days: Around 7,000 (These are actually fines for “overstaying”, even though you are … [Read more...]