Staying In The Philippines 18 Months.

[sims1892]

Hello all,  I am planning to go to the Philippines in august and after my three week temp. visa extending for a as long as possible (18 months) just had a few questions cause there are so many different answers.  Is it possible to extend 18 months? do I have to keep a return plane ticket the entire 18 months?

 

   I am a disabled veteran and i have seen numbers thrown out for cost of living from 1000usd to 2000usd. my budget will be around 80,000 pesos a month while I will have 3600usd  a month im leaving around 1600usd in a us bank account to build and in case i got to get out of the country and restart in the USA. so i plan to pay my living expenses with around 1900 a month and my extensions. i would greatly appreciate some advice from some one who has done this, and i really need to know if i need to keep an open return ticket for 18 months     Thanks!

[bootleultras]

Hi Sims,

You should be able to live within your means on your budget, which area are you moving to, do you know yet?

You can extend beyond the initial 21 days at the airport if that's easier for you, that would be for 59 days total.

After that its usually done in 2 month maximum brackets. If you're in Manila you may be able to take advantage of the new 6 month visa extension, that's the maximum extension at this time.

[brock]

Welcome to the forum Sims  :cheersty:

 

You can come to the Philippines on a one way ticket, But will need to get a  cheap throwaway onward ticket out of the country.before you come.

 

80,000 is ample.

[Thomas]

Sims, you can check if Retirement Visa can be better for you, and if you can fullfill the minimum demands for a type.

(I haven't memoriced the rules, because I don't plan to retire yet  :)   but it's described proper in some other topics in this forum.)

Hi Sims,
You should be able to live within your means on your budget, which area are you moving to, do you know yet?
You can extend beyond the initial 21 days at the airport if that's easier for you, that would be for 59 days total.
After that its usually done in 2 month maximum brackets. If you're in Manila you may be able to take advantage of the new 6 month visa extension, that's the maximum extension at this time.

Yes. But so no missunderstanding extensions can be done more times, so the total time can be longer.

Some type of extensions are easy to get, some needs special approval from the higher official. (I have forgot after how long time the second is needed, and it's only (?) needed for later tourist visa extensions.)

[oldutot]

Hi Sims,

             When living in the Philippines, your expenses all depends where you live in the P.I.

              And what type of lifestyle you want.   :cheers:

[JJReyes]

The Philippine Retirement Authority has received approval from the Department of Tourism  to offer US military retirees the SRRV program "Courtesy" visa. They have to get the Department of Foreign Affairs and Bureau of Immigration to concur, which is taking time.

 

After 18 months and you decide to become a permanent resident retiree, the Courtesy visa is the cheapest and best option. Check from time to time the PRA website or this forum for updates. 

Edited July 9, 2013 by JJReyes

[Tukaram (Tim)]

You only need an outbound ticket to get here.  I bought a cheap ticket to Singapore for within the 21 days.  (Tiger Air is pretty cheap for a disposable ticket).  For the Visa extensions you do not need to maintain an out bound ticket.  The only time they check it is when you board your plane in the US.  They won't let you board in the US without an exit ticket.  I had to argue with the ticket lady because she said it had to be a return to ticket to the US.  She finally got her supervisor to come shut me up - and found out I was right.  I stayed polite but was not buying a return US flight!

 

I have only been here for 5 months so far but I believe 16 months is the longest extension that is practical.

 

What is the maximum extension of stay that can be granted? 

Foreigners holding temporary visitors visa pursuant to Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 and aliens admitted under E.O. 408 may extend their stay in the Philippines every 2 months for a total stay of 16 months. Extension of stay after16 months, up to 24 months need the approval of the Chief of the Immigration Regulation Division. Extension of stay after 24 months need the approval of the Commissioner. (MCL Memorandum dated 31 July 2007)

Source: http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=207&Itemid=80

I am not sure how practical it is to get Chief and Commissioner to approve a stay.  But when you leave you do not have to go back to the US.  You can take a short flight to anywhere cheap around here for vacation and come back - just buy an outbound ticket again.  Example - buy a 3 way ticket to Thailand.  Phil-Thai, Thai-Phil, and a disposable Phil-Thai (or anywhere cheap) for your 21 day exit.

[robert k]

If you have a girl in mind before you get to the RP you might not have to leave after 16 months :)

[Thomas]

If you have a girl in mind before you get to the RP you might not have to leave after 16 months :)

:)  If someone didn't understand what Robert ment, there are more stay permit options after marrying a Filipina.

(I plan to solve it like that myself =First stay with tourist extensions to get to know my presumtive wife to be better by living close for at least 4 months, and then marry her - asuming I still will believe it will be a good idea to marry her  :)

[i am bob]

ah the confusion...  hehe!

 

Coming to stay in the Philippines is really quite simple though we all have a tendency to make it harder.  

 

To enter the country, you need a ticket that shows you can leave again.  Doesn't matter where or how - just that the Philippines won't have to pay for getting rid of you.  Of course, it will be an administrative nightmare to ensure you always have a ticket out so they only have it checked on the way into the country.

 

Normally you can extend your stay for up to 18 months without any issues.  There are set times that you need to come back in to do a bunch of paperwork and make payments to extend that Visa but they do make it very easy to do so.  And, if you know where to look (oh, look, a bunch of downloads from the friendly people at BI : http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_docman&Itemid=117), you will find checklists and other information you can use while going for your extensions.  And, if you come in on the new "Long-Stay Visa" that is good for 6 months (http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2007&Itemid=78), life is again so much easier.  I wonder if we can get 6 month extensions with this one?  hehe!

 

Of course, things will change just as you think you have the ideal answer.  The best way to get around this is to (1) keep reading this forum for all the new changes as we learn about them; and (2) keep an eye on the BI site for the changes as well.  Funny how we seem to have the news before the publish it on their own site, isn't it?