Balikbayan Privilege Question

[Jack Peterson]

Now I have to figure out if this ARP thing applies to me. I think it does as the BB stamp amounts to nothing more than a Tourist Visa without the fees/extensions.

 

 

jon,sorry to Disagree with you but it is nothing like. It is a privilege bestowed on Behalf of the Philippine Tourist Board and has Nothing to do with Immigration at all.

 

Anyone here on a BB is not entered on any report held by the BOI. Immigration just do not know you exist. You do not even have to have an ACI card at all. Unless of course you intend to stay more than I year then you will have to go out of the PI with your Wife and do it all again, OR revert to a 9a Tourist visa.

This comes up every now and then, and we end up saying this again. It is not a visa but a privilege for travelling with your National Wife.

[MikeB]

jon,sorry to Disagree with you but it is nothing like. It is a privilege bestowed on Behalf of the Philippine Tourist Board and has Nothing to do with Immigration at all.

Jack, we may be splitting hairs here but I believe all foreign nationals are still under the jurisdiction of BI, although the Balikbayan program is managed by the Dept of Tourism. If a BB-stamped foreign national had to be deported it would be the BI doing it, not the Dept of Tourism. The former BI Commissioner (since resigned) is on record stating those on a BB privilege have the exact same legal status as Tourist visa.

[Jack Peterson]

is on record stating those on a BB privilege have the exact same legal status as Tourist visa.

 

 Then I stand corrected but a Friend went to BOI Dumaguete last week to do his and was told, you don't need to.

 

JP :tiphat:

[MikeB]

Then I stand corrected but a Friend went to BOI Dumaguete last week to do his and was told, you don't need to

Jack, I'm not correcting you, it's my opinion based upon what I've heard and read, nothing more.

[jon1]

Jack,

 

Therein lies the rub. We will never get a clear answer to a specific question. What is good in Dumaguete today, may not be good in Manila or Olongapo tomorrow. I do not want to have any issues with the BI as I have a vested interest in staying here. 

 

If the BB privilege does not have any BI visibility (even though their employees are providing this via a Dept of Tourism Program), then I can see some logic in this ARP in capturing the info of foreigners within the country. 

 

To me, the BB privilege was about less hassle not saving the money, as I do not have to keep visiting the BI every couple of months. 

 

I may pay the Olongapo BI a visit and see what they say about ARP and Annual Registration.

[Jack Peterson]

Therein lies the rub. We will never get a clear answer to a specific question.

To true jon The BOI have never ever all said the same thing at the same time. No matter what Idea they come up with, they can never give total recall to each and everyone of us, even to the fact that there are 3 clerks in Dumaguete and all 3 seem at times, to work to their own Agenda, What chance do we stand. We just have to Grin and bear it and Of course pay the fines when they have got it Wrong.

 

 

Even the new ARP Exclusions are ambiguous. But there you Go. Ignorance may be No Excuse but it is sure Bliss Sometimes. :hystery:

 

 

JP :tiphat:  :morning1:   no beer this week, on meds again :unsure:

 

jon, if you do  go to the BOI maybe you can keep us all up to Speed.  :thumbsup:  I get fed up and depressed the more I go and I have done my table thumping this month already  :lol:

[earthdome]

We just did this, this morning at NAIA Terminal 2 (PAL). The wife requested that the immigration officer grant me a Balikbayan stamp. The lady asked if we had the same last names in our passports (which we do), reviewed our passports and promptly stamped my passport with a handwritten expiration date of 1 year from now. We didn't have to show the NSO Marriage Certificate that we brought just in case.

 

My wife and I had the same experience when returning from Singapore at NAIA Terminal 1 a few days ago.

[OnMyWay]

I may pay the Olongapo BI a visit and see what they say about ARP and Annual Registration.

 

Jon, I stopped by today at 1 pm to ask a few questions and there were no customers there!   :)   I thought maybe there would be more people due to ARP, but no.  If you think about it, I'm not sure how people would find out about it unless they are on a forum like this.  Many people will probably find out when they apply for an extension.  I don't understand how "unregistered" (illegal) immigrants are going to find out and participate.  I doubt that many will.

 

Anyway, unrelated to Balikbayan, I found out I can't do my ARP in Olongapo and then do my extension in Manila.  He said for me, on a tourist visa, they are linked, and they could not do the ARP with processing an extension.  There is a little bit of logic to that, if you think about it hard enough.

[jon1]

So I just got back from the Olongapo BI. I explained to them my status and asked;

 

Q: What is expected of me in the next year?

A: Nothing. I do not have to visit the BI for any reporting (Annual Registration from Jan-Feb, or the ARP (as documented in OnMyWay's recent post http://www.philippines-expats.com/topic/20393-arp-new-bi-regulation/ ).

 

I also confirmed that I do not have to get an ECC should I leave (after 6 months) before my BB stamp expires next year.

 

Also, as a BB I do not have to get an ACR I-Card. 

 

So now I will just wait until March to apply for my BB stamp to be converted to a 13A conditional Visa. That way I only need an NBI check vs. getting one from my US locality (haven't lived there in almost 8 years anyway).

Edited October 8, 2014 by jon1

[OnMyWay]

So now I will just wait until March to apply for my BB stamp to be converted to a 13A conditional Visa.

 

Or, if you go out of the country once a year with your wife you can renew the BB stamp each time for another year????

Edited October 8, 2014 by OnMyWay