Best Way To Relocate, Every Situation Is Unique...

[jkeenan213]

My apologies if this has been discussed before.  I can get pieces of it from different posts but am wary about piecing them together...and having "a problem".

 

With the gracious assistance of our Congressman, my wife's U.S. citizenship has been expedited, and we expect to depart for PI permanently in the next 90-120 days.  We will be travelling, myself as a US citizen on a US passport, my Pinay wife with both US citizenship and valid US and PI passports, and our two children 1 and 4, both born here in US (of my Pinay wife) and with US passports.  My questions:

 

1. We intend to travel without visas, then invoke the BB privilege at MNL.  I think the time frame is too short for me to apply for 13a here in US and I have concerns about this interfering with her active US citizenship application.  Am I safe doing this?  I would just apply for the 13a when we are in PI.  We will be close to Cebu.
2. In order to invoke the BB privilege, should my wife travel on her US or PI passport?  Or does it matter?
3. Barring any emergencies (see #5,6), none of us intend to return to the US within the first 12-24 months of arriving in PI, either singly or as a family.  Does this affect my choice of method of entry?
4. Do we, and which of us, need "throwaway" (or open date) onward tickets?  Myself, wife, kids, all?  If throwaways, what is your experience in the cheapest onward destination?  If dated onward tickets, do they have to be dated within the 30 day non-visa stay limit to be legitimate?
5. And suppose there is an emergency (example: I have 2 adult kids here in US as well, one of them becomes very ill, or decides miraculously on marriage) 30 days after we arrive in PI.  What are my options for short-time return?  Any?
6. We will be renting out our home here in US and simultaneously listing it for sale.  I would typically handle settlement through a POA or some other proxy, but if a miracle happens and it sells 5 months after we land in PI and for some reason I need to return to "tidy up" that transaction, where does that leave me?  Being on a BB and not yet a 13a, I assume my wife would need to travel with me, then we would return again on the BB?  Kids would stay with the grandparents and travel back to U.S. would be short (days).
7. We registered our marriage abroad and our first child's birth abroad at the PI consulate in NYC.  We have not done so with our second yet, now only 6 months old and no time to do so so far.  My wife thinks we can do this in PI.  Anyone have experience with this?
8. Besides the usual medication stockpiling (me, mildly high BP and cholesterol), are there any tests/immunizations (chest x-ray, TB, Hep, etc.) we would need for immigration purposes?  My guess is that I will not be starting the 13a process in PI within the first 6 months there.
9. Same with criminal background checks.  If I do not intend to start the 13a process in the first 6 months there, am I correct in understanding that a US FBI check, validated by the embassy, is not needed but I would get an NBI check while there?
10. Once there, does my wife need to do anything to retain her U.S. citizenship or confirm dual citizenship so that she can retain her U.S. status and travel freely down the line?
11. In the future, at least I (being the only 100% kano) if not all of us, will need to renew our US passports in the same vein as #7, to enjoy less restricted travel.  The kids' passports are good for 5 years only.  Is this correct, possible, where, and how much of a hassle?
12. I do not intend to "work" per se, but do have some investments in the "informal economy" in PI that I would be superficially involved in (keeping an eye on).  Would I need, or would it be best to get an ACR-I card just in case?  I have a college degree and a US teaching credential and suppose some teaching/tutoring would be a good fall-back, again just in case?  We have plenty of savings, but I am 10 months out from 59 1/2 retirement withdrawals and 3 years from 62.  Just in case.  Can I get an ACR-I on the BB privilege, or would I need to convert to a visa (13a or other).  
13. Health insurance.  International policies are mildly pricey, horrific if you want coverage back in the U.S. for return travel.  Options in PI and are they worth it?  I would imagine wife and kids are good for PhilHealth, am I eligible while on BB or 13a?  I've read through the coverage, understand that it's nominal (compared to US coverages), but it's cheap.
14. I know I said "just in case" a lot, I'm a planner.  It drives my asawa nuts.

Cost is always a consideration, but not necessarily the only one.  And I don't mind waiting, waiting in line, or long time frames at all (which next to real estate hanky panky seems to be a PI pastime).  My time is free.  I do mind unnecessary air travel to fulfill some immigration/visa requirement, hassles and opening myself up to potential graft because I don't have my ducks lined up (which may happen anyway, I just want to minimize risk).  So I want to do this "by the numbers".

 

Denzel Washington has a great line in the movie "Philadelphia".  "I want you to explain this to me like I'm a 6 year old, OK?"  I like to think I'm reasonably intelligent, but sometimes...  So as much detail as possible would be very appreciated.

 

Thanks, as always!

[scott h]

Pinay wife with both US citizenship

I have concerns about this interfering with her active US citizenship application

 

Before we get to deep JK,,is she a sworn citizen or not? just a bit confused here

[Thomas]

1. Am I safe doing this?

Yes. In WORST case you will need to pay tourist VISA fee.

 

2. Somewhere else it was told she use US passport in USA and Phil passport in Phils both entering and leaving.

 

3. No difference.  (Except if it's big chance you will leave within around a year, it perhaps better you get a return ticket instead of a "throw away" ticket.)

 

4. You can need a "throw away" ticket, if you don't have a return ticket, to be sure to not be refused to enter the flight in USA.

I don't know if your kids need.

" If dated onward tickets, do they have to be dated within the 30 day non-visa stay limit to be legitimate?"

Any.

 

5 and 6.  You can leave anytime, except you need a permit to leave if you have been there more than 6 month. Such can take 3 days to get.

If I have understood corect, you will NOT be on BB, if you return to Phils within a year and your wife arrive with you the second time too, so you can need to pay for a tourist VISA then.

 

12. If you will WORK you will need a WORK permit. ACR-I card DON'T cover that.

 

13. " I would imagine wife and kids are good for PhilHealth, am I eligible while on BB or 13a?"  

As far as I know ANYONE can join PhilHealth.  Not sure if it have changed when they added some type of "group", but earlier if your WIFE is joined as MAIN, kids, husband (=you) and her parents are included in HER insurance.

 

The rest I asume others can answer much better than I   :)

[jkeenan213]

Scott - not sworn yet.  Waiting on appointment for test and oath.  Now on green card.

[chris49]

I will pick out a few to answer.

 

 

 

We registered our marriage abroad and our first child's birth abroad at the PI consulate in NYC.  We have not done so with our second yet, now only 6 months old and no time to do so so far.  My wife thinks we can do this in PI.  Anyone have experience with this?

 

Yes, that would be ok. This falls under the category of "Late Registration" and it means the child could get a Philippines Birth Certificate and a Phillipines Passport, which will  be handy later  on. Howewer your kids, both of them will be on BB, and your wife will enter the Philippines on her valid Philippine Passport. To make the correction eg the kids will be here permanently. Within a few years you might need to make a family trip in and out of the country. However you will apply  for a 13 a in about  a year. So kids are included there, so that solves the problem.

 

 

 

 

Same with criminal background checks.  If I do not intend to start the 13a process in the first 6 months there, am I correct in understanding that a US FBI check, validated by the embassy, is not needed but I would get an NBI check while there?

 

At this point in time don't do anything about any requirements for the 13a visa. All can be done here and will include the children. Do everything at the time of application.

 

In the future, at least I (being the only 100% kano) if not all of us, will need to renew our US passports in the same vein as #7, to enjoy less restricted travel.  The kids' passports are good for 5 years only.  Is this correct, possible, where, and how much of a hassle

Done at the US Embassy by separate appointment for each party. A bit time consuming, but once you have applied there's a courier service inside the embassy, so your passports will be delivered. I have done all this and the system works well. You can apply your SS there also, which is at another window in the same area of the embassy. You need an appointment but they are very effficient in what they do.

 

 

 

Once there, does my wife need to do anything to retain her U.S. citizenship or confirm dual citizenship so that she can retain her U.S. status and travel freely down the line?

 

No her US Citizenship will never be affected unless she commits a crime like joining a foreign army and fighting against the USA. However, my opinion is that she needs to enter the Philippines on her Philippines Passport and keep the Phillipines Passport valid at all times.

Edited November 29, 2015 by chris49

[scott h]

Waiting on appointment for test and oath. Now on green card.

 

JK, its been 15 years since my wife got her citizenship so I am probably out of date. However I seem to recall something about her not being able to leave the country at sometime during the process. I would double and triple check, then check again about this aspect. If her test date comes through are you planning on returning to the states to take the test? If not where would the test be given? Manila Embassy? Where and when is the oath given? I would hate to see something go wrong after all the hard work that went into the process.

 

Then again I might be reading this all wrong.

[jkeenan213]

Scott:  We would not leave until she is both sworn and we apply/receive her US passport, we wouldn't risk it.  It's the only thing holding us up, or heck we'd leave next week.  The only thing making this winter bearable...is that it will be our last and hopefully very short.  Hahaha.

 

Chris:  Looks like we can do the passport renewals at the US consular office in Cebu.  But from the website...it looks like filing for SS is only in Manila?  But I think you can do this on line (when the time comes) anyway?

[Mike J]

Scott - not sworn yet.  Waiting on appointment for test and oath.  Now on green card.

When your wife receives her US citizenship, she will lose her Philippine citizenship.  She will then have reacquire the PH citizenship to be a dual citizen.  You will not be able to avail of the 13A process until she regains her PH citizenship.  She can do that either in the US if she has time, or after she gets to the Philippines.

[jkeenan213]

Thomas:  We had a problem on one of our PI trips when she used her green card as an exit document in the US and her PI passport as an entrance document in PI.  I can't seem to remember the issue, I just remember being in a small waiting room for about 45 minutes, answering some questions, and of course...paying a fee (nominal like 1200 pesos, but of course).  They were questioning the document mismatch.  Not sure if this is standard and switching docs in mid-flight is a no-no, I wasn't going to argue over 25 bucks and the wife handled the Tagalog because my accent sucks (her words...in English :lol:) .  Anyone else chime in?  Salamat.  (There's no accent when one types.)

[scott h]

When your wife receives her US citizenship, she will lose her Philippine citizenship. She will then have reacquire the PH citizenship to be a dual citizen. You will not be able to avail of the 13A process until she regains her PH citizenship. She can do that either in the US if she has time, or after she gets to the Philippines.

 

Exactly right. I wanted to get my head around all the details,,,(damn, it would be much easier if we were all sitting around a table at JK's bar and grill throwing these things around :hystery: )

 

So, assuming that your move will not occur until she has her US citizenship and passport and further assuming that you ARE NOT going to get her dual citizenship prior to moving here. (your original post seemed to stress that you were planning on a move quickly). So you will be traveling under USA passports (which is what my wife and I did originally).

 

We intend to travel without visas, then invoke the BB privilege at MNL

Just show your USA passports to immigration patrol ask for BB visa, your done (for 12 months lol)

should my wife travel on her US or PI passport?

Unless you stay in the states long enough to get her dual citizenship she will only have her USA passport

Do we, and which of us, need "throwaway" (or open date) onward tickets? Myself, wife, kids, all?

Yes. you can either have a return ticket or a cheep-O throwaway ticket (opinions vary on this depending on who you ask.

 

JK, your laundry list is quite long, which is no problem at all, we are here to help (and Jack P and myself have nothing better to do :hystery: ) but can I suggest that you break each question into a different topic? That way the thread wont get long, cumbersome and confusing. Plus it will help those who come after you and have some but not all of the same questions.