US Passport plus VISA question

[bows00]

From what I understand, everyone with a US passport is allowed to stay 30 days.  If I obtain a immigrant VISA, is that an additional 59 days? For a total of 89 days?

[sonjack2847]

1 hour ago, bows00 said:

From what I understand, everyone with a US passport is allowed to stay 30 days.  If I obtain a immigrant VISA, is that an additional 59 days? For a total of 89 days?

You get 30 days on entry and then you apply for an extra 29 days then every 2 months you will have to renew your visa.

 

[bows00]

So if your staying for greater than 30 days, you will need to get a throw away ticket?

[Dave Hounddriver]

17 minutes ago, bows00 said:

So if your staying for greater than 30 days, you will need to get a throw away ticket?

Yes.  Always, if on any kind of tourist visa.

[bigpearl]

28 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Yes.  Always, if on any kind of tourist visa.

Throw away ticket? most tickets are changeable at a cost, depends on the ticket level, at a cost or free. Bows by immigrant visa do you mean tourist visa? I assume you do.

Depending on the time you may want to stay or may end up staying you get 30 days, I just pushed that to 35 days and got way with it, lucky SOB am I. Your choice when you rock up to NAIA is the standard free 30 day tourist visa or you can go to IMMI, before customs and ask for a 59 day visa, a 29 day extension (possibly 6 month visa these days from what I have read but possibly not, others can chime in here). Make sure you have plenty of Pesos in change, around PhP 2,500, we only had thousands and they didn't have change,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sure, I played the waiting game until after half an hour I got my change, a waiting game it was, they wanted me to say don't worry about the 500 peso change, been here too many times to play that game. Principles come into play at times.

Short of that, take the 30 day tourist entry visa, ticket return dates don't really matter as long as you have one, IMMI know they are changeable, if you like what you see after 27 or 28 or even 29 days rock up to an immigration office in your preferred available city and apply for a 59 day extension, or 6 months from what I hear these days. The choice is yours.

If your travels are the first time to the Philippines, have an open mind and heart and you will enjoy.

Cheers, Steve.

[robert k]

4 hours ago, bows00 said:

So if your staying for greater than 30 days, you will need to get a throw away ticket?

You need an onward ticket just to board the flight to the Philippines, supposedly. I would certainly have one.

[Gary D]

Answers here are a bit muddled. Coming to the Philippines you need either a return ticket or onward ticket to somewhere outside of the Philippines. This onward ticket is often called a throw away ticket as you have no intention of using it, usually a cheap ticket to Malaysia or Hong Kong etc. Regarding visas, you have two choices. 30 day free on entry or get a 59 day in your home country before you depart. If you go the 30 day route you can add 29 days at the airport or before your 30 days run out. after the 59 days you can buy 2 months or 6 months at a time if available up to a maximum of 36 months at which point you must leave the Philippines, even for just one day, then start again.

[Jollygoodfellow]

7 hours ago, bows00 said:

So if your staying for greater than 30 days, you will need to get a throw away ticket?

As already said here, it makes no difference if you are staying one day or a year. The law is that you must have an onward ticket to somewhere. The airline will be fined if they allow you to board without one and most wont but if that happened and you arrived in the Philippines without an onward ticket the airline that allowed it will have to carry the cost of sending you home and you wont get to stay in the Philippines. It's been the same law since I can remember, well documented and something everyone who has been a member f forums for should know. 

[jpbago]

19 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

As already said here, it makes no difference if you are staying one day or a year. The law is that you must have an onward ticket to somewhere. The airline will be fined if they allow you to board without one and most wont but if that happened and you arrived in the Philippines without an onward ticket the airline that allowed it will have to carry the cost of sending you home and you wont get to stay in the Philippines. It's been the same law since I can remember, well documented and something everyone who has been a member f forums for should know. 

PAL always asks for an onward ticket at check in Toronto to Manila but I have never been asked for an onward ticket at T2 immigration in Manila. Cebu Pacific has never asked me for an onward ticket at check in Macau to Manila (3 times) nor did T3 immigration in Manila. Maybe they see in my passport that I do not stay for more than 6 months.

PS: I always do have an onward to BKI in Malaysia dated far out as possible.

My onward when with Cebu P  was also with Cebu P so maybe they saw it in their database. Maybe T2 immigration knows that PAL always asks for an onward so they don't have to.

Edited April 16, 2017 by jpbago

[virginprune]

I have been asked about onward ticket at Davao arrivals, only once. I did not have to produce it, unlike at London, just confirm I had one.

Edited April 16, 2017 by virginprune