graham59 Posted August 28, 2019 Posted August 28, 2019 I don't think (and hope!) it's anything to do with us expats from most 1st world countries. It is about the Chinese and THEIR visa requirements. We know who has been giving the Phils government the biggest headache recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Peterson Posted August 28, 2019 Posted August 28, 2019 Just now, graham59 said: It is about the Chinese and THEIR visa requirements. We know who has been giving the Phils government the biggest headache recently. Yet he ( mr President) has gone to bed with them of late We all reap what we Sow, so I am told ( Pun Intended) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huggybearman Posted August 28, 2019 Posted August 28, 2019 3 hours ago, Gary D said: Again you are discribing the visa waiver scheme, not the visa on arrival scheme avalable to the chinese. Correct. My post was in response to Mike J's comment that most expats apply for a tourist visa after their initial 30 day stamp under the visa waiver scheme. Every expat I know just extend their stay rather than apply for a tourist visa. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary D Posted August 28, 2019 Posted August 28, 2019 20 minutes ago, Huggybearman said: Correct. My post was in response to Mike J's comment that most expats apply for a tourist visa after their initial 30 day stamp under the visa waiver scheme. Every expat I know just extend their stay rather than apply for a tourist visa. Ken After the 30 days the next step is a tourist visa. All long-term expats not on a spouse or retirement visa are on tourist visas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hk blues Posted August 28, 2019 Posted August 28, 2019 55 minutes ago, graham59 said: I don't think (and hope!) it's anything to do with us expats from most 1st world countries. It is about the Chinese and THEIR visa requirements. We know who has been giving the Phils government the biggest headache recently. It may not matter who the original target is, the government may have to adopt a scattergun approach to solve the problem to avoid accusations of racism. Which, of course, it would be if ONLY applied to the Chinese. As Jack says above, the President seems to have become cosy with the Chinese and I doubt they will want to have to justify singling out the problematic Chinese to the Chinese officials signing the investment cheques for here. It may be that many become collateral damage. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hounddriver Posted August 28, 2019 Posted August 28, 2019 25 minutes ago, Gary D said: All long-term expats not on a spouse or retirement visa are on tourist visas You may call it that, colloquailly, if you wish. However the Philippine Bureau of Immigration calls it a Temporary Visitor Visa (9A). The difference, as I see it, is 59 days Visa Waiver as a tourist vs up to 3 years as a Temporary Visitor. The people at the top are not stupid enough to believe that those who extend beyond 59 days are still tourists. It seems to me that the officials at the airport BI do not know the difference. Provided a person gets by them and into the country then the local BI office knows the drill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jollygoodfellow Posted August 28, 2019 Posted August 28, 2019 2 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said: You may call it that, colloquailly, if you wish. However the Philippine Bureau of Immigration calls it a Temporary Visitor Visa (9A). The difference, as I see it, is 59 days Visa Waiver as a tourist vs up to 3 years as a Temporary Visitor. The people at the top are not stupid enough to believe that those who extend beyond 59 days are still tourists. It seems to me that the officials at the airport BI do not know the difference. Provided a person gets by them and into the country then the local BI office knows the drill. Personally I think the whole system would collapse if it was to stop us long staying tourist. The money it generates in fees, the employment it creates at BI and other places. If you block "tourist" from staying long term then many short termers will not come anymore as well because of bad info and confusion. The money spent in the economy from long stays must be high, if you start to remove the hand that helps feed you then either you are dumb or just plain dumber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum Support Mike J Posted August 28, 2019 Forum Support Posted August 28, 2019 20 hours ago, Huggybearman said: I am not so sure they do apply for a tourist visa after their initial 30 days. Just about everyone I know get a 29 day, then a 2 month and, if appropriate, 6 month extension of stay. Ken Ken, I think you and I are actually on the same page, just using different words. When most expats do the extension, you go from no visa, to a 9A Temporary Visitor Visa during the extension process. This is what the expats here commonly call a "Tourist Visa" and you can continue to extend this 9A visa to a maximum stay of 36 months. The VISA program the law makers are concerned about is called a VISA on arrival program that was specifically set up to encourage Chinese tourism. When you arrive with a group tour, each individual is given a 30 day visa. That visa can be extended also, but only to a maximum stay of six months. The problem is the Chinese who are using the program to overstay AND get jobs. Here is a link that describes the program, when and why it was set up. https://www.aseanbriefing.com/news/2017/08/29/philippines-launches-visas-arrival-program-chinese-nationals.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum Support scott h Posted August 28, 2019 Forum Support Posted August 28, 2019 7 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said: The money it generates in fees, the employment it creates at BI and other places I think that this program is going to become a victim to the "republic" system of Phil government. Right now public opinion is dead set against the number of Chinese arriving on "tourist visa" going straight to a POGO, working and extending up to two years. Right now they can not single out Chinese tourists because china just puts to much money into the nation. We "know" what is going on, the young men and women arrive, get their arrival visa, go straight to their POGO, hand over their passport, start working and their employer hands over their passports to "fixers" who stand in line at the BI (I think we have all seen them) and when their 2 years are up they go home or overstay and take their chances. I tried to google and get some statistics on the number of tourists that extended up to two years but couldn't find any, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the nation makes more money from tourists who arrive for a two week vacation, stay at a swanky resort, spend money like a drunken sailor (sorry jake) and leave than they do from a few thousand older folks on a fixed budget who extend up to two years and repeat as needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onemore52 Posted August 29, 2019 Posted August 29, 2019 What is POGO please forumites? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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