Permanent 13-A Visa, 5 year ACR card renewal

[forget_it]

Hey guys. I've had a permanent 13-A Visa for 5 years. My 5 year ACR card expires on Oct 30, 2019. I've sent messages to Immigration asking if I should come in for renewal now or wait until it is expired. Their only answer is to send me links to a 2014 page on their website about the procedure.

Has anybody renewed their 5 year card recently? Is there any change in the paperwork to deal with, or new requirements? I have read some old posts here about being told to wait until the card expires, but I have a bad feeling about that. I got my 13-A in the states and I never dealt with the probationary Visa thing, so this is my first renewal since getting it.

So, should I go do it now or wait until it expires? I'll be going to Intramuros to do it.

Thanks

Edited September 29, 2019 by forget_it
typo

[Howard]

I've never renewed mine since I got it in 2016 but if your question is should you go and renew it now or wait until it expires I would think renew it now. why would you open a can of worms over an expired card?

[jimeve]

3 hours ago, forget_it said:

So, should I go do it now or wait until it expires? I'll be going to Intramuros to do it.

I should do it now, waiting for it to expire means you will be an 'overstayer' 

[Dave Hounddriver]

9 hours ago, forget_it said:

I've had a permanent 13-A Visa for 5 years. My 5 year ACR card expires on Oct 30, 2019. I've sent messages to Immigration asking if I should come in for renewal now or wait until it is expired. Their only answer is to send me links to a 2014 page on their website about the procedure.

I would suggest they do not like to respond to queries like that until they get you in the office to renew.  Then they start asking questions like "Where's your wife".  If there are any cracks in your marital relationship you will see a huge smile and if your read their lips they will say "overstayer" and they will hit you up for fines and put you back on a tourist visa.  At least that is what happened to 2 friends of mine who did it.  Your mileage may vary and if your relationship is still top-notch then no worries.

[hk blues]

At the office here in Iloilo, they suggested I start the process about 2 months before expiry.  As always here, each office may have its own procedure so I'd recommend going in and asking directly.

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, hk blues said:

At the office here in Iloilo, they suggested I start the process about 2 months before expiry.  As always here, each office may have its own procedure so I'd recommend going in and asking directly.

Did they say WHERE you have to do it?

[Tukaram (Tim)]

I have not had to renew my 5 year ACR yet, but I plan on going in 2 or 3 months in advance.  Once you have the receipt you are good, even if the card is delayed (except maybe at the airport?).  It is a pretty useless card, although it is required.

My first two 13a ACRs (probationary & permanent) took about the same amount of time to get from Manila to Iloilo as all my tourist ACRs did, 3-5 months.  As for expiration, I found it funny that the Iloilo office had me wait to renew my tourist ACR one time until after it expired - they were busy with 13 annual check ins and did not want to bother with it.  When I asked if it would be a problem if it was expired he kind of laughed and said no one really cares about the card (I prefer to do it early, though).

[hk blues]

2 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Did they say WHERE you have to do it?

In the Iloilo BI - I asked them about it when I was doing my Annual Report and they said come back 2 months before expiry.  

[OnMyWay]

16 hours ago, hk blues said:

In the Iloilo BI - I asked them about it when I was doing my Annual Report and they said come back 2 months before expiry.  

I hope it can be done in branch offices.  When I got my 13a at Balanga BI, they said the renewal had to be done at Intramuros.

[Jack Peterson]

5 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

I hope it can be done in branch offices.  When I got my 13a at Balanga BI, they said the renewal had to be done at Intramuros.

 I think OMW you can do the Paperwork at a Branch Office and maybe Pay but it will have to go to Intramuros to be actioned