no more balikbayan

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, RBM said:

I have read that no embassy will be issuing 9a visas......if this is still the situation one must wonder and sympathize with expats here with commitments approaching the 3 year term. 

Yes, no new 9a but that is for people who are not in country.  People who are stuck in country and nearing a deadline like the 36 month tourist maximum will need to be accommodated in some way.  BI knows it is very hard to leave.  Another situation is someone who arrived on BB privilege and their year is up.  They normally convert to 9a.

[Eddie1]

27 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

People who are stuck in country and nearing a deadline like the 36 month tourist maximum will need to be accommodated in some way.  BI knows it is very hard to leave.  

Me !!!  I have another 8 weeks to go then out.  3 years will be up.  Hopefully I can extend for another 6 months but have no idea yet, I have seen an Attorney here in Dumaguete and we will be submitting the application tomorrow afternoon.  If the application is approved then all well and good (cost 510 peso) however, if it is declined there is a process of appeal called  "Motion of Reconsideration". The cost of submitting and processing this form costs 25,000 peso with no guarantee whatsoever of any extension being granted, ouch!

[OnMyWay]

8 minutes ago, Eddie1 said:

Me !!!  I have another 8 weeks to go then out.  3 years will be up.  Hopefully I can extend for another 6 months but have no idea yet, I have seen an Attorney here in Dumaguete and we will be submitting the application tomorrow afternoon.  If the application is approved then all well and good (cost 510 peso) however, if it is declined there is a process of appeal called  "Motion of Reconsideration". The cost of submitting and processing this form costs 25,000 peso with no guarantee whatsoever of any extension being granted, ouch!

Good luck!  Probably a wise move to engage an attorney.  At least BI will know you are serious about trying to comply to the rules.

[Mike J]

42 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

What is it on that screenshot that would make you think visas are not being issued?  Tourist visas are not being issued random applicants but if you are married to a Filipino, they will give you a visa.  Not sure which it is.  Maybe still tourist?? Or some new from of Balikbayan privilege? 

It clearly states that visa applications are "Temporarily suspended".  What is your interpretation? 

[OnMyWay]

2 minutes ago, Mike J said:

It clearly states that visa applications are "Temporarily suspended".  What is your interpretation? 

I see.  I was mainly focused on the top line that is referring to the new Foreign Spouse rules.  That line you referenced says "How to apply for a visa" Temporarily Suspended and that is probably because the procedure is currently wrong.  I couldn't find the page in your screenshot but that definitely is confusing.

On the new rule, it has this.  See the bottom line.

Announcements

05/08/2020: PUBLIC ADVISORY - VISA REQUIREMENT FOR FOREIGN SPOUSES/CHILDREN/PARENTS OF FILIPINO NATIONALS

Pursuant to Resolution No. 60 of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases and EFFECTIVE 9 AUGUST 2020, the following shall be required to secure the appropriate visas in order to be allowed entry into the Philippines:

Foreign spouses of Filipino nationals, regardless of nationality;

Foreign minor children, and foreign children with special needs regardless of age, of Filipino nationals; and

Foreign parents of minor Filipino children and of Filipino children with special needs regardless of age.

Foreign spouses and parents/children should also show proof of marriage or filiation, together with proof of citizenship of the Filipino spouse or parent/child and proof that the Filipino spouse or parent/child will be traveling with them or is living in the Philippines.

Email visa@philippinessanfrancisco.org for inquiries or visa applications.

[Freebie]

Basically the Philippines doesnt really want to have to deal with foreigners who have and are entitled to different types of visas,  as their prime concern is to repatriate all the OFWs from various places.

The rules have been changed many times and I suspect will continue to change. One day marriage certs needed, next day, a marriage cert and an existing visa, next day new rules might be made. Plus as usual the embassies are working on old or non clarified advisory information. Its not only Philippines embassies that are like this.

 

Those of us who are here will have to endure for a while ( until we are allowed back in , if we leave) and those who want to come here/return here will have to endure until they are let in .

[Mike J]

2 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

I see.  I was mainly focused on the top line that is referring to the new Foreign Spouse rules.  That line you referenced says "How to apply for a visa" Temporarily Suspended and that is probably because the procedure is currently wrong.  I couldn't find the page in your screenshot but that definitely is confusing.

On the new rule, it has this.  See the bottom line.

Announcements

05/08/2020: PUBLIC ADVISORY - VISA REQUIREMENT FOR FOREIGN SPOUSES/CHILDREN/PARENTS OF FILIPINO NATIONALS

Pursuant to Resolution No. 60 of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases and EFFECTIVE 9 AUGUST 2020, the following shall be required to secure the appropriate visas in order to be allowed entry into the Philippines:

Foreign spouses of Filipino nationals, regardless of nationality;

Foreign minor children, and foreign children with special needs regardless of age, of Filipino nationals; and

Foreign parents of minor Filipino children and of Filipino children with special needs regardless of age.

Foreign spouses and parents/children should also show proof of marriage or filiation, together with proof of citizenship of the Filipino spouse or parent/child and proof that the Filipino spouse or parent/child will be traveling with them or is living in the Philippines.

Email visa@philippinessanfrancisco.org for inquiries or visa applications.

DaveB is fighting this battle right now in real time .  The embassy in SF has told him twice that they are not accepting applications.  Apparently Manila and the embassy are not in agreement.  And I recall reading a prior announcement that the BOI had instructed all embassies to stop taking/processing visa applications.  I do not recall any announcement where they were specifically told to resume processing or taking applications.  I think we need a new acronym PCRFUBAR.  The first three letters stand for Philippine Covid Response. 

Edit - Found the notice where Philippine embassies world wide were instructed to stop issuing visa.  This was back in March and I have not seen any news where they were told to resume.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1097204

 

 

Edited August 10, 2020 by Mike J
Found more ino

[Yeochief]

SF is not the only one closed, Houston has been closed since at least March, Houston would never reply back to me when they were open.  Glad I made it here before the changes started.

[Jack D]

For a longest time, DU30 has been planning on a way to require Americans to get a visa prior to boarding a plane to the Philippines. He's always been upset about how Americans can come to the Philippines without already having a visa, and how Filipinos need to obtain a visa prior to travelling to the USA.

So now, he's finally found a non-political way to do so: COVID-19

I realize that the new visa requirements affects all foreigners, and not just Americans, but he's getting what he's always wanted:  a tighter control of the Americans coming to the Philippines.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-27/duterte-threatens-to-tighten-visa-requirements-for-u-s-citizens

[RBM]

On 8/10/2020 at 10:20 AM, Eddie1 said:

Me !!!  I have another 8 weeks to go then out.  3 years will be up.  Hopefully I can extend for another 6 months but have no idea yet, I have seen an Attorney here in Dumaguete and we will be submitting the application tomorrow afternoon.  If the application is approved then all well and good (cost 510 peso) however, if it is declined there is a process of appeal called  "Motion of Reconsideration". The cost of submitting and processing this form costs 25,000 peso with no guarantee whatsoever of any extension being granted, ouch!

Feel for you Eddie and wish the best of British......Excellent move to engage an attorney.