Important - New Policy At Boi

[tom_shor]

I agree 100% with The Mason

I am tad surprised to read that! The Mason is advocating that no visitor can stay in the Philippines longer than 60 days. As someone whose business is catering to those who are too busy/lazy to do their own Extensions, are you sure you should be agreeing with that suggestion? ;)Mark

Hey who you calling lazy? I'm not necessarily denying it I just want to know who is included in this group.

[UZI]

Uzi it sure does appear to say that but I am pretty sure it was just written incorrectly. Maybe Paul ancienrocka can check into it for us. Philippines BI Fees ALIENS ADMITTED AS TOURIST VISA (9a 59 days) - all aliens who will stay for more than 59 days are required to register with the following fees: ADULT MINOR Application 300.00 300.00 Extension 500.00 500.00 Alien Certificate of Registration(ACR) 1,000.00 500.00 Exit Clearance (ECC) 700.00 200.00 Legal 40.00 40.00 2,790.00 1,540.00 500.00 500.00 Express 3,290.00 2,040.00 - maximum extension for restricted nationals is one (1) month up to six (6) months only (for all expired visa, the updating fees for the payment of express fee will based in the number of months of extension)- for non-restricted nationals is two (2) months up to one (1) year (for all expired visa, the updating fee of express if every two months)- aliens who will stay for more than six (6) months are required to pay CERTIFICATE OF RESIDENCE TEMPORARY VISITOR in the amount of P 1,400.00.

When I first came to live here, I was on a 9a visa. When I exceeded my 59 day stay, I had to extend it just like everyone else. These fees are just talking about the costs for the specific case of extending a 9a visa beyond the intial 59 day stay. If you came in on a the 21-day visa waiver, these fees are irrelevant. It's been a while, but this looks to be in line with what I paid for my 9a extension. I only had to extend once while waiting for my 13a to be approved.

The question at hand is - for non-restricted nationals is two (2) months up to one (1) year

It appears that the reference to ONE YEAR is for the validity of the Tourist ACR I-card. This is an edited extract from The Daily Tribune:Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan issued a memorandum order last December prescribing the rules and regulations for issuance of Alien Certificate of Registration I-Card (ACR I-Card) to non-restricted foreign tourists who are granted authorized stay of 59 days.The rules state that the card shall be co-terminus with the validity of the tourist visa or permit issued to the holder but it cannot exceed one year.Thus, existing tourist visa, SSP and SWP holders with ACR I-Cards shall not be charged anew for the card

[upatnitemike]

:th_need_vac: if you were to leave the country for 48 hrs and come back, say to Malaysia would that take care of the problem for 59 more days ?? mike

[ancienrocka]

Here are the answers to a couple of questions I have been asked - I get so many questions aech day I'm not sure I'm posting them in the right thread, on the right forum or even if they were asked at all.1. You cannot pay for your ACR card with a $50 bill even though the fee is based on the current rate for the US$50 - all transactions must be in pesos2. Someone with a BB stamp cannot get the new temporary ACR card.3. The card is almost identical to the permanent residents ACR card - it has a photo taken from your passport but varies in wording as follows:- Visa type "Sec 13a" "TV"Visa valid to "08-25-10" "Ref Passport"Cert of Residence "CRTV12345" "NA"I gave up on trying to format this - just a computer idiot!Paul

[Art2ro]

Here are the answers to a couple of questions I have been asked - I get so many questions aech day I'm not sure I'm posting them in the right thread, on the right forum or even if they were asked at all.1. You cannot pay for your ACR card with a $50 bill even though the fee is based on the current rate for the US$50 - all transactions must be in pesos2. Someone with a BB stamp cannot get the new temporary ACR card.3. The card is almost identical to the permanent residents ACR card - it has a photo taken from your passport but varies in wording as follows:- Visa type "Sec 13a" "TV"Visa valid to "08-25-10" "Ref Passport"Cert of Residence "CRTV12345" "NA"I gave up on trying to format this - just a computer idiot!Paul

Check this link out: http://immigration.g...=612&Itemid=103It has a good explanation of the uses and disposition of the ACR I-CARD for tourists in the Philippines who's stay are over the 59 days, and if one wants to stay beyond the 59 days they will have to do the 2 month extension up to 16 months and be required to have an ACR I-CARD, anyway it's automatic since it is now mandatory, it will be added to your 2 month visa extension. For those on the BB stamps, prior to it elapsing and one wants to stay longer over 6 months up to 16 months, you will also have to do the 2 month interval extensions and at that time, the ACR I-CARD will be issued, paid in pesos (only U.S. Embassies can accept dollar payments for other services provided). All ACR I-CARDs are embedded with all your visa status into the micro chip and color coded Green and Orange. All temporary tourists must surrender their ACR I-CARD to BI Officials at the airport upon their departure. All departing tourists who have stayed more the than 6 months must have an (ECC) Exit Clearance Certificate prior to their departure. 13A&G visa permanent residents are the exception to the rule where they are required to use their ACR I-cards to exit and reenter the Philippines, they are also exempted from the follow on (throw away) ticket rule. Anyway, all this except for the "follow on" ticket rule is explained in this memorandum to read for yourself in the link provided above.

[United Army]

Here are the answers to a couple of questions I have been asked - I get so many questions aech day I'm not sure I'm posting them in the right thread, on the right forum or even if they were asked at all.1. You cannot pay for your ACR card with a $50 bill even though the fee is based on the current rate for the US$50 - all transactions must be in pesos2. Someone with a BB stamp cannot get the new temporary ACR card.3. The card is almost identical to the permanent residents ACR card - it has a photo taken from your passport but varies in wording as follows:-Visa type "Sec 13a" "TV"Visa valid to "08-25-10" "Ref Passport"Cert of Residence "CRTV12345" "NA"I gave up on trying to format this - just a computer idiot!Paul

Check this link out: http://immigration.g...=612&Itemid=103It has a good explanation of the uses and disposition of the ACR I-CARD for tourists in the Philippines who's stay are over the 59 days, and if one wants to stay beyond the 59 days they will have to do the 2 month extension up to 16 months and be required to have an ACR I-CARD, anyway it's automatic since it is now mandatory, it will be added to your 2 month visa extension. For those on the BB stamps, prior to it elapsing and one wants to stay longer over 6 months up to 16 months, you will also have to do the 2 month interval extensions and at that time, the ACR I-CARD will be issued, paid in pesos (only U.S. Embassies can accept dollar payments for other services provided). All ACR I-CARDs are embedded with all your visa status into the micro chip and color coded Green and Orange. All temporary tourists must surrender their ACR I-CARD to BI Officials at the airport upon their departure. All departing tourists who have stayed more the than 6 months must have an (ECC) Exit Clearance Certificate prior to their departure. 13A&G visa permanent residents are the exception to the rule where they are required to use their ACR I-cards to exit and reenter the Philippines, they are also exempted from the follow on (throw away) ticket rule. Anyway, all this except for the "follow on" ticket rule is explained in this memorandum to read for yourself in the link provided above.

Well you just answered all my questions with your post here. I never new that you could stay for up to 16 months vice 12 months before you have to leave the RP for 24 hrs and start you visa extensions all over again and that ECC is also new to me. I heard all this at the BOI yesterday about the 16 months and ECC. My visa extension and ACR-I card cost me just over 7,000 peso. Really hurt my wallet. Also another questions since I'm married and will be returning to the RP after my 24 hrs leave with my wife, she will have our marriage contract, her passbook and new SSS ID card all with my family name on them we will be asking for that BB stamp do we have to have a return plane ticket out of the RP? It would seem we do not.

[TheMason]

Well you just answered all my questions with your post here. I never new that you could stay for up to 16 months vice 12 months before you have to leave the RP for 24 hrs and start you visa extensions all over again and that ECC is also new to me. I heard all this at the BOI yesterday about the 16 months and ECC. My visa extension and ACR-I card cost me just over 7,000 peso. Really hurt my wallet. Also another questions since I'm married and will be returning to the RP after my 24 hrs leave with my wife, she will have our marriage contract, her passbook and new SSS ID card all with my family name on them we will be asking for that BB stamp do we have to have a return plane ticket out of the RP? It would seem we do not.

My experience has been that unless you have a residency visa stamped in your passport when you board the plane, the airline will require a return ticket in order to let you board. Whether or not immigration requires one is kind of irrelevant because the airlines are more strict about enforcing this requirement than immigration is. I have a 13(a) visa which gives me permanent resident status, but I still have to argue with the airline staff about the return ticket requirement. A supervisor generally has to be called before they'll agree to let me on the plane without a return ticket.

[Art2ro]

Well you just answered all my questions with your post here. I never new that you could stay for up to 16 months vice 12 months before you have to leave the RP for 24 hrs and start you visa extensions all over again and that ECC is also new to me. I heard all this at the BOI yesterday about the 16 months and ECC. My visa extension and ACR-I card cost me just over 7,000 peso. Really hurt my wallet. Also another questions since I'm married and will be returning to the RP after my 24 hrs leave with my wife, she will have our marriage contract, her passbook and new SSS ID card all with my family name on them we will be asking for that BB stamp do we have to have a return plane ticket out of the RP? It would seem we do not.

My experience has been that unless you have a residency visa stamped in your passport when you board the plane, the airline will require a return ticket in order to let you board. Whether or not immigration requires one is kind of irrelevant because the airlines are more strict about enforcing this requirement than immigration is. I have a 13(a) visa which gives me permanent resident status, but I still have to argue with the airline staff about the return ticket requirement. A supervisor generally has to be called before they'll agree to let me on the plane without a return ticket.

Just make copies of the memorandums or laws to back up your statements if the airline officials questions you about follow on tickets! As a 13A permanent resident, your ACR I-CARD is your permit to exit and reenter the Philippines with out a follow on ticket when ever you please and most of the Customs and Immigration officials know that to be a fact! That's why they have separate lines for ACR I-CARD holders for ease of processing in and out of the Philippines! Those airline officials are just ignorant of the facts, so just show them copies of the memorandum and laws covering your particular immigration status! Anyway, the ACR I-Cards are already color coded and encoded of all your immigration status as long as your ACR I-CARD is up to date.Even the officials at the BI office where we got our visa extension and ACR I-CARDS gave us misleading information concerning the use and disposition of the ACR I-CARD until I found the memorandum on the www.gov.ph.com website saying otherwise! So don't always believe what any body tells you! Get the facts and read it for yourself! Edited March 18, 2010 by Art & Jho

[United Army]

Well you just answered all my questions with your post here. I never new that you could stay for up to 16 months vice 12 months before you have to leave the RP for 24 hrs and start you visa extensions all over again and that ECC is also new to me. I heard all this at the BOI yesterday about the 16 months and ECC. My visa extension and ACR-I card cost me just over 7,000 peso. Really hurt my wallet. Also another questions since I'm married and will be returning to the RP after my 24 hrs leave with my wife, she will have our marriage contract, her passbook and new SSS ID card all with my family name on them we will be asking for that BB stamp do we have to have a return plane ticket out of the RP? It would seem we do not.

My experience has been that unless you have a residency visa stamped in your passport when you board the plane, the airline will require a return ticket in order to let you board. Whether or not immigration requires one is kind of irrelevant because the airlines are more strict about enforcing this requirement than immigration is. I have a 13(a) visa which gives me permanent resident status, but I still have to argue with the airline staff about the return ticket requirement. A supervisor generally has to be called before they'll agree to let me on the plane without a return ticket.

Just make copies of the memorandums or laws to back up your statements if the airline officials questions you about follow on tickets! As a 13A permanent resident, your ACR I-CARD is your permit to exit and reenter the Philippines with out a follow on ticket when ever you please and most of the Customs and Immigration officials know that to be a fact! That's why they have separate lines for ACR I-CARD holders for ease of processing in and out of the Philippines! Those airline officials are just ignorant of the facts, so just show them copies of the memorandum and laws covering your particular immigration status! Anyway, the ACR I-Cards are already color coded and encoded of all your immigration status as long as your ACR I-CARD is up to date.Even the officials at the BI office where we got our visa extension and ACR I-CARDS gave us misleading information concerning the use and disposition of the ACR I-CARD until I found the memorandum on the www.gov.ph.com website saying otherwise! So don't always believe what any body tells you! Get the facts and read it for yourself!

oops I forgot about the airlines requirement.

[TheMason]

oops I forgot about the airlines requirement.

You can get a cheap throw-away ticket from Tiger Air flying Clark to Macau for about $50. You could also buy a 1-way refundable ticket from an airline based in your home country and then get a refund, but you have to read the fine print to make sure you can get a refund for any reason and won't have to pay a cancellation fee. I always get the throw away ticket because its cheap and I don't have to hassle with a refund or pay for an expensive airline ticket up front.I was just checking the Tiger Air site to give you a current price on the ticket, and it looks like they've discontinued most of their flights from Clark, they only fly to Perth and Singapore from there now. Maybe try Air Asia instead. They have a special from Clark to Kota Kinabalu for 649 pesos plus taxes.