Extension To 24 Instead Of 16 Months Without Special Permission

[No name]

It also appears the first extension is now 2 months, the 21 days seems to be gone.

Section 42. Conditions and Period of Authorized Stay of Temporary Wsifors. - Theinitial period of authorized stay of a foreign national adnitted as a temporary visitor under Section30, paragraph (a) of this Act shall not exceed two (2) months from the date of arrival. Extensionsof authorized stay may be granted under terms and conditions as may be prescribed by theDirector General: Provided, That the total period of authorized stay shall not exceed twenty-four(24) months: Provided further, That during the foreign national's authorized stay: (a) he shall nottake any employment, whether paid or unpaid; (b) he shall not establish or join in any business;or © he shall not enfull and become a student at a school, college, univeisity, academy, or ofhereducational institution, unless he is granted, upon proper application, a conversion to anotherimmigration status provided under this Act..

[UZI]

It also appears the first extension is now 2 months, the 21 days seems to be gone.

Section 42. Conditions and Period of Authorized Stay of Temporary Wsifors. - Theinitial period of authorized stay of a foreign national adnitted as a temporary visitor under Section30, paragraph (a) of this Act shall not exceed two (2) months from the date of arrival. Extensionsof authorized stay may be granted under terms and conditions as may be prescribed by theDirector General: Provided, That the total period of authorized stay shall not exceed twenty-four(24) months: Provided further, That during the foreign national's authorized stay: (a) he shall nottake any employment, whether paid or unpaid; (b) he shall not establish or join in any business;or © he shall not enfull and become a student at a school, college, univeisity, academy, or ofhereducational institution, unless he is granted, upon proper application, a conversion to anotherimmigration status provided under this Act..

Rusty,I think the reference to 2 months is the 59 days visa (not the 21 day visa free entry) from which you can then apply for extensions. The rest of your link confirms the quote I gave above from the BI website, which says, as this doc does, that the DIRECTOR can grant up to a max of 24 months & the COMMISSIONER can grant above the 24 months.Good piece of research though.Uzi

[No name]

Rusty, I think the reference to 2 months is the 59 days visa (not the 21 day visa free entry) from which you can then apply for extensions. The rest of your link confirms the quote I gave above from the BI website, which says, as this doc does, that the DIRECTOR can grant up to a max of 24 months & the COMMISSIONER can grant above the 24 months.

In the past it was the division chief that handled the 24 months extensions, not the director.UZI, things have changed. I didn't follow the argument about who you had to see in the past because that has all changed. Below is the OLD procedure. It comes from a BI official that I emailed:

Dear Sir, Please be informed that foreigners holding temporary visitors’ visas may extend their stay in the Philippines every two (2) months for a total stay of sixteen (16) months. The applications for extensions within this period can be filed at any of the Field Offices of the Bureau of Immigration (BI). The extensions of stay after sixteen (16) months up to twenty-four (24) months need the approval of the Immigration Regulation Division Chief while extensions of stay beyond twenty four (24) months need the approval of the Commissioner. For this reason, applications for extensions beyond 16 months must be filed at the Visa Extension Section at the Bureau of Immigration, Main Office at Magallanes Drive, Intramuros, Manila. The temporary visitors who wish to extend their stay for more than 16 months but less than 24 months must write a letter addressed to the Chief of the Immigration Regulation Division (IRD) requesting for further extension of stay. Once approved by the IRD Chief, applicant must proceed to the Bureau’s Visa Extension Section for an assessment of the corresponding fees to be paid. This office is located at the Ground Floor of the Bureau of Immigration, Main Office at Magallanes Drive, Intramuros, Manila.On 6/22/2010 12:30 PM, Rusty wrote:> Greetings,>> I see it is possible to get an extension beyond the 16 months. >> Foreigners holding temporary visitors visa pursuant to Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 and aliens admitted under E.O. 408 may extend their stay in the Philippines every 2 months for a total stay of 16 months. Extension of stay after16 months, up to 24 months need the approval of the Chief of the Immigration Regulation Division. Extension of stay after 24 months need the approval of the Commissioner. (MCL Memorandum dated 31 July 2007)>> I have been unable to find out how to apply for that. Is it possible to apply? If so, how do I do that? I live in Bogo City in Cebu. I asked at the Mandaue office but if I understood correctly, they said it was not possible. Perhaps they meant at that office?>> I've been in The Philippines for one year now. >> Thank You,>> Rusty Ferguson

That is no longer required. What I posted is new law, it was passed in June of 2010 even though the act is called Immigration Act of 2009. You may be right about the 21 days but I don't think so. I think it is now 59 days but its up to the BI to adopt the policy. From the way i read it, in the past, the BI was required to issue first visa's for up to 21 days only. Now the legislature has given them the authority to go to 59 days if they wish.I suspect they will go to 59 days to reduce the drain on the system.I think the exact same thing is try of the 24 months. It doesn't require BI to grant us "automatic" extension but give it the authority to do so WITHOUT going before the division chief as the old requirement.I don't doubt that in Manila people were able to get the extension up to 24 months without actually getting the permission but that wasn't official policy. It sounds like to me, just a whisper from above, if they come in and ask for more than 16 months, go ahead and grant it as our office can't handle all the request.In Cebu, when I made my last VISA run, the BI office just told me no, you can't extend to 24 months. When I asked again this time, three months ago, we asked what the procedure for obtaining permission to stay 24 months we were told its not possible. That I must leave. Now Cebu BI says I can get extension here in Cebu. none of this is hypothetical, its fact on what is actually happening here on the ground in Cebu.Now I have just found the changes in law that have caused these changes. Its almost like the biggest secret in the BI law. :) I finally did find a very short article about it on one of the websites of a local papers. Don't recall where, the article was too short to be of any use. It only said that the law was passed "last Friday" The article was published on 6/4/2010.

[Matt]

Hi People, I thought i would put my pennies worth in, which will only complicate matters unfortunatly but i am also at a stage where i am about to get my 18 month visa and have been doing reseach. From what i can gather is that it differs from who you see and where you go. I have a friend who goes to Dumaguete and he has been told that he has to go 3 weeks pior to the office and fax from there his pre approval, which he does and there seems to be no problem. He been here for 21 months so far and has done this since applying for up to 18months visa. On the other hand though i have another friend who goes to Cebu office and he has never been asked if he has faxed or notified the Director in Manila and just goes in and does his visa as he has always done. He also has been here for 21 months. These are both very good long term friends who have no reason what so ever to lie to me about it. I believe both of them equally. As i said this post will just complicate things really, but i have sent a lenghty email off to immigrations earlier today for some clarity on this and once i get a reply i will copy and paste it on this thread. Hopefully it will finally shed some light on what we are meant to do.

[No name]

Hi People, I thought i would put my pennies worth in, which will only complicate matters unfortunatly but i am also at a stage where i am about to get my 18 month visa and have been doing reseach. From what i can gather is that it differs from who you see and where you go. I have a friend who goes to Dumaguete and he has been told that he has to go 3 weeks pior to the office and fax from there his pre approval, which he does and there seems to be no problem. He been here for 21 months so far and has done this since applying for up to 18months visa. On the other hand though i have another friend who goes to Cebu office and he has never been asked if he has faxed or notified the Director in Manila and just goes in and does his visa as he has always done. He also has been here for 21 months. These are both very good long term friends who have no reason what so ever to lie to me about it. I believe both of them equally. As i said this post will just complicate things really, but i have sent a lenghty email off to immigrations earlier today for some clarity on this and once i get a reply i will copy and paste it on this thread. Hopefully it will finally shed some light on what we are meant to do.

Interesting indeed. I went to Mandaue office yesterday, got my 20 month extension but I had to go personally, she the "man in charge" for approval since I was past the 18 months.. I can no longer use an agent as have to file a motion for reconsideration each time.

[ancienrocka]

"Interesting indeed. I went to Mandaue office yesterday, got my 20 month extension but I had to go personally, she the "man in charge" for approval since I was past the 18 months.. I can no longer use an agent as have to file a motion for reconsideration each time."

You are spot on right with that. You must go and present your case yourself and if you are not convincing you will not be granted an extension.

[No name]

"Interesting indeed. I went to Mandaue office yesterday, got my 20 month extension but I had to go personally, she the "man in charge" for approval since I was past the 18 months.. I can no longer use an agent as have to file a motion for reconsideration each time."

You are spot on right with that. You must go and present your case yourself and if you are not convincing you will not be granted an extension.

I'm noting living in limbo.. I'll just go before I do that again.I thought it took a couple of weeks to get the exit clearance taken care of. If they denied you, what would they do about that?

[ancienrocka]

"Interesting indeed. I went to Mandaue office yesterday, got my 20 month extension but I had to go personally, she the "man in charge" for approval since I was past the 18 months.. I can no longer use an agent as have to file a motion for reconsideration each time."

You are spot on right with that. You must go and present your case yourself and if you are not convincing you will not be granted an extension.

I'm noting living in limbo.. I'll just go before I do that again.I thought it took a couple of weeks to get the exit clearance taken care of. If they denied you, what would they do about that?

Mate, I don't do exit clearances as the applicant has to be there in person for the fingerprints, but I see with my own eyes that it takes about one hour maximum from start to finish for tourist visa holders.

[No name]

Mate, I don't do exit clearances as the applicant has to be there in person for the fingerprints, but I see with my own eyes that it takes about one hour maximum from start to finish for tourist visa holders.

Your right, when I got mine last time around, it only took that but I THOUGHT I had to file something before hand. I went through an agent and yes had to appear for the finger prints. I am just confused.But, I asked around. I'm wrong. My memory reminds me of your avatar. Its ragged. LOL

[Matt]

Hi there, as i said in my previous post once i get a response from immigration i will let you know what they said. I actually had a headed letter sent to me from Manila and not an email, i assume so i know it is a genuine response. Anyway this is roughly what it says, you do have to get clearance 2 weeks prior to your visa running out between 16 and 24 months, you do not have to go to Manila, any BI office can do it and send it to Manila for you. Between 16 and 24 months The Chief deals with it, but if you want to stay longer than 24 months then it is down to the Commissioner. Well i went to Dumaguete today and got mine done and it was a simple as any other time, same form to fill out, apart from you fax it to them, and come back in 2 weeks time and pay up and get stamped, and i asked what would happen if you did not get a reply in 2 weeks and i over ran my visa, they said nothing as i had already applied for my visa today. As for exit clearance which was mentioned earlier a good friend left for the UK for a two week stay last month, and i asked him about this clearance as he been staying here for 14 months, he told me that he never got one, was never asked for one, and just left the country as usual, they did not even ask him for his ACRI card, which i thought you had to surrender upon leaving the country. Anyway back to what your meant to do after 16 months, i hope this response has cleared things up a bit.