New Visa Law

Bruce on Mindoro wrote:

I don't think this has been addressed anywhere yet as the ruling is fairly new.
But with the visa extension to 3 years before you are required to do a Visa run to renew, how are they going to deal with an on-going ticket out of the country?
At present, I leave the country with a return ticket to Manila. I purchase a cheap on-going ticket as far in the future as I can. Of course I have to forfeit the ticket.
But I have been asked by the airlines in the departing countries (return to Manila) for proof of an on-going ticket?
Would I be right in thinking that the Philippines will no longer require visitors to have an on-going ticket?

Very good question Bruce.

I have never had customs ask me for an ongoing ticket when I entered the Philippines...I think they could care less..

I have never had customs ask me for an on-going ticket either.
It has always been the airlines I am travelling with who have asked, (Cebu Pacific, and China Air) for proof of an on-going ticket. Apparently it is the responsible of the airlines you are traveling with for making sure you have an on-going ticket. Of course this being the Philippines, you experience may differ!! LOL
I have sent a letter off to the Bureau of Immigration asking for clarification so I will post that here when I receive it.

Just got this letter back from BI

Dear Sir:



Good day! A non visa required national may stay in the Philippines for 36 months provided that this foreign national regularly updates his stay in the country. A foreign national who intend to come in the Philippines on a vacation or for pleasure must possess a return ticket or an outbound ticket. With regard to the validity of the ticket, kindly coordinate with the airlines concerned. A return ticket remains a requirement for tourist.



Should you have other immigration-related queries, please do not hesitate to call the BI Helpdesk Hotline at (632) 524-3769 or (632) 524-3824, BI Trunk line No.: 465-2400, visit our website at www.immigration.gov.ph or like us on Facebook: officialbureauofimmigration and follow us on Twitter: immigrationPH.

So am I understanding the reply from the BI to mean I must have an on-going ticket?
Airlines only issue tickets for up 11 months?
After 11 months I have to buy a new on-going ticket.
After 22 month another and after 33 another to be legal?

In reality I would buy the one required when to appease the airlines when I leave Canada (return out of Manila) but probably not the rest

Bureaucracy

you can always   change the ticket for 200 dollars

they looked at my return ticket or they want your  business and they do have qutos every month

The on-goint ticcket is only @50 cdn dollars. As usual it is not the money. Just the point. Why do I have to buy one, when everyone knows I am going to let it go and then be here without one? Someone did not think this through.

money    same as in Canada they  dont  waht you  unless you have money or money to spend like i say bi has quatos

steveslade wrote:

money    same as in Canada they  dont  waht you  unless you have money or money to spend like i say bi has quatos

Money talks and BS walks..

so  true  a lot of ways  around  this  visa thing also

I have never been asked about a return ticket by Immigration or the airlines, I only know about it from Expat.com

if a return ticket is needed just buy one from Cebu pacific or Tiger air From their Promo's to Macau or Phuket etc., to a later date... easy

Yes that is exactly what I do to appease the authorities.

BI says I can stay here 3 years.
I can only buy a ticket for 11 months in advance.
So either I leave the country after 11 months in order not to lose my ticket (cashing in not an option as that cost more to re-date it than buying a new one)
or I buy a new one to say legal'
I guess a third option (most of us will do if we stay longer than 11 months) is to let the ticket lapse and then when you leave the country with a return ticket to Manila and just consider having to purchase a cheap one way (throw away) ticket as just to cost of living here.

I just find it strange that wasn't more thought out. LOL, but this is the Philippines

Guys,

Just for your information,
BOI building of Immigration Office at Buendia now requires an ID to exchange Visitor ID before you can enter the building.
Effectively today.

So you should bring your extra ID to avoid inconvenience.

whats this about the 3 yr stay before you have to leave country?

Last November, 2013, I was asked ONLY by the Philippines Airline ticket lady IN Bangkok for the on-going ticket -- Immigration at Manila never asked to see it, although I'd bought one.  A good idea to have, though, unless we find one is no longer required under this new law.

When you buy an on going cheap ticket 9 which you say you discard) ,it is for the benefit of the "airlines " (to save their own ASS ) who is flying you to Manila and has nothing to do with the Immigration here. The airlines makes sure that They are not liable to ferry you back in case you are refused entry or, fall ill etc etc, When you land  here.Clever heh??? Its all institutionalized , the airlines gain too  by  the non refund, They are basically robbing son of female dogs.

gregray171 wrote:

whats this about the 3 yr stay before you have to leave country?

you can get tourist visa extensions up to 3 yrs-then need to leave ,for other visa types  -not sure

I have this updated today: BI Makati extension office now can extend tourist visa up to 6 months.

And the computer there was having problem which lead to payment process was delayed quite long.

Hi,

I just renew tourist visa last week and they said need a certificate from beureu of quarantine which do a helth check and blood test. They said the policy in effect from january.

So i not finish it on 1 day. Tomorrow i will get the certificate from teh BOQ then extend tourist visa for 2 months. I extend on intr,orous BOI office.

Anybody experience this?

And they do xray, stool test, urine test, blood extraction for sifilis test, and for malaria test they refer to hospital.

Cost about 3000 peso not include your time back and forth from there.

Getting costly and Not Fun in Phillipines.

coders wrote:

Hi,

I just renew tourist visa last week and they said need a certificate from beureu of quarantine which do a helth check and blood test. They said the policy in effect from january.

So i not finish it on 1 day. Tomorrow i will get the certificate from teh BOQ then extend tourist visa for 2 months. I extend on intr,orous BOI office.

Anybody experience this?

And they do xray, stool test, urine test, blood extraction for sifilis test, and for malaria test they refer to hospital.

Cost about 3000 peso not include your time back and forth from there.

Getting costly and Not Fun in Phillipines.

I renewed mine 2 weeks ago, and no health checks.  Just pay my money and get the stamp.

I have been in the country 10 months this time and never was required to have a medical. I on a Tourist Visa from Canada.
To bring you up to date on a previous post (below) re on-going ticket. I contacted Immigration and it is a requirement to have an on-going ticket.  Even if you are here 3 years. The idea being you enter the country with an on-going ticket, after 11 months that expires and you supposedly buy another on-going ticket.

Just want to give you some WARNINGS for people who are coming to the Philippines

Since: I were being kept in the airport for five days, and I don't want you to experience the same.

In those five days, I have seen people were being kept and deported by different reasons:
- NO speak English (even one of them can speak Tagalog)
- doesn't have return/on-going ticket (EVEN some of them has visa)
- the return/on-going ticket is out of 21 days/one month.
- no booking hotel
- no invitation letter
- passport was not renewed 6 months before expire date
- keep coming back the country under tourist visa for long time (like me)
etc

I experienced the most seeing Vietnamese, Chinese, Taiwanese, African (specially Nigerian) were being kept there.

Once you are being kept, you can ask someone to go to Immigration Head Office (in Intramurous) to write for you a recall order (mine was denied). But sometime, if your mistake is crystal clear, you aren't allowed to write a recall order anymore. You will be sent back in the earliest flight.

For more details, please read here.

What a terrible experience ?

why 5 days you get returned? why not just returned you imidiately.

at least you can have eat something and have a reason for that.

MeoMun wrote:

Just want to give you some WARNINGS for people who are coming to the Philippines

Since: I were being kept in the airport for five days, and I don't want you to experience the same.

In those five days, I have seen people were being kept and deported by different reasons:
- NO speak English (even one of them can speak Tagalog)
- doesn't have return/on-going ticket (EVEN some of them has visa)
- the return/on-going ticket is out of 21 days/one month.
- no booking hotel
- no invitation letter
- passport was not renewed 6 months before expire date
- keep coming back the country under tourist visa for long time (like me)
etc

I experienced the most seeing Vietnamese, Chinese, Taiwanese, African (specially Nigerian) were being kept there.

Once you are being kept, you can ask someone to go to Immigration Head Office (in Intramurous) to write for you a recall order (mine was denied). But sometime, if your mistake is crystal clear, you aren't allowed to write a recall order anymore. You will be sent back in the earliest flight.

I've rarely had hotel bookings when I come here, but never been asked about them anyway.
I've been back and forwards to Philippines a lot.  And with the ability to stay for up to three years now, before needing a visa run, it seems odd they would have a problem with length of time staying.
I've never had an invitation letter either.  No one invited me, I just came here

Always needed a return ticket, the airlines refuse us to board for Philippines without one.
Philippines immigration checked my outward ticket the last time, for the very first time.  It was dated 4 months after I arrive, and was no problem, even though I arrived on the 29 days initial entry tourist visa free option.

Re your situation though; on your blog you mentioned: "Problem is WB didn't issue me any work permit, just contract."  You seemed to need a work permit but didn't have one.  When asked about this, by immigration, you were unable to answer their questions.  Flags get raised at that point. 

Anyone with a questionable state will be checked fully, or deported, by any country, not just the Philippines.
However, having said that, the Philippines red tape systems are abysmal...

Some figures worldwide:
* The UK refused entry to, and subsequently removed, 14,124 people in 2013. (average 4 every day)
* Australian figures show 60 arrivals at seaport or airport were detained and deported in just January 2015, (average 2 every day)
* In 2014 the US detained and deported about 8,500 were from airports and seaports  (average 23 every day) plus another 200,000+ from the border with mexico

@ coders: there's not any flight available right away,
                                           and I also wanted to wait for the result since my friends were helping me out at Immigration.


@ ABCDiamond: I think for Australian citizens like you, it would be different.
The custom officer asked me/us: you came here so you don't work? how about your job?
The other Vietnamese said: I took a vacation without salary, I took leaves ...  but weren't accepted.
In my opinion, as long as we can arrange our things, work, job to come here, as long as we can support ourselves financially, the customs don't need to care about our job.
Yes, I have no doubt in my mind about why I were deported. Just want to share my experiences with others, not to blame anyone.

MeoMun wrote:

as long as we can arrange our things, work, job to come here, as long as we can support ourselves financially, the customs don't need to care about our job.

I've known many who arrive to work, but without the right visa, in many countries...  and they have the major problems.

Come on the right visa, and have sufficient to support yourself without working (if on tourist visa), and have a return flight booked and there should be no problems, unless the immigration officer feels that you are showing guilt about something.

I've only ever been stopped once, and that was when I was feeling guilty about something.  I understand they are trained to read faces and see guilt, and stop and check on that basis too.

I notice you are extending your tourist visa by 2 months. Does this mean that you have already had a 1 month extension before applying for this 2 month extension? If so I wonder if this (possibly) new rule applies only to additional extensions beyond the first (29 days) extension?

kiwibill wrote:

I notice you are extending your tourist visa by 2 months. Does this mean that you have already had a 1 month extension before applying for this 2 month extension? If so I wonder if this (possibly) new rule applies only to additional extensions beyond the first (29 days) extension?

Yes, it is.. On arrival you will be given a 30 days stay (before it was 29 days).  After that you can extend your stay every 2 months or 6 months. For a tourist visa you can now stay until 3 years (before the end of 2014 immigration law has changed from 2 years stay to a maximum stay of 3 years).

kiwibill wrote:

I notice you are extending your tourist visa by 2 months. Does this mean that you have already had a 1 month extension before applying for this 2 month extension? If so I wonder if this (possibly) new rule applies only to additional extensions beyond the first (29 days) extension?

Foreign nationals who are admitted with an initial stay of thirty (30) days may apply for a visa waiver first, granting an additional stay of twenty nine (29) in the Philippines.
Thereafter, you may apply for one (1) month, two (2) months or six (6) months extensions at least one week prior to the expiration of your valid stay.
The six (6) months extensions are NOT available at all BOI branches.
http://www.immigration.gov.ph/index.php … sionofstay

My own experiences have always been getting the initial 21 day (30 day now) visa free period, following by a one month extension.

This first (1 month) extension after the free period, last cost me:
PHP 1,000    Visa Waiver Application Fee
PHP 500    Visa Waiver
PHP 500    Certification Fee
PHP 30    Legal Research Fee (LRF)
PHP 1,000    Express Fee
PHP 3,030    Total

My previous TWO month extension cost me PHP 2,930.  I already had an ACR card.
(Charges quoted after regular extension of two (2) months)
PHP 1,000    Extension Fee (500PHP per month)
PHP 300    Application fee
PHP 500    Certification Fee
PHP 1,000    Express Fee
PHP 30    Legal Research Fee
PHP 100    Visa Sticker Fee
PHP 2,930    TOTAL

Result: That FREE first 30 days Visa ends up being charged for in the first renewal, where they charge just about the same for one month, as they do for the following two month renewals.

ie:
February was FREE
March was 3,030
April and May (and each following month) are 1,465 each

perhaps you r a passport holder of a country thats included in the BI list that need medical certificate  most of them  from african countries .we experience this coz my husband wanted to extend his tourist visa for his 13a application. he was asked what country and he was required to go to BOQ ànd we were insisting that in BI makati they dont require it and i told the BI staff to check in the list and she found out it was not in the list of countries that required medical cert she heard it wrong didnt even check the passport when she told us to get medical certificate in BOQ.

ziednene wrote:

perhaps you r a passport holder of a country thats included in the BI list that need medical certificate  most of them  from african countries .we experience this coz my husband wanted to extend his tourist visa for his 13a application. he was asked what country and he was required to go to BOQ ànd we were insisting that in BI makati they dont require it and i told the BI staff to check in the list and she found out it was not in the list of countries that required medical cert she heard it wrong didnt even check the passport when she told us to get medical certificate in BOQ.

When you extend visa ?

this rule is inconsistent. Last  week i just extend visa again, bcoz we go out of ph already then come back.

and i extend for 2 month, until june 2015. 2 person cost is 10.500 php, we already have ACR-iCard.

And you know what, no need to check the health again with BOQ. they said it not required anymore...and i do it in makati Immigration office, near from my apt, 15 mins walk distance only. but the process required 3 hours waiting.

Yes, my country Indonesia is listed to be checked for health. I even meet people from baquio come to manila immigration office, he already 6 month in ph, and still need to check with the health requirements when my last visa extension on Jan 2015.

I think now its  not required anymore. I Even scanning on the website, there is no such information about health check for tourist visa.

last march 12,2015 at intramuros.we were told to have medical clearance from BOQ because she mistakenly  heard my husband is from  Indonesia.she didnt checked the passport at first.so yeah, still one of the requirements is medical clearance from those who are in the list of countries

Many thanks blvdbum7

i pay 2000 p. per 2 months just been reduced from 3000 peso, luckily my immig office is 10 mins away so every 2 months is no big deal . I checked this 6 month thing and decided it was more expensive so never bothered.
I checked the other day about resident status and if married to a filipina you can apply the day after the marriage. Well that\s how i read it, could be wrong though.

The airport/immigration that gives you the least hassle, from my experience, is Clark. Their economy depends on tourism, so they want to make it easier for you to come and, also, to extend visas.

The ones that gave me the most attitude was Cebu.  They were often uppety. Manila was a toss up. Depends on who you run into. Usually, middle aged men were very angry at me and bossy. 

I always try to get in the line where there is no middle aged immigration worker. A young officer is the friendliest.

It's a requirement. Just because they never asked YOU, does not mean they never ask others.  they do spot checks.

You need exit visa only if your stay is 12 months or more under that you can pay at the airport