# Just got married in Philippines. VISA/AVR-I question



## GregH7 (10 mo ago)

Hello,
I am a US citizen and just got married in Philippines.

I need to renew my tourist visa and ACRI card next week. Are there any advantages or disadvantages to changing my visa status to married resident or am I better off just maintaining my Tourist status?

Note: I may be leaving back to the States in about 6 months (not exactly sure yet). I recall reading that if one was going to leave the country, a married resident visa could cause issues with renewals and fees.

I realize this question may have been asked and answered many times so thank you for your patience.


----------



## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

Getting a spouse visa 13a is temporary for the first year and although you can leave during the first year, unless it's a quick out and back in again it's probably best to try and avoid it.


----------



## art1946 (Nov 30, 2017)

WOW!!! I feel sorry for you getting married. You life is ruin. hahahahha Just kidding. HAPPY MARRIAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Zep (Jun 8, 2017)

Depends on how long you will stay with the tourist visa but one option is the Balikbayan visa which is good for one year. But this requires you and your wife to leave the country and then come back in together, I used to do this for many years with quick one day trips to Singapore or Hong Kong. The round trip tickets where much cheaper than getting a years worth of tourist visas every 2 months.


----------



## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

Yes I'm currently using the balikbayan privilege. We head back to the UK after 11 months earlier May for about 10 weeks.


----------



## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

GregH7 said:


> Hello,
> I am a US citizen and just got married in Philippines.
> 
> I need to renew my tourist visa and ACRI card next week. Are there any advantages or disadvantages to changing my visa status to married resident or am I better off just maintaining my Tourist status?
> ...


Greg, you'll only want the 13a Visa when you feel enough is enough with this incredibly long travel and back and forth, and when you make the Philippines your final stop, if you have property in the US and come here seasonally it just won't work well unless you can time your return between Jan - Feb for your Immigration mandatory check-in and then the most important date would be your ACR card renewal date every 5 years it takes from one-two months to accomplish this task it's a waiting game for the PBI to process your renewal and then pick up your new ACR card, plus your Passport must have at least 6 months left on it, you can get the US Passport renewed here, so who knows you might be able to work this out plus the fees would only be 310 pesos per year (Jan - Feb) on your check-ins

The issue will be your Immigration status, if it's not fixed you get stuck here until you fix it $$$ and the wheels sometimes turn slowly in a 3rd world country, so if that's not a concern then by all means the 13a Visa will still work.


----------



## GregH7 (10 mo ago)

M.C.A. said:


> Greg, you'll only want the 13a Visa when you feel enough is enough with this incredibly long travel and back and forth, and when you make the Philippines your final stop, you wouldn't want to get a 13a Visa and have a property in the US and come here seasonally it just won't work very well for you unless you can time your return between Jan - Feb for your Immigration mandatory check-in and then the most important date would be your ACR card renewal date every 5 years it takes from one-two months to accomplish this task it's a waiting game for the PBI to process your renewal and then pick up your new ACR card and your Passport must have at least 6 months left on it, you can get the US Passport renewed here, so who knows you might be able to work this out if so the fee's would only be 310 pesos per year for your check-ins
> 
> The issue will be your Immigration status, if it's not fixed you get stuck here until you fix it $$$ and the wheels sometimes turn slowly in a 3rd world country, so if that's not a concern then by all means the 13a Visa will still work.


Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.


----------

