# Police clearance 13a



## Phil_expat (Jan 3, 2011)

A friend of mine that is living in the Philippines will be applying for a 13a visa in the future after he gets married. He has the opportunity to get the police clearance from the USA now (required for 13a). How resent does the police clearance have to be for a 13a application?


----------



## enjoi (Dec 20, 2013)

I've noticed that most if not all people who apply for the 13a while in the PI don't even end up needing the police clearance. He should definitely still get it though. As for how recent it has to be, I don't know the answer to that.

I recently got a police records check from the town I grew up in and the Filipino consulate in NYC told me it was good and that they would accept it. I'll try to put up a copy of it later.


----------



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

Phil_expat said:


> A friend of mine that is living in the Philippines will be applying for a 13a visa in the future after he gets married. He has the opportunity to get the police clearance from the USA now (required for 13a). How resent does the police clearance have to be for a 13a application?


There's a timeline but I forgot what it was but it's alway's best that your friend work with his controlling Philippine Consulate, here's a short cut for his state, click and go.


Embassy of the Philippines - Consulate Finder Map


----------



## enjoi (Dec 20, 2013)

Actually now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I read somewhere it's 6 months but I could be wrong.


----------



## Maxx62 (Dec 31, 2013)

I think that the people in the consulate in San Francisco also told me six months.


----------



## 197649 (Jan 1, 2013)

Phil_expat said:


> A friend of mine that is living in the Philippines will be applying for a 13a visa in the future after he gets married. He has the opportunity to get the police clearance from the USA now (required for 13a). How resent does the police clearance have to be for a 13a application?


How far is the future would be the first question. Why does he need to get it now. You can snail mail or email most police stations and get a police clearance in a few days or have friend get it for you. My police check was dated April 2013 My Authentication Certificate was dated Oct 2013. I had no issues. Your police check must be stamped by the Embassy and DFA stating it is a true document even if it has been notarized by a notary in the U.S. 
Someone will tell you its not needed and that may be true in some cases, but if they ask and you don't have it then you must go obtain one, which will cost you valuable time.


----------



## oklahoma joe (Jan 24, 2014)

all material that is required to be notarized has 6 month expiration, the NBI clearance is good for one year


----------



## oklahoma joe (Jan 24, 2014)

If it is not signed in front of the Officer at the Consulate, your signature has to be notarized than send to the Sec of State or who can attach an Apostilles, than to the Philippine Consulate,they will certify it and return it to you, the BOI in Davao City requires it for 13A


----------



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

*Documents notarized and cleared with PBI*



oklahoma joe said:


> If it is not signed in front of the Officer at the Consulate, your signature has to be notarized than send to the Sec of State or who can attach an Apostilles, than to the Philippine Consulate,they will certify it and return it to you, the BOI in Davao City requires it for 13A


Great point....This document will need to be notorized from your local Philippine Consulate or the one controlling your state and the main reason why I alway's try to tell those that want to just break away and come here and decide to work with the bureaucracy here, sounds like it's easy for some and very difficult for others, I don't recall anything going smoothly or easy in obtaining my Immigrant card and I had things done (package in hand) prior to arriving here.

Bottom line is that no matter what questions you ask here it's best to check with the Philippine Consulate in the states and clear it with them before you go or it can turn into an expensive wait for such a mundane and cheap requirement, once again the Philippine Consulate that controls your state will need to notarize that document.

Been there done that with the paper work drill, I had to return back to the states because my documents were not in order the first time and that dealt with my wifes previous divorces (3), I needed original copies and they had to be notarized and we had been married at the time for 15 years, I was missing one page, I had to drag around that paperwork because her Philippine passport last name didn't match mine or her maiden name and we were going to change that in the states but there again that sounded like another huge tasking for the Philippine Bureau of Immigration so we skipped that procedure in the states.

My pain is your gain if I can give some sort of insight to how tough the PBI can be with paper work, don't follow those that say you don't need it....you need all your documents in order, ducks-in-a-row whatever you want to call it and the only way that can be accomplished is following all the steps with your local controlling Philippine Consulate in the states, that's what I did my second time around after returning to the states.


----------



## Phil_expat (Jan 3, 2011)

c_acton98 said:


> How far is the future would be the first question. Why does he need to get it now. You can snail mail or email most police stations and get a police clearance in a few days or have friend get it for you. My police check was dated April 2013 My Authentication Certificate was dated Oct 2013. I had no issues. Your police check must be stamped by the Embassy and DFA stating it is a true document even if it has been notarized by a notary in the U.S.
> Someone will tell you its not needed and that may be true in some cases, but if they ask and you don't have it then you must go obtain one, which will cost you valuable time.


A mutual friend is getting his divorce records so he can get married. He has requested it and it keeps going to his old address in the USA so he asked this friend to get it and FedEx it to him. Since the location for the police record is in the same building, he is also getting it too. I told both of them that by the time he applies for a 13a the police record will be out of date. My friend that is getting married does not research what he needs or what is required. Thanks for your information, I will pass it on to both of them.


----------



## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Phil_expat said:


> A mutual friend is getting his divorce records so he can get married. He has requested it and it keeps going to his old address in the USA so he asked this friend to get it and FedEx it to him. Since the location for the police record is in the same building, he is also getting it too. I told both of them that by the time he applies for a 13a the police record will be out of date. My friend that is getting married does not research what he needs or what is required. Thanks for your information, I will pass it on to both of them.


I remember back when I was married here, none of this stuff was required at all. Only document needed to marry was one issued at the US Embassy as a clearance to marry in the Philippines. As I remember it was free then. Now I think it's like $30us dollars plus one has to have an appointment to visit their office to get the form.
Hmmm-maybe with all the new requirements-I'm single again. If that were true, my wife just might trade me in on a younger model--Hahaha...


----------



## cvgtpc1 (Jul 28, 2012)

Jet Lag said:


> I remember back when I was married here, none of this stuff was required at all. Only document needed to marry was one issued at the US Embassy as a clearance to marry in the Philippines. As I remember it was free then. Now I think it's like $30us dollars plus one has to have an appointment to visit their office to get the form.
> Hmmm-maybe with all the new requirements-I'm single again. If that were true, my wife just might trade me in on a younger model--Hahaha...


Funny when you think about it if the foreigner isn't going to leave and is going after the visa it could be sort of like a green card marriage that women get accused of doing LOL.


----------



## jon1 (Mar 18, 2012)

Honestly, the Embassy didn't even require me to produce any documents other than my passport to get my "Certificate of Eligibility to Marry". That is because this document is nothing more than an affidavit. If you lie the document is null and void. If you marry in the Phil and still have a wife in the U.S. you are guilty of bigamy. 

The fee for this service and any notarizations is now $50 per document. Quite pricey and a hassle to go all the way to Manila for. If time is not of the essence, it's probably better to wait for an outreach visit nearer you.


----------



## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

jon1 said:


> Honestly, the Embassy didn't even require me to produce any documents other than my passport to get my "Certificate of Eligibility to Marry". That is because this document is nothing more than an affidavit. If you lie the document is null and void. If you marry in the Phil and still have a wife in the U.S. you are guilty of bigamy.
> 
> The fee for this service and any notarizations is now $50 per document. Quite pricey and a hassle to go all the way to Manila for. If time is not of the essence, it's probably better to wait for an outreach visit nearer you.


Because it is only an affidavit I have heard that it is often no longer accepted on it's own and that you also need another document from the NSO similar to what your wife to-be needs, although I can't see what difference it makes as I'm sure the NSO doesn't contact the states. Perhaps it insures you don't have a previous in he Philippines.


----------



## jon1 (Mar 18, 2012)

Yes Gary, exactly because it is an affidavit. I just went thru the process in November and was required to provide a Certified Birth Certificate, Certificate of Eligibility to Marry and Copy of my Passport Bio page. A No other documentation was required. The wife had to deal with the NSO for her validation of marital status.


----------

