# Emigrating to the Philippines



## Travelling Surfer83 (Oct 28, 2014)

Good evening all,

I'm currently living in the UK with my wife from the Philippines and are just weighing up options for the future, most notably emigrating to the Philippines. It's a long way off but we're just trying to find out the necessary route and the visas I would need. I'm 34 my wife is 25. We're well versed in the UK system but know nothing about the Philippines immigration system. Any help or pointers would be much appreciated

Salamat


----------



## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

Numerous options, all pretty easy.

If you are married and travel together you can get a balikbayan stamp. It is a one year entry permit (not technically a visa). There is no immigration visits or fees. At the end of the year you either convert it to a tourist visa, spousal visa, or leave the country and come back in for another year.

The tourist visa is simple. You get 30 days on arrival, at no charge. Then you get a 29 day extension (59 days total). After that you can get 1 month, 2 month, or 6 month extensions. I tracked my fees for the first year I was here and it totaled p26,000. After you are here for 6 months you have to pay for an exit clearance (ECC), before leaving. It is p500. On the BB stamp the ECC is not required. On a tourist visa you can in the country for 36 months, then you have to leave the country and come back to start over. A visa run to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam... anywhere for a quick vacation. 


The 13a is the spousal visa. It is the most complicated of the lot, but still pretty easy. It is supposed to be easier to get before you come over. You can get it at the Embassy or Consulate nearest you. They give you a permanent visa in other countries. If you do the 13a here in the PIs, you have to do a 1 year probationary, then do the entire process again to make it permanent. The forms and info are here:Conversion to Non-Quota Immigrant Visa by Marriage 

There is also a retirement visa that is done through the dept of tourism, not immigration. It is supposed to easy, but expensive. Cost vary by your age and situation. It is called a PRA. PRA: Philippine Retirement Authority

I started on the tourist visa (2.5 years), then got a BB stamp (1 year), and finally the 13a (almost 1 yr).


----------



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

*Preparation for Immigrating to the Philippines*



Travelling Surfer83 said:


> Good evening all,
> 
> I'm currently living in the UK with my wife from the Philippines and are just weighing up options for the future, most notably emigrating to the Philippines. It's a long way off but we're just trying to find out the necessary route and the visas I would need. I'm 34 my wife is 25. We're well versed in the UK system but know nothing about the Philippines immigration system. Any help or pointers would be much appreciated
> 
> Salamat


Traveling Surfer you have a long way to go but I'd make sure that your wife keeps up her Philippine Passport so it will make the transition much faster for both of you, and when the time comes you'll apply for a 13a Non-Quota Immigrant through Marriage and do this in the UK before you arrive at the UK Philippine Embassy The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in London, United Kingdom , I'd check out their website and also there's a Philippine Bureau of Immigration website Home but the forms are not standardized so main reason when the time approaches to get this accomplished in the UK, also it's permanent if done in the UK but if you apply in the Philippines you'll end up with a one-year probationary so it takes 2 years to accomplish but in the UK you could knock this out in a week or less, you wouldn't want to do this now because of all the check-in requirements for immigrants.


----------



## hogrider (May 25, 2010)

Tukaram said:


> Numerous options, all pretty easy.
> 
> If you are married and travel together you can get a balikbayan stamp. It is a one year entry permit (not technically a visa). There is no immigration visits or fees. At the end of the year you either convert it to a tourist visa, spousal visa, or leave the country and come back in for another year.
> 
> ...


That's a very good synopsis of the visa options available. Just one thing, not all Philippines consulates can do the 13a visa. I tried here in Dubai, but they can only arrange the tourist visa which for me is no advantage. Hence I will have to wait until we move full time to Fils to get the 13a. Initially we plan to use the BB.


----------



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

*13a Visa*



hogrider said:


> That's a very good synopsis of the visa options available. Just one thing, not all Philippines consulates can do the 13a visa. I tried here in Dubai, but they can only arrange the tourist visa which for me is no advantage. Hence I will have to wait until we move full time to Fils to get the 13a. Initially we plan to use the BB.


Not sure if it's in the cards for your planning but Hogrider you could knock out that 13a Visa in England possibly on a visit if you have a place to hold up. You'll end up with the aggravation of dealing with all the many requirements to keep up that Balikbayan Visa, other's who went this route would know more on this ... and then onto the Probationary and I think a trip to the NBI for a clearance and then finally the Permanent Resident Visa and then lastly the Permanent Resident Card, it's never issued same day, allot of trips, wasted travel and application money unless you plan on retiring close to PBI Satellite office that could handle this procedure.

I'm from the states and performed everything through the mail system my home state of ND has no Philippine Consulate so I used the Chicago Philippine Consulate they work with ND, and after several phone calls and emails and one follow-up letter from my doctor, it was an added requirement on a question they wanted me to address I was done in 2 months but I've talked with another expat in California he lived next to his Philippine Consulate and if I'm not mistaken he knocked it out in 3 days, he must have had all his original documents.

The bottom line is the BB route could end up adding 3 years of effort if done in England 3 days or as long as a month unsure of the timeline there.


----------



## hogrider (May 25, 2010)

M.C.A. said:


> Not sure if it's in the cards for your planning but Hogrider you could knock out that 13a Visa in England possibly on a visit if you have a place to hold up. You'll end up with the aggravation of dealing with all the many requirements to keep up that Balikbayan Visa, other's who went this route would know more on this ... and then onto the Probationary and I think a trip to the NBI for a clearance and then finally the Permanent Resident Visa and then lastly the Permanent Resident Card, it's never issued same day, allot of trips, wasted travel and application money unless you plan on retiring close to PBI Satellite office that could handle this procedure.
> 
> I'm from the states and performed everything through the mail system my home state of ND has no Philippine Consulate so I used the Chicago Philippine Consulate they work with ND, and after several phone calls and emails and one follow-up letter from my doctor, it was an added requirement on a question they wanted me to address I was done in 2 months but I've talked with another expat in California he lived next to his Philippine Consulate and if I'm not mistaken he knocked it out in 3 days, he must have had all his original documents.
> 
> The bottom line is the BB route could end up adding 3 years of effort if done in England 3 days or as long as a month unsure of the timeline there.


Thats a good idea MCA. In fact I will be visiting UK at the end of July for 3 weeks. Might just be possible.


----------



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

*13a Documents and requirements*



hogrider said:


> Thats a good idea MCA. In fact I will be visiting UK at the end of July for 3 weeks. Might just be possible.


Here's what I used and the link is still good from Chicago, it has all the documents and also checklist but these forms aren't standardized even in the US so headers will be different, but it could give you a heads up on documents needed and other requirements, the only other issue not listed is that my wife had been previously divorced in the US and so I had to come up with original divorce papers certified, everything has to be the original copy or certified, also listed they have a requirement for a police clearance, there's no such thing so what they are really asking is a Police record read out from your local Police office of the place you lived in the last two years so you might need something from Dubai also, another note the doctor has to be an MD for physical.

http://www.chicagopcg.com/forms/newimmigrantform.pdf


----------



## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

M.C.A. said:


> Traveling Surfer you have a long way to go but I'd make sure that your wife keeps up her Philippine Passport so it will make the transition much faster for both of you, and when the time comes you'll apply for a 13a Non-Quota Immigrant through Marriage and do this in the UK before you arrive at the UK Philippine Embassy The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in London, United Kingdom , I'd check out their website and also there's a Philippine Bureau of Immigration website Home but the forms are not standardized so main reason when the time approaches to get this accomplished in the UK, also it's permanent if done in the UK but if you apply in the Philippines you'll end up with a one-year probationary so it takes 2 years to accomplish but in the UK you could knock this out in a week or less, you wouldn't want to do this now because of all the check-in requirements for immigrants.


It's not her Philippine passport that she needs to keep up to date it's her citizenship that she must retain. Although if she doesn't you and her get a 13g instead of a 13a.


----------



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

*Dual citizen*



Gary D said:


> It's not her Philippine passport that she needs to keep up to date it's her citizenship that she must retain. Although if she doesn't you and her get a 13g instead of a 13a.


Gary can the Philippine wife become a dual citizen both the Philippine and UK passports, I remember my wife kept up her Philippine passport stateside so I didn't need to deal with her immigration issues when we retired in the Philippines.


----------



## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

M.C.A. said:


> Gary can the Philippine wife become a dual citizen both the Philippine and UK passports, I remember my wife kept up her Philippine passport stateside so I didn't need to deal with her immigration issues when we retired in the Philippines.


Yes the UK allows dual citizenship so she will have a certificate showing her Philippine citizenship once reaquired. The 13g is for former Philippines citizens who haven't regained their citizenship. Probably redundant now as the Philippines now allows dual citizenship. She can hold both passports simutainiously but for travel purposes the UK passport is more useful.


----------



## Travelling Surfer83 (Oct 28, 2014)

Tukaram said:


> Numerous options, all pretty easy.
> 
> If you are married and travel together you can get a balikbayan stamp. It is a one year entry permit (not technically a visa). There is no immigration visits or fees. At the end of the year you either convert it to a tourist visa, spousal visa, or leave the country and come back in for another year.
> 
> ...


Thankyou so much for the detailed information and the time taken to reply. It's good to see there are several options, which is nice, unlike the limitations of when my now wife arrived in the UK originally ! Would I be allowed to work while on the BB.? In an ideal world we can plan it all well in advance and apply for the 13a in the UK. It's some way off but we're just starting some research.

Thanks again


----------



## Travelling Surfer83 (Oct 28, 2014)

M.C.A. said:


> Traveling Surfer you have a long way to go but I'd make sure that your wife keeps up her Philippine Passport so it will make the transition much faster for both of you, and when the time comes you'll apply for a 13a Non-Quota Immigrant through Marriage and do this in the UK before you arrive at the UK Philippine Embassy The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in London, United Kingdom , I'd check out their website and also there's a Philippine Bureau of Immigration website Home but the forms are not standardized so main reason when the time approaches to get this accomplished in the UK, also it's permanent if done in the UK but if you apply in the Philippines you'll end up with a one-year probationary so it takes 2 years to accomplish but in the UK you could knock this out in a week or less, you wouldn't want to do this now because of all the check-in requirements for immigrants.


Thankyou for the reply. My wife currently has to keep up her Philippine passport as she doesn't have a British passport, I also understand that if we ever wanted to buy land in the Phils she would need to keep her citizenship so it's something she doesn't want to give up. 

Many thanks


----------



## Travelling Surfer83 (Oct 28, 2014)

Gary D said:


> It's not her Philippine passport that she needs to keep up to date it's her citizenship that she must retain. Although if she doesn't you and her get a 13g instead of a 13a.


By keeping up her passport she's also keeping her citizenship isn't she.?


----------



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

*Working Visa Philippines*



Travelling Surfer83 said:


> Thankyou so much for the detailed information and the time taken to reply. It's good to see there are several options, which is nice, unlike the limitations of when my now wife arrived in the UK originally ! Would I be allowed to work while on the BB.? In an ideal world we can plan it all well in advance and apply for the 13a in the UK. It's some way off but we're just starting some research.
> 
> Thanks again


You wouldn't legally be able to work on a BB, only a Work Visa through your employer they'd set this up for you if they don't set this up ... I wouldn't work because if caught without performing the proper procedure you can be locked up until fees are paid, blacklisted and then deported, I've seen many expats deported on raids, you could work with a Permanent Resident Visa but there are several requirements you must accomplish, too many to list here. 

If you become some sort of Youtube internet sensation you might find yourself held at the airport and they will determine how much money you've made from Adsense. Many expats though do manage to teach English online and some make a living it's a gray area.


----------



## BGCExpat (Oct 26, 2015)

Tukaram said:


> There is also a retirement visa that is done through the dept of tourism, not immigration. It is supposed to easy, but expensive. Cost vary by your age and situation. It is called a PRA. PRA: Philippine Retirement Authority


Nice synopsis Tukaram, just a few small changes on the retirement visa though. 

It's actually called an SRRV (Special Resident Retirees Visa) and it's given through the PRA (Philippine Retirement Authority), you are correct that it (the PRA) is a division of the Dept of Tourism and not the Bureau of Immigration. 

I got mine over 3 years ago and have never once visited the BI, everything is handled with a visit to the offices of the PRA, my local one is in Makati. One must physically check in every 3 years and pay a yearly maintenance fee of around $360/year, but you can pre-pay 3 years at a time. I show up once every 3 years and that maintains my visa, very simple and easy...

Yes, the deposit on an SRRV can be daunting to some as it is a larger chunk of money - mine was $20,000. But that money can be converted to an investment after 6 months; either a down payment on a condo (must be $50,000 or higher), or on a long-term lease. If you're going to live here permanently anyway, you just roll that SRRV deposit into the cost of housing. You're going to spend that much on a condo or lease anyway, might as well get a no-hassle lifetime visa out of the deal!

If you compare the SRRV to other long term visas given in other countries around Southeast Asia, it's a bargain and cannot be made simpler. I'm looking at getting a Thai visa too for a second home, but the deposit is higher and one must check in with Immigration every 90 days, a real PITA by comparison!


----------



## BGCExpat (Oct 26, 2015)

Forgot to add this...


----------



## bidrod (Mar 31, 2015)

Actually some(retired military as an example) can get the SRRV for a $1500.00 deposit.

Chuck


----------



## BGCExpat (Oct 26, 2015)

Yes Chuck, the 'classic' SRRV that I have is just one example. I know a guy up in Angeles who's retired military and lives here on that $1500 SRRV. Once the upfront cost of the visa ($1,500, $10,000, $20,000, or $50,000) has been assessed it's just down to yearly maintenance costs... Cheaper than most visas and much easier to deal with compared to other countries... &#55357;&#56397;


----------



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

There might be other Visa's here's an example of another kind of Visa brought to my attention it's called an SIRV. 
https://www.philembassy.no/consular-services/visa/special-investors-resident-visa-sirv


----------



## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

Travelling Surfer83 said:


> By keeping up her passport she's also keeping her citizenship isn't she.?


Well yes and no. When my wife received British citizenship she lost her Philippines citizenship but kept renewing her Philippines passport, not strictly legal but no one checks. Once the Philippines allowed dual citizenship she reacquired so has both legally now. I would suggest as there is plenty of time that British citizenship is sort as it could be useful to have both as well as any children having both. Something else to be aware of any children born whilst the mother or farther are not Philippines citizens don't automatically become dual citizens.


----------



## Travelling Surfer83 (Oct 28, 2014)

M.C.A. said:


> You wouldn't legally be able to work on a BB, only a Work Visa through your employer they'd set this up for you if they don't set this up ... I wouldn't work because if caught without performing the proper procedure you can be locked up until fees are paid, blacklisted and then deported, I've seen many expats deported on raids, you could work with a Permanent Resident Visa but there are several requirements you must accomplish, too many to list here.
> 
> If you become some sort of Youtube internet sensation you might find yourself held at the airport and they will determine how much money you've made from Adsense. Many expats though do manage to teach English online and some make a living it's a gray area.


Hmm a grey area indeed, and an area that I need to research thoroughly. As I'm some way from retiring I would need to have the option to work. I will have a look at the Permanent residence visa to see what the requirements are.


----------



## Travelling Surfer83 (Oct 28, 2014)

Gary D said:


> Well yes and no. When my wife received British citizenship she lost her Philippines citizenship but kept renewing her Philippines passport, not strictly legal but no one checks. Once the Philippines allowed dual citizenship she reacquired so has both legally now. I would suggest as there is plenty of time that British citizenship is sort as it could be useful to have both as well as any children having both. Something else to be aware of any children born whilst the mother or farther are not Philippines citizens don't automatically become dual citizens.


So it's only recently that the Philippines have allowed dual citizenship.? We will eventually get my wife the British citizenship but fully understand the importance of her keeping her home citizenship. Quite rightly, she wouldn't want to give it up anyway. The last point is particularly interesting and something that may come into play at some point ! 

Thanks


----------



## BGCExpat (Oct 26, 2015)

Travelling Surfer83 said:


> Hmm a grey area indeed, and an area that I need to research thoroughly. As I'm some way from retiring I would need to have the option to work. I will have a look at the Permanent residence visa to see what the requirements are.



You do have the option of working while on an SRRV visa, the PRA will even help you get an AEP (Alien Employment Permit)...


----------



## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

You can work on the 13a (spouse) visa as well. You cannot work on the tourist or balikbayan.


----------



## Travelling Surfer83 (Oct 28, 2014)

Thanks Tukaram & BGCExpat, it's so nice to have multiple options  I will get researching. 

Thanks again


----------



## BGCExpat (Oct 26, 2015)

Sounds like a 13a would be your best bet since you are already married, when I moved here my gf and I had not even discussed marriage yet. 

When I was researching different visa options I chose the SRRV because it specifically leaves my love life out of the visa equation - regardless of relationship status I will always have a visa and a right to stay in country. 

I love my girlfriend dearly but I'm also glad my lifetime visa is not solely reliant on our relationship... Theres something to be said for a basic amount of independence, especially when it comes to your visa and your right to be here.

Combine that with the capacity to convert the SRRV deposit into a down-payment for a condo and it was a no-brainer for my situation. I ended up with a lifetime visa that's not dependent on anyone but me, a new condo, and a happy girlfriend!


----------



## Travelling Surfer83 (Oct 28, 2014)

So your SRRV was a single application then.? I guess it gives you your independence and at the same time security, as like you said, you're not dependent on your partner for your immigration status. 
The 13a route looks like the favorite at the moment !


----------



## Travelling Surfer83 (Oct 28, 2014)

Many thanks M.C.A for the PM, I seem to be having problems with mine so I can't reply.


----------



## BGCExpat (Oct 26, 2015)

Yes, it's a single 5-6 page application. The PRA has 'marketers' that will help you from beginning to end during the application process. Mine set the doctors appointment and drove me to it when I needed the health certification; they delivered and picked up everything from the NBI, BI, and all other interested agencies too. Its a full-service approach, I'm glad it was too since as a newbie I didn't know my way around here yet...

Get the visa that's best for your situation - a 13a seems right in this instance. Since the Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country and is only one of a few places in the world where divorce is still illegal, you might as well take advantage of the fact your married and get the 13a. It's probably the cheapest and easiest option for you...


----------



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

*I'm receiving your PM's*



Travelling Surfer83 said:


> Many thanks M.C.A for the PM, I seem to be having problems with mine so I can't reply.


Trouble is I was busy today my grandkids came over for a visit. I sent you a couple PM's.


----------



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

13a Visa note, one more important document link, section 2, g https://thisisphilippines.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/do-97-09-revised-aep.pdf 

If you are a 13a Visa holder you won't need to get a work permit but there will be several steps you need to accomplish before you work your first day I am posting what I was told by another expat helping steps below:

NBI clearance 6 mo or less. If not, you will need one. Next a local police clearance (Not hard). 3rd, a local residency permit from your city hall. 4th a Barangay clearance from your Barangay Captain. Your wife can help with that one. They usually require a local college degree with 72 credits but as an American with English as our 1st language, we can usually bypass that. Let them know that you've had previous call center experience and where. 

1.) Take the copy of the employment contract and go to your local SSS office and apply for your SSS#.
2.) Same with BIR. You will need a tax id #.
3.) They will send you for a physical exam at company expense.


----------

