# Annual ACR fee



## Maxx62 (Dec 31, 2013)

I received my ACR card this past October, and I plan on spending the next few years here in the Philippines. When I picked up my ACR card, the employees at the Philippine Bureau of Immigration did not mention any future fees, but my in-laws have informed me that I must pay an annual fee to the immigration bureau. Is this true? I tried to pass by the immigration bureau, but there were cars double parked outside, and the last time I was there I had to wait several hours before talking with someone. I really don't want to go there if I can avoid it.


----------



## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Maxx62 said:


> I received my ACR card this past October, and I plan on spending the next few years here in the Philippines. When I picked up my ACR card, the employees at the Philippine Bureau of Immigration did not mention any future fees, but my in-laws have informed me that I must pay an annual fee to the immigration bureau. Is this true? I tried to pass by the immigration bureau, but there were cars double parked outside, and the last time I was there I had to wait several hours before talking with someone. I really don't want to go there if I can avoid it.


Yes, there is a yearly fee as a permanent resident. It is under $10.00us (Ten) dollars so is very low cost. You should be able to pay this at any satellite BI office. The law requires that you report to BI yearly anyway. So it's best to just pay it during your annual reporting. Two birds with one stone...


----------



## Maxx62 (Dec 31, 2013)

Jet Lag said:


> Yes, there is a yearly fee as a permanent resident. It is under $10.00us (Ten) dollars so is very low cost. You should be able to pay this at any satellite BI office. The law requires that you report to BI yearly anyway. So it's best to just pay it during your annual reporting. Two birds with one stone...


Thanks Jet Lag, Do I need to complete this within a certain time frame, or anytime within before October


----------



## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Maxx62 said:


> Thanks Jet Lag, Do I need to complete this within a certain time frame, or anytime within before October


Not sure. Mine is paid within the first few months of each year. For other people the payment sched may be different..


----------



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

*I-Card yearly fee's*



Maxx62 said:


> Thanks Jet Lag, Do I need to complete this within a certain time frame, or anytime within before October


Maxx if the card isn't paid within the first two months the fee's are incredible. I left for 3 years (US) and came back with my passports stamps and everything and my normal fee was only 300 peso's, last year it was 310, anyway PBI told me I should have left my card here and let the wife update every year so my penalty for missing 3 years was 12,000 peso's. 

Bottom line is 01 March you could be charged as much as 4,000 peso's and could end up being a run around drill that takes hours, like they did me.

Standing in line I over heard conversation with others that lived on remote islands and had to get new cards (expired cards or ?), they don't do it the same day these guys had to wait 4 days and weren't to happy, if you have a satellite office and I think you do in Cebu I would get it out of the way.

Normal time frame for getting your card checked (they use the card like a credit card in a machine) and the whole process never takes more than 10 minutes.


----------



## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

mcalleyboy said:


> Maxx if the card isn't paid within the first two months the fee's are incredible. I left for 3 years and came back with my passports stamps and everything and my normal fee was only 300 peso's, last year it was 310, anyway PBI told me I should have left my card here and let the wife update every year so my penalty for missing 3 years was 12,000 peso's.
> 
> Bottom line is 01 March you could be charged as much as 4,000 peso's and could end up being a run around drill that takes hours, like they did me.
> 
> ...


Expensive lesson! Makes me wonder if that could be taken care of at a Philippine consulate in the States while there? They do most everything else and that would make it easy too.


----------



## 197649 (Jan 1, 2013)

Maxx62 said:


> I received my ACR card this past October, and I plan on spending the next few years here in the Philippines. When I picked up my ACR card, the employees at the Philippine Bureau of Immigration did not mention any future fees, but my in-laws have informed me that I must pay an annual fee to the immigration bureau. Is this true? I tried to pass by the immigration bureau, but there were cars double parked outside, and the last time I was there I had to wait several hours before talking with someone. I really don't want to go there if I can avoid it.


Sir see my post that is probably what they are referring to. And it must be complete by End of Feb


----------



## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

Jet Lag said:


> Yes, there is a yearly fee as a permanent resident. It is under $10.00us (Ten) dollars so is very low cost. You should be able to pay this at any satellite BI office. The law requires that you report to BI yearly anyway. So it's best to just pay it during your annual reporting. Two birds with one stone...


I have been an Permanent Resident for 4 years with an ACR card. Each year my wife goes in and pays the fee which is about 330 pesos. This year, 2014, I had to go in and fill out an application form, with 2X2 ID photo, get finger printed, and once submitted, my wife paid the 330 pesos. Took about 2 hours to finish in Manila. We went to the BI in Intramuros.


----------



## 197649 (Jan 1, 2013)

JimnNila143 said:


> I have been an Permanent Resident for 4 years with an ACR card. Each year my wife goes in and pays the fee which is about 330 pesos. This year, 2014, I had to go in and fill out an application form, with 2X2 ID photo, get finger printed, and once submitted, my wife paid the 330 pesos. Took about 2 hours to finish in Manila. We went to the BI in Intramuros.


There are some satellite offices that can accomplish this as well. I know our here in Taytay does this


----------



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

*application form and photo*



JimnNila143 said:


> I have been an Permanent Resident for 4 years with an ACR card. Each year my wife goes in and pays the fee which is about 330 pesos. This year, 2014, I had to go in and fill out an application form, with 2X2 ID photo, get finger printed, and once submitted, my wife paid the 330 pesos. Took about 2 hours to finish in Manila. We went to the BI in Intramuros.


Do they take the photo, finger prints at the PBI or? They had me do this after 4 years also, I had to get finger print copies in a room upstairs and then bring them down and had to pay at 3 different windows...man that seems redundant because they keep all this stuff on computer and the card itself has a chip in it, wonder what the application form is for? 

Is this something they do every 4 years?


----------



## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

mcalleyboy said:


> Do they take the photo, finger prints at the PBI or? They had me do this after 4 years also, I had to get finger print copies in a room upstairs and then bring them down and had to pay at 3 different windows...man that seems redundant because they keep all this stuff on computer and the card itself has a chip in it, wonder what the application form is for?
> 
> Is this something they do every 4 years?


I think it's called a time warp. Stuck somewhere between discovery of the wheel and space flight---and never knowing exactly which end of the spectrum they belong or are most comfortable.
Hmmm- you caught me on my "cynical Sunday." Hahaha...


----------



## 197649 (Jan 1, 2013)

mcalleyboy said:


> Do they take the photo, finger prints at the PBI or? They had me do this after 4 years also, I had to get finger print copies in a room upstairs and then bring them down and had to pay at 3 different windows...man that seems redundant because they keep all this stuff on computer and the card itself has a chip in it, wonder what the application form is for?
> 
> Is this something they do every 4 years?


Redundant is a nice word for antiquated. Still using Green Records books as ledgers. Upon arrival at any facility is when you find out the true requirements. My wife and I had our marriage certificate authenicated and had a copy from the NSO National.Statistics Office. When we got to PBI we were told that we need the new green copy not the yellow one. Even though it was stamped by a notary.
Sometime the left and right hands are not connected. .


----------



## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

mcalleyboy said:


> Do they take the photo, finger prints at the PBI or? They had me do this after 4 years also, I had to get finger print copies in a room upstairs and then bring them down and had to pay at 3 different windows...man that seems redundant because they keep all this stuff on computer and the card itself has a chip in it, wonder what the application form is for?
> 
> Is this something they do every 4 years?


Yes, Nila and I went to the BI office in Intramuros and sat in front of the building where they did this, I.D. Photo, finger printing, etc., then we went inside to pay the fee. Even for the annual renewal, they make you fill out an application form. we did this anyway because we had an address change and this needed to be reported with the BI. I still have the original ACR card that I received in the beginning of my permanent residency.


----------



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

Is the Condo sellers inside the building this year too? LOL and that door on the left side the building wide open even though you are required to go through a security inspection, you just can't make this stuff up it's very real.


----------



## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

mcalleyboy said:


> Do they take the photo, finger prints at the PBI or? They had me do this after 4 years also, I had to get finger print copies in a room upstairs and then bring them down and had to pay at 3 different windows...man that seems redundant because they keep all this stuff on computer and the card itself has a chip in it, wonder what the application form is for?
> 
> Is this something they do every 4 years?


I did this outside in front of the PBI building in Intramuros. You can also probably get everything taken care of in Batangas, and Pala-Pala. Intramuros has many people there and lines can be very long.


----------



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

*Batangas PBI satellite office*



JimnNila143 said:


> I did this outside in front of the PBI building in Intramuros. You can also probably get everything taken care of in Batangas, and Pala-Pala. Intramuros has many people there and lines can be very long.


I have thought about using that area but if you need a new card they send you to Manila IAW information I've read on the PBI website, my wife claims that the traffic is just as bad and the travel time not any shorter but I've never been to Batangas.


----------



## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

mcalleyboy said:


> Do they take the photo, finger prints at the PBI or? They had me do this after 4 years also, I had to get finger print copies in a room upstairs and then bring them down and had to pay at 3 different windows...man that seems redundant because they keep all this stuff on computer and the card itself has a chip in it, wonder what the application form is for?
> 
> Is this something they do every 4 years?


Yes, they required me to do it this year. It took a total of about 2 to 2 1/2 hours to complete. Lines were very long at the PBI Intramuros. Fortunately, as a disabled EXPAT I got special treatment and went through the line fast and sat in a chair 95% of the time.


----------



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

*Total fee's for 2014*



JimnNila143 said:


> Yes, they required me to do it this year. It took a total of about 2 to 2 1/2 hours to complete. Lines were very long at the PBI Intramuros. Fortunately, as a disabled EXPAT I got special treatment and went through the line fast and sat in a chair 95% of the time.


How much money did it run you this year... Was there an added charge for the other forms and requirements?


----------



## rpmorley (Oct 30, 2012)

Well, it gets better this year. Now they have changed the form, required a new sized photo and the new form has to be notarized. I ran all over Baguio Jan 6th trying to find a notary. The twelfth (12) lawyer I found finally had his commission that did not expire 31 Dec 2013. Think about that. And then the computers wouldn't work and had to go back on the 7th to get the receipt and the card back. Immigration did not even consider that most notaries commissions expire at the end of the year and the fact the computers were down, duh, did Annual Report season just slip up on them? They didn't know? After ten years of this stuff, I shouldn't be surprised, but I was. And they did not tell anybody of these new requirements......


----------



## 197649 (Jan 1, 2013)

rpmorley said:


> Well, it gets better this year. Now they have changed the form, required a new sized photo and the new form has to be notarized. I ran all over Baguio Jan 6th trying to find a notary. The twelfth (12) lawyer I found finally had his commission that did not expire 31 Dec 2013. Think about that. And then the computers wouldn't work and had to go back on the 7th to get the receipt and the card back. Immigration did not even consider that most notaries commissions expire at the end of the year and the fact the computers were down, duh, did Annual Report season just slip up on them? They didn't know? After ten years of this stuff, I shouldn't be surprised, but I was. And they did not tell anybody of these new requirements......


That is too funny. A pain in the butt, but funny. They want expats to retire here but they keep adding cost. Bad Guys Out Good Guys In program is so funny. Do they honestly believe that Bad Guys are going to rush up and legitimize their stay. When they give you the run around like this. Someone is just pocketing money here. But what can we do except accept it and look forward to next years circus.


----------



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

I read some comments from other boards and some expats were told to download and bring their own forms...OK so I went to the website and they have two different downloadable forms, does anyone know which form is for a I-Card 13a non-Immigrant? form A or form B, been looking and checking on the PBI website but not much information other spots on the internet are just as clueless.

Here's the spot for downloading the 2014 form but like I said it has two different forms.

2014 Annual Report Forms PDF


----------



## 197649 (Jan 1, 2013)

Annual Report A for all types of visa excep EO 324 and RA 7919
Annual Report B is for those 2 exceptions


----------



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

*Annual Report A*



c_acton98 said:


> Annual Report A


Thank You acton98.... I also seen that I'm supposed to have a receipt from last year, Hugh? I don't recall them ever asking me for a receipt, only they took my card scanned in a tiny machine and collect my 310 peso's and the years before same thing.

Will dig in my wallet and everywhere else for the receipt.

I couldn't find out what those exemptions mean or what they are.


----------



## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

mcalleyboy said:


> Do they take the photo, finger prints at the PBI or? They had me do this after 4 years also, I had to get finger print copies in a room upstairs and then bring them down and had to pay at 3 different windows...man that seems redundant because they keep all this stuff on computer and the card itself has a chip in it, wonder what the application form is for?
> 
> Is this something they do every 4 years?


For me they did it on my 4th Anniversary of being a Permanent Resident, but they may have you do this annually which is not that big of a deal, especially for me. One should be able to go to any main or satellite PBI office and get this done because everything is on computer and all offices are linked with the main office in Manila.


----------



## 197649 (Jan 1, 2013)

JimnNila143 said:


> For me they did it on my 4th Anniversary of being a Permanent Resident, but they may have you do this annually which is not that big of a deal, especially for me. One should be able to go to any main or satellite PBI office and get this done because everything is on computer and all offices are linked with the main office in Manila.


I find that hard to believe that ALL satellite offices are connected. When the main office isn't interconnected. As far as how things worked in past. I've only been here a couple of years and have never done the same thing the same way twice.


----------



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

*PBI Yearly check-in*



JimnNila143 said:


> For me they did it on my 4th Anniversary of being a Permanent Resident, but they may have you do this annually which is not that big of a deal, especially for me. One should be able to go to any main or satellite PBI office and get this done because everything is on computer and all offices are linked with the main office in Manila.


According to the PBI website it's just something they are doing because of fraud and they also want to see the Immigrant (no travel agencies) unless he's under a certain age, I think it's 15 or in hospital, jail and those guys still have requirements also. 

Defeats the whole purpose of getting this card, I performed all the paper work in the US but....lol, IAW PBI website the card is supposed to make things easier but? I had my package back in 2007 and brought it here only to be sent to a doctor's office and redo and copy the paper again... lol and at the time I was told to use a fixer I couldn't do it by myself the agent at that time wouldn't even talk to me so that was an additional 500 Peso's, (old building to the right), so with my package already completed from the states it took all day long and I had to show up two weeks later to get my I-Card. :attention:


----------

