Filipinos who naturalized...

[Tahoma 2,292]

I'm interested in learning more about the process for Pinoys to retain or reacquire their Filipino citizenship after they have become naturalized U.S. citizens.

The Philippines Embassy's website does not explain the process very well. They have one form that's used for both retaining and reacquiring citizenship. Somewhere else, I saw two separate forms, one for retaining citizenship, the other one for reacquiring citizenship. I can't remember where I saw the two separate forms. It may have been on one of the Philippine Consulate websites.

Do you file to retain your citizenship before your Filipino passport expires? After your Filipino passport expires, do you file to reacquire your citizenship? Does it even have anything to do with your passport?

Is the form a one-size-fits-all form...where you use it any time after you become a naturalized U.S. citizen...regardless of whether you are retaining or reacquiring your Filipino citizenship?

I hope you will share your experience.

[sjr09 155]

I'm interested in learning more about the process for Pinoys to retain or reacquire their Filipino citizenship after they have become naturalized U.S. citizens.

The Philippines Embassy's website does not explain the process very well. They have one form that's used for both retaining and reacquiring citizenship. Somewhere else, I saw two separate forms, one for retaining citizenship, the other one for reacquiring citizenship. I can't remember where I saw the two separate forms. It may have been on one of the Philippine Consulate websites.

Do you file to retain your citizenship before your Filipino passport expires? After your Filipino passport expires, do you file to reacquire your citizenship? Does it even have anything to do with your passport?

Is the form a one-size-fits-all form...where you use it any time after you become a naturalized U.S. citizen...regardless of whether you are retaining or reacquiring your Filipino citizenship?

I hope you will share your experience.

http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=163&Itemid=83

http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=25&Itemid=99

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=163&Itemid=83

http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=25&Itemid=99

Also http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=239&Itemid=80

[David-and-Mae 15]

Here's a good way to explain the process. A friend of mine was sworn in as a naturalized USC last fall. She needed to go home to the Philippines and must stay for more than a month by springtime. As a US passport holder (her Philippine passport expired long time ago), she worried that they will not allow her to stay beyond 21 days. Soooo... last winter, I accompanied her to the nearest consulate (which is in Chicago, IL) to renew her Philippine passport and the only way to do that is to reacquire her Filipino citizenship. So, they gave her a form, filled it out and was sworn in right then and there. After that, she was able to proceed with renewing her Philippine passport. So basically, she has dual citizenship. She got lucky that somebody can swear her in that day that we were there. Otherwise, she would have had to come back for that.

[Tahoma 2,292]

@ sjr09 and Bill...Thanks for posting some good info.

The rules seem to say that a Filipino loses their citizenship when they become a naturalized U.S. citizen. I'm wondering how the Philippines Consulate knows whether they have become U.S. citizens.

[David-and-Mae 15]

I'm interested in learning more about the process for Pinoys to retain or reacquire their Filipino citizenship after they have become naturalized U.S. citizens.

The Philippines Embassy's website does not explain the process very well. They have one form that's used for both retaining and reacquiring citizenship. Somewhere else, I saw two separate forms, one for retaining citizenship, the other one for reacquiring citizenship. I can't remember where I saw the two separate forms. It may have been on one of the Philippine Consulate websites.

Do you file to retain your citizenship before your Filipino passport expires? After your Filipino passport expires, do you file to reacquire your citizenship? Does it even have anything to do with your passport?

Is the form a one-size-fits-all form...where you use it any time after you become a naturalized U.S. citizen...regardless of whether you are retaining or reacquiring your Filipino citizenship?

I hope you will share your experience.

Since you're from Seattle, WA, this is your Philippine Consulate: http://philippineembassy-usa.org/philippines-dc/consular-services-dc/faq-dc/#dual and where you can find how to reacquire your citizenship.

[Tahoma 2,292]

Since you're from Seattle, WA, this is your Philippine Consulate: http://philippineembassy-usa.org/philippines-dc/consular-services-dc/faq-dc/#dual and where you can find how to reacquire your citizenship.

...I see that Mae became a citizen just yesterday !!! Congratz guys !!!

Thanks for your post. I've read the SF Philippines Consulate's info about dual citizenship. It doesn't really spell out how the Consulate knows when a Filipino becomes a naturalized U.S. citizen. Maybe the dual citizenship thing is on the honor system.

Is Mae planning to become a dual citizen? The requirements appear to be a pain in the a$$.

Chinook has no plans at this time to become a dual citizen. Our only concern with this plan is that her Filipino passport will expire a few months before she becomes a U.S. citizen. She's not planning to renew her passport, so she won't be able to travel to the Philippines during that time.

[Tahoma 2,292]

Here's a good way to explain the process. A friend of mine was sworn in as a naturalized USC last fall. She needed to go home to the Philippines and must stay for more than a month by springtime. As a US passport holder (her Philippine passport expired long time ago), she worried that they will not allow her to stay beyond 21 days. Soooo... last winter, I accompanied her to the nearest consulate (which is in Chicago, IL) to renew her Philippine passport and the only way to do that is to reacquire her Filipino citizenship. So, they gave her a form, filled it out and was sworn in right then and there. After that, she was able to proceed with renewing her Philippine passport. So basically, she has dual citizenship. She got lucky that somebody can swear her in that day that we were there. Otherwise, she would have had to come back for that.

I thought Filipinos who are naturalized U.S. citizens could visit the Philippines for up to a year on a U.S. passport alone. Is that what they call the balikbayan program?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I thought Filipinos who are naturalized U.S. citizens could visit the Philippines for up to a year on a U.S. passport alone. Is that what they call the balikbayan program?

The Filipino Mission in the US seems to have a lot of requirements that do nothing more than collect revenue for the Filipino Mission.

[Tahoma 2,292]

I thought Filipinos who are naturalized U.S. citizens could visit the Philippines for up to a year on a U.S. passport alone. Is that what they call the balikbayan program?

Thanks to the info on Mr. Bill's link, I'll answer my own question:

THE BALIKBAYAN PRIVILEGE (R.A.6768 as amended)

By legal definition, a Balikbayan is:

1. A Filipino citizen who has been continuously out of the Philippines for a period of at least 1 year;

2. A Filipino overseas worker; or

3. A former Filipino citizen and his or her family, who had been naturalized in a foreign country and comes or returns to the Philippines.

The Filipino Mission in the US seems to have a lot of requirements that do nothing more than collect revenue for the Filipino Mission.

Reporting a marriage...amending a passport...renewing a passport...reacquiring citizenship...it's enough to give me a nosebleed!

[DouglasFiel 53]

The BALIKBAYAN PRIVILEGE (Visa Stamp) was given to all of us on our last trip to the Philippines. I hear of some Filipinos

using the Philippine Passport to travel to the Philippines and then using their US Passport when entering the USA.

Regards,

Doug

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

The BALIKBAYAN PRIVILEGE (Visa Stamp) was given to all of us on our last trip to the Philippines. I hear of some Filipinos

using the Philippine Passport to travel to the Philippines and then using their US Passport when entering the USA.

Regards,

Doug

A dual citizen can/should use the US passport for all arrivals/departures. You can use the Filipino passport to prove Filipino citizenship when arriving in the Philippines. They will note that entry in the US passport.

[David-and-Mae 15]

...I see that Mae became a citizen just yesterday !!! Congratz guys !!!

Thanks for your post. I've read the SF Philippines Consulate's info about dual citizenship. It doesn't really spell out how the Consulate knows when a Filipino becomes a naturalized U.S. citizen. Maybe the dual citizenship thing is on the honor system.

Is Mae planning to become a dual citizen? The requirements appear to be a pain in the a$$.

Chinook has no plans at this time to become a dual citizen. Our only concern with this plan is that her Filipino passport will expire a few months before she becomes a U.S. citizen. She's not planning to renew her passport, so she won't be able to travel to the Philippines during that time.

This is Mae Thank you! I might do dual citizenship, but will have to wait till it's about time for me to renew my passport so I can do it all in one trips. I thought about not renewing my passport till I got my USC but we had to travel back to Pinas last winter so I went to Chicago and had it renewed. I was going to have my passport amended but have decided against it. I already reported our marriage two years ago so that's out of the way.

I thought Filipinos who are naturalized U.S. citizens could visit the Philippines for up to a year on a U.S. passport alone. Is that what they call the balikbayan program?

It is true, except (I think) you have to have a valid Philippine passport to show them that you maintained your Filipino citizenship.

Reporting a marriage...amending a passport...renewing a passport...reacquiring citizenship...it's enough to give me a nosebleed!

Done reporting marriage... my Philippine passport won't expire till 2015, so by then I can reacquire my citizenship, amend and renew my passport.

[TinTin and Samby 11]

Having researched RA9225 for nearly a year, I can say that it is absolutely 100% consistant with all other things related to the Philippine Government - A hugely illogical, inconsistant and ambiguously worded mess!

Here is what I have concluded after reading hundreds of documents on the subject:

1. Filipino law has been in the past (before RA9225) and STILL CURRENTLY IS TODAY (after RA9225) that any Filipino Citizen who becomes a Naturalized Citizen of a foreign country (Foreign - ie NOT Philippines) automatically loses their Filipino Citizenship, by that act of naturalization, effective immediately. This is still the law today.

2. Before RA9225, there was no (easy) way to reverse this loss of Filipino Citizenship.

3. RA9226 put in place an Administrative Process, which allows Filipinos to reverse this loss of Filipino Citizenship by doing 3 (relatively) simple things: a) Pay a small fee, b) sign a simple form stating your intention to reverse the loss of Filipino Citizenship that has occurred) and c) Swear an Oath stating the same to a duly authorized Philippine Government Representative (in Country at BIR, Out of Country at Embassy/Consulate).

4. The Administrative Process put in place by RA9225 provided for retroactive curing (e.g. Reversal) of Filipino Citizenship loss that occurred prior to the passage of RA9225. Therefore, a Filipino who lost their Filipino Citizenship by being Naturalized as a Citizen of a Foreign country (- ie NOT Philippines) 20 years ago, say in 1991, can use the same 3 step Administrative Process to "Reaquire" their Filipino Citizenship in 2011 as someone who lost their Filipino Citizenship by being Naturalized as a Citizen of a Foreign country 1 month ago in 2011.

In summary, what this really means is that the wording used in RA9225 - Reaquire or "RETAIN" is simply poor and the source of tons of confusion. There is no "preemptive" way to "RETAIN" Filipino Citizenship via the RA9225 Administrative Process. In all cases, Filipino Citizenship is "lost" at the moment of the act of Naturalization to a Foreign Country. The only difference is how long this loss exists for - 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 1 year, 10 years, etc. The answer to that question is simply the timeline between the Naturalization Act with the Foreign Country and the execution of the Administratve Process of RA 9225.

Regarding benefits of using RA9225 to reacquire Filipino Citizenship, there are several, but these seem to be the most popular:

a) Right to own (unrestricted amounts) of real property in the Philippines

b) Right to engage in business and/or practice one’s profession

c) Right to travel with a Philippine passport (A Philippine passport allows the holder to travel to member-nations of the ASEAN without a visa - Vietnam is a good example difference from US Passport)

d) Right to have Permanent Resident/ Citizenship benefits extend to one’s spouse/children

e) Right to vote in Philippine elections

f) Right to hold public office (some restrictions at Policy Level Positions)

The best documentation on this topic I have found after reading hundreds and hundreds of official and unofficial documents is http://askthepinoy.blogspot.com.

Warm Regards,

Samby

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

http://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2002/ra_9174_2002.html

The term "balikbayan" shall mean a Filipino citizen who has been continuously out of the Philippines for a period of at least one (1) year, a Filipino overseas worker, or former Filipino citizen and his or her family, as this term is defined hereunder, who had been naturalized in a foreign country and comes or returns to the Philippines;

Benefits and Privileges of the Balikbayan. - The balikbayan and his or her family shall be entitled to the following benefits and privileges:

(a) Tax- exempt maximum purchase in the amount of One Thousand five hundred United States dollars (US$ 1,500.00) or its equivalent in Philippine peso and in other foreign currencies at all government-owned and - controlled/operated duty-free shops subject to the limitations contained in Section 4 hereof;

(b) All domestic carriers shall establish a special promotional/incentive program for the balikbayan;

© Visa-free entry to the Philippines for a period of one (1) year for foreign passport holders, with the exception of restricted nationals;

(d) Travel tax exemption as provided under Presidential Decree No, 1183, Executive Order No.283, and other allied laws;

(e) Especially designated reception areas at the authorized ports of entry for the expeditious processing of documents;

Accredited transportation facilities that will ensure their safe and convenient trips upon arrival. The Department of Tourism and the Department of Transportation and Communications and other concerned government agencies are hereby mandated to implement the program for this particular purpose; and

(g) Kabuhayan shopping privilege and additional tax-exempt purchase in the maximum amount of Two Thousand United States dollars (US$ 2,000.00) or its equivalent in Philippine peso and other acceptable foreign currencies; exclusive for the purchase of livelihood tools at all government-owned and controlled/operated duty-free shops.