2021 Travel: PH-US-PH

[Allovertheworld 355]

17 hours ago, jameyj said:

My fiance and I took a trip to Maldives in December...... she had pretty much everything you list there in advance. Immigration in Manila told her she needed a CFO sticker/authorization to travel which of course she did not have or would even seem to be required if one understands the CFO rules as written. My fiance talked her way out of that..... Just be prepared for that.

 

CFO is not required for that, It's so funny and sad how unimformed the people who work in Immigration actually are.   They tried to pull that stunt on my buddy who gf had a tourist visa to Australia, she actually did the CFO, which was never required

 

Given the CFO scam and the Travel Tax scam that Phiippines Citizens have to pay just to leave the country you can see how corrupt the country is and why so many want to escape from the Philippine.

[A&W0714 27]

Hi, I've visited my fiance last December for 10 days in the US.

 

I've had pretty much everything as indicated in your list and I think @Adventine you are good to go. For the PH Immigration part, I was asked for the following:

- Purpose of visit (spend holidays with my fiance)

- Fiance? How long have you been together? ( X years)

- Not married yet? (Not yet, waiting for approval of petition, I have copy of NOA1 but officer did not requested for it)

- Do you have an ID of your petitioner (showed my fiance's scanned US passport saved in my Google drive)

- How long will you stay in the US (10 days)

- Why short (need to go back for work and anticipate that I might be covered with required quarantine - and yes, I did the 14 day hotel quarantine this January)

- Present you travel and medical insurance (I got mine from IMG Patriot America Plus)

- Present roundtrip ticket (MNL-NRT-DFW)

 

At Narita Intl, I was asked to present my B1/B2 visa at the JAL transfer desk.

 

At DFW,  officer asked for my purpose of visit, no of times been to the US, and asked me to write down address where I will stay. Then told me, welcome back to the States, Maam. 

 

Flight was a breeze, not much people on board. Airports looked empty but I kinda liked that there were less people (= less exposure to virus). 

 

Hope this helps others who plan to visit their loved ones. Good luck to all.

Edited January 28, 2021 by A&W0714
Add info

[Adventine 3,196]

@A&W0714 Thanks a lot! Your post is really helpful, especially as it's so recent.

[0NI 114]

I've been to the US a couple of times as a tourist, latest was December 2019. I was never asked for any papers at Immigration (PH) and in US (LAX). 

 

Usually the questions they asks are:

 

-Where you going

-where are you gonna stay

-who are you gonna visit

-how long are you staying in the States

-how much money are you bringing

 

Other than that, I was never asked for documentation. All they asks is my Passport.

 

But now due to Covid19 I am thinking on whether to bring the documents listed above. lol

 

 

 

 

[0NI 114]

1 hour ago, Allovertheworld said:

CFO is not required for that, It's so funny and sad how unimformed the people who work in Immigration actually are.   They tried to pull that stunt on my buddy who gf had a tourist visa to Australia, she actually did the CFO, which was never required

 

Given the CFO scam and the Travel Tax scam that Phiippines Citizens have to pay just to leave the country you can see how corrupt the country is and why so many want to escape from the Philippine.

This is true. I was never asked at immigration (PH) for a CFO sticker on a tourist visa.

Edited January 28, 2021 by 0NI

[Adventine 3,196]

7 minutes ago, 0NI said:

I've been to the US a couple of times as a tourist, latest was December 2019. I was never asked for any papers at Immigration (PH) and in US (LAX). 

 

Usually the questions they asks are:

 

-Where you going

-where are you gonna stay

-who are you gonna visit

-how long are you staying in the States

-how much money are you bringing

 

Other than that, I was never asked for documentation. All they asks is my Passport.

 

But now due to Covid19 I am thinking on whether to bring the documents listed above. lol

 

 

 

 

Same experience, but I'd rather have the papers and not need them, than be asked for them and not have them.

[Allovertheworld 355]

1 hour ago, A&W0714 said:

 

At DFW,  officer asked for my purpose of visit, no of times been to the US, and asked me to write down address where I will stay. Then told me, welcome back to the States, Maam. 

 

Flight was a breeze, not much people on board. Airports looked empty but I kinda liked that there were less people (= less exposure to virus). 

 

That area of the airport at DFW where international flights arrive and you go thru is usually pretty empty most of times, virus or not.

[A&W0714 27]

Compared to previous trips outside the country, I was asked more questions which was kind unusual (I was interviewed for about 15minutes). While leisure trip/outbound travels are now permitted, relatively few Filipinos are going out at this time of pandemic due to restrictions here and almost everywhere. I noticed that most of those who were with me at the PH immigration were mostly travelling for work e.g. OFWs. For me, that pique the interest of the Officer behind the booth to ask more questions about the purpose of my travel.

 

As long as we have the relevant visa and comply to the travel requirements as required by IATF and destination country, one should be fine to travel.

[Chancy 6,241]

12 hours ago, 0NI said:

I've been to the US a couple of times as a tourist, latest was December 2019. I was never asked for any papers at Immigration (PH) and in US (LAX). 

 

I've been to the US (through SFO) a few times pre-COVID and I've never been asked for my documents either.  But I always bring them with me just in case.  One time I mentioned "boyfriend" I was sent off to secondary interview.  Although the CBP officers still didn't ask for my documents, just having them on hand helped give me confidence to get through those terrifying 15 minutes.  Another time I witnessed a traveler ahead of me on the immigration line being asked for his employment papers at his home country.

 

[RO_AH 1,659]

On 1/27/2021 at 4:24 AM, flicks1998 said:

A number of states already have this in place, but the announcement in earlier Feb would be a federal mandate and not a state mandate.  Again, no idea how they will ever enforce it, but the fines could be high if "caught."

We have it in place in Hawaii. Uniformed police will show up at your door where you have said that you will quarantine. You must come to the door. Can't say you are sleeping or some other excuse.

[Adventine 3,196]

6 minutes ago, RO_AH said:

We have it in place in Hawaii. Uniformed police will show up at your door where you have said that you will quarantine. You must come to the door. Can't say you are sleeping or some other excuse.

Thank you, this is very useful to know, even if I'm not travelling to Hawaii.

 

I will be monitoring news in February about :

 

• Federal rules on quarantine
• California-specfic quarantine/test rules for international passengers who are only transiting on their way to other states
• Tennessee-specific quarantine/test rules (my final destination - I don't expect TN to enforce anything, honestly. It'll probably be only a recommendation) 

[seekingthetruth 1,246]

On 1/27/2021 at 9:48 PM, Adventine said:

let me know if I missed anything.

You didn't mention anything about your plan for arrival back into the Philippines.  They just changed the rules, effective Feb. 1, and now you have to stay in quarantine facility for 5 days, and you get tested on the 5th day.  That might impact you.  At the very least, it is going to cost you 5 nights minimum for the facility / hotel before you can test negative and go elsewhere for the balance of your 14 day quarantine.  I only know two people who arrived so far, and they were both able to leave the hotel after 1 night, when their test came back negative.
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/773447/new-testing-quarantine-protocols-for-travelers-to-be-implemented-starting-february-1-palace/story/?fbclid=IwAR0tX6C2Dqy9M1-tel1p3JEs7kQzbY7ul-HW24ECTudXLm1QtHS9Y-eyi7o

[Adventine 3,196]

15 minutes ago, seekingthetruth said:

You didn't mention anything about your plan for arrival back into the Philippines.  They just changed the rules, effective Feb. 1, and now you have to stay in quarantine facility for 5 days, and you get tested on the 5th day.  That might impact you.  At the very least, it is going to cost you 5 nights minimum for the facility / hotel before you can test negative and go elsewhere for the balance of your 14 day quarantine.  I only know two people who arrived so far, and they were both able to leave the hotel after 1 night, when their test came back negative.
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/773447/new-testing-quarantine-protocols-for-travelers-to-be-implemented-starting-february-1-palace/story/?fbclid=IwAR0tX6C2Dqy9M1-tel1p3JEs7kQzbY7ul-HW24ECTudXLm1QtHS9Y-eyi7o

 

Thanks, actually I was preparing myself for the "absolute 14 day quarantine, even if you get tested after return" mentioned in the news a few weeks ago.

 

Good to know they changed the rules for the 100th time, to something less inconvenient.

[Adventine 3,196]

Even with the stricter quarantine classification from Feb. 1-28, 2021, the latest applicable IATF resolution as of Jan. 22, 2021 still allows Filipinos to travel abroad.

 

Here is a better, more updated resource for all IATF resolutions: Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases Resolutions | Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines

 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2021 by Adventine

[top_secret 2,421]

On the CFO issue.  My wife has traveled overseas with me and without me dozens of times and rarely had the slightest issue with exit immigration.  She is a seasoned traveler.  However this last time, as she was on her way to Costa Rica, the female Immigration officer at the counter asked her the few basic relevant questions, ie confirmed round trip plane ticket, COVID travel insurance, how well did she know me.  Then she exit stamped my wife passport and sent her on her way, with a perfectly efficient and pleasant exit immigration experience.  Then, she encountered a second, male immigration officer, checking everyone's passports for some reason, after immigration, before security.   That officer challenged my wife about not having a CFO.  That officer held her passport and went and got the female officer who had originally stamped my wife's passport and accused that officer of wrongfully stamping my wife's passport when she had no CFO.  The female officer argued that she had correctly verified all the relevant details, my wife was traveling as a tourist on a round trip ticket with no intention of not returning to her home in the Philippines and therefore did not require a CFO and that that she had correctly stamped my wife's passport.  The male officer refused to accept that argument from the female officer so he went and got the big boss Immigration chief officer guy and dragged him into the fray trying to get the female officer in trouble over stamping my wife's passport when she didn't have a CFO.   The big boss of course knew the obvious correct answer, a Filipina traveling as a tourist on a round trip ticket with no immigrant visa or intent, does not need a CFO.  So the chief guy handed my wife back her passport and sent her on to security.  My wife said the male officer who had made the fuss was giving her and the female officer the most evil dirty look, but the big boss had put that guy in his place and he couldn't do anything.  A bit of tension between Immigration Officers probably still ongoing over that incident.  Other than that my wife's exit from the Philippines was uneventful.