Reverse Course ?

[Chancy 6,241]

10 minutes ago, AppalachianBiker said:

When I came the first time, they required proof of a round trip ticket.

 

It does not need to be a round-trip ticket.  You must have a return or onward ticket.  So you can purchase a one-way ticket from the US to the Philippines, and another one-way ticket from the PH to Thailand/Singapore/wherever is cheapest.

 

[top_secret 2,387]

Off the top of my head I think extensions are like P2000 $60 a month or something like that.  

 

For the onward ticket I would just buy a one-way on United for Manila to Guam the day of departure and then avail the 24 hour fee free cancelation about 10 minutes after you check in to your flight to Manila.  Philippine Immigration will never check for an onward ticket but the airlines do at check-in so that is the only point of concern.

 

Perhaps a more elegant solution to everything is if you are traveling with your Filipina wife and you arrive together from overseas you will receive a Balikbayan stamp in your passport allowing you to remain in the Philippines for an entire year before you had to extend or depart.  The only catch is you must arrive from overseas on the same flight with your Filipina wife.   So maybe arrive as a tourist.  Have a nice wedding in the Philippines.  Have a nice honeymoon in Thailand or Bali or someplace nice like that and when you return from the honeymoon together you would receive a 1 year Balikbayan stamp in your passport

[AppalachianBiker 5]

Awesome information. I'm all ears here in the backwoods of Tennessee.

[seekingthetruth 1,246]

3 hours ago, AppalachianBiker said:

Well, it was the plan however I like the 3 year rotation idea and just duck out to Guam and come back. I could play that game for a while. Any ideas of what the current fee is to extend your Visa at the BOI ? Then I'll be asking questions about international banking because I'll want to direct deposit my pension and SSI in an American institution a transfer funds to a bank in country to facilitate my/our ability to live comfortably on, without interruptions. We don't do fancy. Simple people that grocery shop and cook at home. Date nights on occasion. 

 

Excellent suggestion. Much thanks. 

1.  SRRV would not be a good fit for you in most cases.  Are you retired military?  There is a cheap one for retired military.  You can come in  on a tourist visa then look into it.  Not sure if even the cheap one would be cost effective.  Depends on how long you will stay.

2.  Here is a picture of my visa costs for 3 years.  Even though this is old, the fees are still about the same.  Yours will be very similar in pesos but cheaper in dollars because the dollar exchange rate is so high now.  For 3 years, I paid about $1373 then made a quick visa run to Hong Kong that cost a bit over $300.  Asian countries are much cheaper than Guam for a visa run.  After the visa run, you start over with the tourist extensions.  After you are married, you can go out and return with her, and get Balikbayan status.  It is good for one year and no fees to pay.

 

3.  It is best if you can live reasonably close to an immigration office so that extensions are easy.  However, almost all cities have travel agents who can do tourist visa extensions on your behalf for a reasonable cost.  In fact, it is very similar to the cost you pay walking in because the agent does not pay the "express lane" fees you see above, normally.  Many people like using the agents because no hassle of visiting immigration, waiting in line, etc.

4.  For banking in Philippines, it is now hard to open accounts when you are on a tourist visa.  You might get lucky.  Might not.  However, you can use your wife's account for any banking needs.  She might be able to add you as a joint account holder, which looks good during the immigration process.

5.  For moving money over from U.S. to PH:

A.  Cheapest way is to have a dollar account in PH and then write a U.S. check in dollars for deposit to the PH dollar account.  Takes 3-4 weeks for the check to clear.  Only fee is a $5 service charge at most PH banks.  You can then exchange the dollars when you need pesos, either at the bank or outside money changer.

B.  Use a money transfer service.  Wise is a good one but there are others.  You can transfer directly from your U.S. bank account to a PH bank account.  You can experiment with them to find out the costs without making an actual transaction.

C.  Use ATMs.  This can be very expensive if you are not careful.  Some U.S. banks will refund all fees but you may still get hit with a bad exchange rate.

6.  If you own a house in the U.S., it might be a good option to rent it out.  When you are ready to come back with your wife, this helps with the domicile requirements.  Keep your U.S. driver's license updated, file your taxes, etc., etc.

[flicks1998 1,044]

On 7/13/2022 at 8:51 PM, top_secret said:

Off the top of my head I think extensions are like P2000 $60 a month or something like that.  

 

For the onward ticket I would just buy a one-way on United for Manila to Guam the day of departure and then avail the 24 hour fee free cancelation about 10 minutes after you check in to your flight to Manila.  Philippine Immigration will never check for an onward ticket but the airlines do at check-in so that is the only point of concern.

 

Perhaps a more elegant solution to everything is if you are traveling with your Filipina wife and you arrive together from overseas you will receive a Balikbayan stamp in your passport allowing you to remain in the Philippines for an entire year before you had to extend or depart.  The only catch is you must arrive from overseas on the same flight with your Filipina wife.   So maybe arrive as a tourist.  Have a nice wedding in the Philippines.  Have a nice honeymoon in Thailand or Bali or someplace nice like that and when you return from the honeymoon together you would receive a 1 year Balikbayan stamp in your passport

This link shows the different fees for each renewal.  At renewal time, a person can renew for 1 month or two months, but not longer than two months.  Also, some renewals are more expensive than others.  This will come down to receiving the ACR card at certain stages and the renewal of that.  Renewals can be done every 1-2 months for up to 3 years.

 

https://immigration.gov.ph/visa-requirements/non-immigrant-visa/temporary-visitor-visa/extension-of-authorized-stay-beyond-59-days

 

Most foreigners will do 3 years of renewals before they have to leave the country and can reset to 3 years.  However, even though they stay for 3 years, sometimes people want a little more "security" in their status in a country.  Although a person is in country legally on a 9a, the government at any moment can change requirements.  I would say for long term retirees, the 9a would be lowest on totem pole compared to an SRRV, BB and 13A but being on a 9a is a good trial period for living in the country.

 

The SRRV is cheaper if a person is ex-US military.  I had quite a few friends get SRRV visas and had to put down a $20K USD deposit as they were not ex-military.  I have names of trustworthy agents that can assist people through the SRRV process.  Its not for everyone.  Many foreigners on the SRRV visa were shocked during the pandemic when the Philippine government would not allow SRRV holders back in the country for quite a long time, I think almost 9 months to a year.  The idea behind the SRRV is that is where you have retired and is therefore your home.   After this episode, the majority of my friends have given up on the Philippines as a retirement place and most have now left.  Everyone I know did get their deposits back although it will take about 2-3 months and can be wired directly into your overseas bank account.  I have a few friends who received their SRRV visas at 35, 36 years old and are keeping them as they have been grandfathered into the new rules which now requires a person to be at least 50 years old.  

 

If you are married to a Filipino, the best visa to have is a 13A.  If you are not married, probably the best way is to do the 9a with extensions for a year or two and if you are still serious of retiring in the country, then consider the SRRV, although understanding that even this visa does not offer all of the protections it was meant to do. 

Edited July 15, 2022 by flicks1998

[AppalachianBiker 5]

I think that for me and is the SRRV will be there best choice, then get married in the Philippines and work on a spouse Visa to come back here to VISIT the USA but not take up residence here again, it's just too expensive here too live retired,

[Adventine 3,196]

The spousal visa process requires you to prove that you can financially support your spouse in the U.S., and that both of you intend to relocate to the US after her immigrant visa is granted. 

 

If your spouse only wants to VISIT the US then she should apply for a tourist visa. Cheaper, simpler, fewer documents required, and no medical exam.

[AppalachianBiker 5]

Well, last night I made the decision to apply for the SRRV in early 2023 and just move there and marry her then decide what fits the best for us. Yes, I understand the costs and burdens of proof for me. Thanks. Keep em coming. 

[flicks1998 1,044]

23 hours ago, AppalachianBiker said:

Well, last night I made the decision to apply for the SRRV in early 2023 and just move there and marry her then decide what fits the best for us. Yes, I understand the costs and burdens of proof for me. Thanks. Keep em coming. 

What city will you be residing in?  Also, was your 28 day trip the only time you have visited the Philippines?  Depending on those answers may help you decide the best visa route.  Lawyers, etc will almost always tell you to go the SRRV route as there is money to be made.

 

If you will live within 1-2 hours of a Bureau of Immigration, it may be best to just do 9a extensions for awhile, especially if you have only done one trip to the Philippines.  Doing the 9a will also allow you to leave relatively quickly if the relationship turns south or if you just dont like living in the Philippines.

 

The SRRV is more of an investment which I would only recommend to people who have lived in the country for awhile or if you dont have the ability to get to a Bureau of Immigration easily every 2 months.  Besides the significant deposit youll have to make, you cant just pack up and leave whenever you want.  You have to go through an exit clearance (which is not the same exit clearance that others go through for spending 6 months or more in the country), plus youll have to wait to get your deposit back.  Ive recently had several friends cancel their SRRV's and its taken about 5 months for that whole process.  Immigration will keep your passport for around 3 months.  They will tell you its only about 2 months but its taking much longer.

 

If you have only spent 28 days in country, I really feel its best to be as flexible as possible.  This is coming from someone who has spent years working in conjunction with PI immigration and seeing many foreigners putting themselves in very difficult situations.  When I moved expats into the country, 100% of them were excited for the new challenge.  2-3 years later, more than 90% were ready to leave.

 

[AppalachianBiker 5]

I'll undoubtedly live near Davao City and the Duterte clan and is the PRA only located in Manila ? The investment part does not bother me. 

[Carpe Vinum 2,327]

12 hours ago, AppalachianBiker said:

I'll undoubtedly live near Davao City and the Duterte clan and is the PRA only located in Manila ? The investment part does not bother me. 

There are PRA agents located throughout the Philippines who can assist you. I recommend going to YouTube and Google search for SRRV visa. There is a dearth of info there from people who have done it.

[Palawan 131]

On 7/10/2022 at 5:46 PM, pushbrk said:

You can remain in the Philippines as a tourist for up to three years without leaving the country.  No need for an retirement visa or the associated expense.  Depending on your location, it could be more trouble to visit the Bureau of Immigration office if it's too far away.  Process is one month extension after the first 29 days and then you can start doing six month or two month extensions.  Extension require a drop in visit to the local BOI office.

 

None of this will speed up the process, but you'll be together.

Then you will be paying 2500 for a ACR card after your first visa extension, and wasting time going to BI and paying more. I think I just paid 8600 peso for a 2 month extension.

[Palawan 131]

On 7/20/2022 at 5:58 PM, AppalachianBiker said:

I'll undoubtedly live near Davao City and the Duterte clan and is the PRA only located in Manila ? The investment part does not bother me. 

Davao and surrounding cities like Digos City are so boring and really nothing to do or eat for me.  Do you like Davao? I find the traffic to be horrible there, and the dirty streets make it a no go for me

[Palawan 131]

On 7/10/2022 at 12:34 PM, AppalachianBiker said:

If we were younger then that would be a possibility however I am 65+ and she is 61+ and really the bureaucracy and lazy attitude of the USCIS is ridiculous. 

 

This problem isn't USCIS, it the Philippines that basically locked down the country for 2 plus years.

 

Heck even today they require everyone to wear a mask, even outside, driving a car alone, or riding a motor bike, plus many places still require vaccines cards to enter malls.

 

You can place the blame on the government of the Philippines

[pushbrk 12,824]

On 7/21/2022 at 6:58 AM, AppalachianBiker said:

I'll undoubtedly live near Davao City and the Duterte clan and is the PRA only located in Manila ? The investment part does not bother me. 

Um Duterte is the former Mayor of Davao.  His daughter succeeded him in that office and is not the Vice President.