Moving to the Philippines in 11 months--plenty of questions!

[Stevephoto 230]

Aloha!

Believe it or not, Joan and I are about T-minus 11 months and counting before the move to the Philippines! It will be here before we know it and we will have a LOT to do, especially in the second half of the year. We do have some (OK, a lot!) questions as we plan for the move. Any information would be appreciated as always!

Our local consulate is once again processing 13A Spouse Immigrant Visas. The processing time is about 15 days—way better than months in the Philippines! We still do not have an exact move date, but we are looking at the end of 2023. I will be 62 years old when I retire/we move.

1.    VISA questions:

The process seems straightforward and similar to what it was to bring Joan here (application form, medical, chest x-rays, financial statements, etc.).

A.    How long before the move would be a good time to apply for the visa?

B.    I assume the question about arrests does not include minor traffic violations. Am I correct? I have a few traffic tickets over 40 years but have never been arrested for anything.

C.   They ask for a local police clearance. I assume they want it from Hawaii and not the FBI? Either is fine, I just don’t want to waste time sending the wrong one.

D.   I will obviously note that I have Cerebral Palsy in the “physical defect” question on the application but will note that it does not qualify as an A or B category medical issue (same will be noted on the medical form). Do you see any issues with that?

E.    I searched and searched but could not find any specific reference to the financial requirements. We will own our house and land outright by the time we move and my pensions from NY, CA and HI along with SSA, while not a great deal of money, will cover our bills with some left over. I will not be retired yet if I apply for the visa from Hawaii. Would the calculated estimates plus title (I am listed on the title as “married to...) be sufficient to prove financial stability?

2.    Banking Issues:

A.    Our current bank will allow us to keep the account with a Philippine address, so that is very helpful. We will be setting up a bank account in the Philippines when we visit this summer (I know about the IRS form we need if we maintain a foreign account with at least $10,000.00—no biggie). My pensions need to go into a US bank account (which is OK because we will still have some bills and taxes that will come out of our US account), but SSA can be deposited directly in the Philippines—but I assume that my name needs to be on that account and I believe I can be listed on the account with Joan. We will have to send some of my pension from the US account to the Philippines, so it is not a major problem to have the SSA deposited to the US account and transfer if that is easier.

B.    Speaking of sending money from the US to the Philippines once we live there, do you have any recommendations? We use Remitly now (I know that there are other choices, but so far, they work for us), however, they are only licensed to remit funds from the US if the sender resides in the US. They have a 6-month grace period but will then shut the accounts down. I have looked repeatedly online and I cannot find any options besides bank to bank transfers or ATM withdrawals and both of those are expensive. Do you have any recommendations? We may also have a larger amount to send once we sell our condo, but that might need to be bank to bank transfer unless someone has other experiences.

3.    Health Insurance

A.    Do you have any recommendations for health insurance? I am looking at the Kaiser International Senior Plan for me and something else for Joan, but not sure which way to go.

4.    Driving issues

A.    I have had a driver’s license for over 40 years. I understand that getting a driver’s license might be “interesting” once we get there. Do you see any issues with me obtaining a driver’s license as a person with a disability? To be honest, I would not be terribly upset to “retire” from driving, but it would be good to have a license for emergencies.

5.    Credit card issues

A.    Do you know of any US credit card companies that allow you to have a foreign address? We have 3 now, but probably need to cancel them because they do not allow foreign addresses. We aren’t thrilled with the idea of using a friend or relative’s address. We also need to figure out how to cancel them without hurting our credit score. We have worked very hard and both have high scores.

I think that is it for now. We hope that we have not asked too much!!

Salamat mga kaibigan!

Edited January 22, 2023 by Stevephoto
More information

[EatBulaga 315]

1 hour ago, Stevephoto said:

Aloha!

Believe it or not, Joan and I are about T-minus 11 months and counting before the move to the Philippines! It will be here before we know it and we will have a LOT to do, especially in the second half of the year. We do have some (OK, a lot!) questions as we plan for the move. Any information would be appreciated as always!

Our local consulate is once again processing 13A Spouse Immigrant Visas. The processing time is about 15 days—way better than months in the Philippines! We still do not have an exact move date, but we are looking at the end of 2023. I will be 62 years old when I retire/we move.

1.    VISA questions:

The process seems straightforward and similar to what it was to bring Joan here (application form, medical, chest x-rays, financial statements, etc.).

A.    How long before the move would be a good time to apply for the visa?

B.    I assume the question about arrests does not include minor traffic violations. Am I correct? I have a few traffic tickets over 40 years but have never been arrested for anything.

C.   They ask for a local police clearance. I assume they want it from Hawaii and not the FBI? Either is fine, I just don’t want to waste time sending the wrong one.

D.   I will obviously note that I have Cerebral Palsy in the “physical defect” question on the application but will note that it does not qualify as an A or B category medical issue (same will be noted on the medical form). Do you see any issues with that?

E.    I searched and searched but could not find any specific reference to the financial requirements. We will own our house and land outright by the time we move and my pensions from NY, CA and HI along with SSA, while not a great deal of money, will cover our bills with some left over. I will not be retired yet if I apply for the visa from Hawaii. Would the calculated estimates plus title (I am listed on the title as “married to...) be sufficient to prove financial stability?

2.    Banking Issues:

A.    Our current bank will allow us to keep the account with a Philippine address, so that is very helpful. We will be setting up a bank account in the Philippines when we visit this summer (I know about the IRS form we need if we maintain a foreign account with at least $10,000.00—no biggie). My pensions need to go into a US bank account (which is OK because we will still have some bills and taxes that will come out of our US account), but SSA can be deposited directly in the Philippines—but I assume that my name needs to be on that account and I believe I can be listed on the account with Joan. We will have to send some of my pension from the US account to the Philippines, so it is not a major problem to have the SSA deposited to the US account and transfer if that is easier.

B.    Speaking of sending money from the US to the Philippines once we live there, do you have any recommendations? We use Remitly now (I know that there are other choices, but so far, they work for us), however, they are only licensed to remit funds from the US if the sender resides in the US. They have a 6-month grace period but will then shut the accounts down. I have looked repeatedly online and I cannot find any options besides bank to bank transfers or ATM withdrawals and both of those are expensive. Do you have any recommendations? We may also have a larger amount to send once we sell our condo, but that might need to be bank to bank transfer unless someone has other experiences.

3.    Health Insurance

A.    Do you have any recommendations for health insurance? I am looking at the Kaiser International Senior Plan for me and something else for Joan, but not sure which way to go.

4.    Driving issues

A.    I have had a driver’s license for over 40 years. I understand that getting a driver’s license might be “interesting” once we get there. Do you see any issues with me obtaining a driver’s license as a person with a disability? To be honest, I would not be terribly upset to “retire” from driving, but it would be good to have a license for emergencies.

5.    Credit card issues

A.    Do you know of any US credit card companies that allow you to have a foreign address? We have 3 now, but probably need to cancel them because they do not allow foreign addresses. We aren’t thrilled with the idea of using a friend or relative’s address. We also need to figure out how to cancel them without hurting our credit score. We have worked very hard and both have high scores.

I think that is it for now. We hope that we have not asked too much!!

Salamat mga kaibigan!

If you are asking about immigrating to the Philippines, then I think this is the wrong website for you since this site is about immigrating to the US?

 

There is a Youtube channel that may address some of the issues immigrating to the Philippines?

https://www.youtube.com/@everymanhasastory

 

[Chancy 6,241]

15 minutes ago, EatBulaga said:

If you are asking about immigrating to the Philippines, then I think this is the wrong website for you since this site is about immigrating to the US?

 

Many VJ regulars in the Philippine sub-forum have been through the experience of immigrating to the Philippines, as @Stevephoto knows, being a regular himself.  This sub-forum is a good source of info for such questions.

 

Edited January 23, 2023 by Chancy

[RO_AH 1,659]

2 hours ago, Stevephoto said:

Aloha!

Believe it or not, Joan and I are about T-minus 11 months and counting before the move to the Philippines! It will be here before we know it and we will have a LOT to do, especially in the second half of the year. We do have some (OK, a lot!) questions as we plan for the move. Any information would be appreciated as always!

 

I think that is it for now. We hope that we have not asked too much!!

Salamat mga kaibigan!

I will be following about 2 years after you It seems you like to dot every I and cross every T and do things all buy the book. While there is nothing wrong with that, I rather live in and beyond the grey areas. I will keep an address listed in Hawaii, which will be my son's. I will keep US bank account and transfer everything to our Philippines bank account. I will use Remitly or Sendwave (currently more than 1 PHP higher exchange over Remitly) to do so. I may get a USD account in PH if that is better, but not worried at this time, I will research it more later or after the move.

 

It seems that most if not all of your issues would be solved with maintaining a US address some how.

Edited January 23, 2023 by RO_AH

[Stevephoto 230]

18 minutes ago, RO_AH said:

It seems you like to dot every I and cross every T and do things all buy the book.

 

It seems that most if not all of your issues would be solved with maintaining a US address some how.

HA! You know me too well! Unfortunately we don't have many US address options, so it is back to the book!

[IWander 589]

6 hours ago, Stevephoto said:

HA! You know me too well! Unfortunately we don't have many US address options, so it is back to the book!

Look at changing your permanent US address to someplace such as South Dakota.  Qualifying takes one night is SD and you can claim residence and get SD driver's license.  There are quite a few services in SD such as America's Mailbox or South Dakota Post and a few others.

 

As for banking look at Charles Schwab.  No ATM fees on international withdrawals. 

[Carpe Vinum 2,327]

We will be going in the next couple of months. Going to use the BB one year privilege and get a feel for which visa to apply for.  My wife set up a bank account at BPI when she was there in April. She had to fill out an I-9 with them. Google it and read up on it. It was painless. 13A is probably best for you. SRRV has some advantages for me as I can get it cheap as a veteran. I have looked into the virtual mailbox providers. You have to be careful as banks are catching on and refusing to use them as the primary address. I.E they want an actual physical US address to send Debit and credit cards, too. I have Schwab and they are beginning to crack down on foreign users also. I have accounts at State Department Federal Credit Union and PenFed Credit Union. Both allow for foreign addresses. I see your bank is allowing a Philippine address. That is my biggest worry about relocating 100%. One day my bank just decides to suspend or close my account because I am in a foreign location. VPNs are fine but banks are becoming more sophisticated and can suspend your account. I just read of one account where Schwab suspended someones account because they couldn't answer a quiz about their past addresses and credit history. They were told that they would have to return to the US and provide a notarized letter from the US proving ID. As you can see I have been researching like you :-))

[Stevephoto 230]

11 hours ago, IWander said:

Look at changing your permanent US address to someplace such as South Dakota.  Qualifying takes one night is SD and you can claim residence and get SD driver's license.  There are quite a few services in SD such as America's Mailbox or South Dakota Post and a few others.

 

As for banking look at Charles Schwab.  No ATM fees on international withdrawals. 

 

Salamat!

[Stevephoto 230]

1 hour ago, Carpe Vinum said:

We will be going in the next couple of months. Going to use the BB one year privilege and get a feel for which visa to apply for.  My wife set up a bank account at BPI when she was there in April. She had to fill out an I-9 with them. Google it and read up on it. It was painless. 13A is probably best for you. SRRV has some advantages for me as I can get it cheap as a veteran. I have looked into the virtual mailbox providers. You have to be careful as banks are catching on and refusing to use them as the primary address. I.E they want an actual physical US address to send Debit and credit cards, too. I have Schwab and they are beginning to crack down on foreign users also. I have accounts at State Department Federal Credit Union and PenFed Credit Union. Both allow for foreign addresses. I see your bank is allowing a Philippine address. That is my biggest worry about relocating 100%. One day my bank just decides to suspend or close my account because I am in a foreign location. VPNs are fine but banks are becoming more sophisticated and can suspend your account. I just read of one account where Schwab suspended someones account because they couldn't answer a quiz about their past addresses and credit history. They were told that they would have to return to the US and provide a notarized letter from the US proving ID. As you can see I have been researching like you :-))

Wow! Couple of months! That is even more intense than what we are facing! I have looked at the SRRV vs 13A and the 13A seems to be better for us. Luckily we currently live in an area with a high Filipino population, so I don't THINK our bank will change policy any time soon. Isn't the research fun? Some things are so easy to find while others almost impossible. I'll have to keep plugging away trying to find some answers. Do you have any insights on my other questions?

 

Salamat. We appreciate you and everyone else here.

[seekingthetruth 1,246]

Address:

 

I highly recommend AGAINST changing any U.S. addresses to a Philippines address, especially financial institutions.  On the rare occasion that they mail you something through the postal system, you have about 10% chance of receiving it.  I did receive a few Christmas cards, usually in late Feb or March.  😊  Been der, dun dat.  There are many pitfalls.  Changed my addresses to the Philippines before I knew better.  Fidelity tried to shut me down.  Schwab will too.  Used my sister's address in California for a while.  California came after me for state income tax every year.  My sister was not very organized with my mail, so if you use a relative's address, make sure they are organized.  So I ended up using Travelling Mailbox with a Florida address.  I owned a house in Florida so I had a history there.  I still vote there.  I'm not sure of the legalities, but I think you can establish residency in one of the 7-8 state tax free states without visiting.  You still have the HI condo, so that might complicate it.

 

Visa - I have 13A.  As mentioned, SRRV is a great deal for vets.  Not so great for others but maybe for some.  For those that require a huge deposit, nope.  SRRV has more freedom and less fees when traveling.  13a must get an ECC-B when leaving the country.  p2880 each time.

 

Banking and transfers:

 

No advisable to keep huge amounts in Philippine banks.  The insurance is only up to p500,000.  Keep larger amounts in the U.S. banks.

 

Get yourself a dollar account in PH right away, if possible.  Cheapest way to transfer money is to write yourself a check from your U.S. bank and deposit into your PH dollar account.  The only cost is now a $5 check deposit fee at most banks.  Then you decide when to exchange it.  I have BPI accounts and for the last 6-12 months BPI has had fantastic exchange rates.  Better than street rates and all the other banks.  For small transfers, Wise is better than those others mentioned, I think.  Plan ahead with your check writing and you should not need those long term.

 

Health Insurance

 

Many expats say they self insure.  That can be good but you really need a good sized health egg set aside, never touched.  A heart attack or stroke treatment can still cost a lot here at good hospitals.  Many self insured expats never had a large enough health egg.

 

I don't know anything about the Kaiser plan you mentioned, but it is probably much better than anything offered by PH companies.  PH companies have lots of hidden rules,  especially for pre-existing conditions, and the premiums rise rapidly as you get older.

 

Credit Cards

 

Capital One Mastercard has been great for me.  I use my U.S. mailbox address.  They don't have any problems with people living overseas.  I have had it while living in Germany and Philippines.  Get one with rebates or points of some sort.  I have had my travel version for years but I think some of the rebates are better now.  I just used $900 in travel credits on our trip to AU.

 

Mastercard and Visa are a great way to transfer dollars.  They both have a great exchange rate, about the same as the XE mid-market rate.  I charge all my groceries, gas and other shopping on my card, then pay it in the U.S. in dollars.  Make sure you tell the cashier to do it in pesos or they will charge it in dollars at a bad exchange rate.  And make sure there are not any fee from your card or the retailer.

 

BTW, looks like we are moving to the U.S. this year.  Our house here in Subic Bay Freeport will have a For Sale sign up tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2023 by seekingthetruth

[NeonParticles 126]

On 1/23/2023 at 2:27 AM, IWander said:

Look at changing your permanent US address to someplace such as South Dakota.  Qualifying takes one night is SD and you can claim residence and get SD driver's license.  There are quite a few services in SD such as America's Mailbox or South Dakota Post and a few others.

 

As for banking look at Charles Schwab.  No ATM fees on international withdrawals. 

Seconding Schwab.  I have no issues using my investors checking account here.  ATM does charge a fee initially but it gets refunded fairly quick FYI.

Maintaining US credit cards is a bit more tricky.  Some of them have worked, some haven't.  My Apple card works just fine here, but a few of my others do not.  Seems to be hit or miss.  However, I maintain a US address in Oklahoma during my time here.  PO Box & use my parents' address for physical.

I'd recommend applying for 13A / SRRV visa while abroad OR arrive with a balikbayan stamp and apply then.  Renewing endlessly is a hassle I'd never want to go through ever again.

Once you're a permanent resident, the only annoying part is renewing your ACR card every (5?) years and coming into a BI office every year for your annual report.  The annual report used to be a much more annoying process, but it's become fairly easy (like... 5 minutes in and out), especially at field offices like SM Aura BGC.

Edited January 24, 2023 by NeonParticles

[Stevephoto 230]

11 hours ago, seekingthetruth said:

Address:

 

I highly recommend AGAINST changing any U.S. addresses to a Philippines address, especially financial institutions.  On the rare occasion that they mail you something through the postal system, you have about 10% chance of receiving it.  I did receive a few Christmas cards, usually in late Feb or March.  😊  Been der, dun dat.  There are many pitfalls.  Changed my addresses to the Philippines before I knew better.  Fidelity tried to shut me down.  Schwab will too.  Used my sister's address in California for a while.  California came after me for state income tax every year.  My sister was not very organized with my mail, so if you use a relative's address, make sure they are organized.  So I ended up using Travelling Mailbox with a Florida address.  I owned a house in Florida so I had a history there.  I still vote there.  I'm not sure of the legalities, but I think you can establish residency in one of the 7-8 state tax free states without visiting.  You still have the HI condo, so that might complicate it.

 

Visa - I have 13A.  As mentioned, SRRV is a great deal for vets.  Not so great for others but maybe for some.  For those that require a huge deposit, nope.  SRRV has more freedom and less fees when traveling.  13a must get an ECC-B when leaving the country.  p2880 each time.

 

Banking and transfers:

 

No advisable to keep huge amounts in Philippine banks.  The insurance is only up to p500,000.  Keep larger amounts in the U.S. banks.

 

Get yourself a dollar account in PH right away, if possible.  Cheapest way to transfer money is to write yourself a check from your U.S. bank and deposit into your PH dollar account.  The only cost is now a $5 check deposit fee at most banks.  Then you decide when to exchange it.  I have BPI accounts and for the last 6-12 months BPI has had fantastic exchange rates.  Better than street rates and all the other banks.  For small transfers, Wise is better than those others mentioned, I think.  Plan ahead with your check writing and you should not need those long term.

 

Health Insurance

 

Many expats say they self insure.  That can be good but you really need a good sized health egg set aside, never touched.  A heart attack or stroke treatment can still cost a lot here at good hospitals.  Many self insured expats never had a large enough health egg.

 

I don't know anything about the Kaiser plan you mentioned, but it is probably much better than anything offered by PH companies.  PH companies have lots of hidden rules,  especially for pre-existing conditions, and the premiums rise rapidly as you get older.

 

Credit Cards

 

Capital One Mastercard has been great for me.  I use my U.S. mailbox address.  They don't have any problems with people living overseas.  I have had it while living in Germany and Philippines.  Get one with rebates or points of some sort.  I have had my travel version for years but I think some of the rebates are better now.  I just used $900 in travel credits on our trip to AU.

 

Mastercard and Visa are a great way to transfer dollars.  They both have a great exchange rate, about the same as the XE mid-market rate.  I charge all my groceries, gas and other shopping on my card, then pay it in the U.S. in dollars.  Make sure you tell the cashier to do it in pesos or they will charge it in dollars at a bad exchange rate.  And make sure there are not any fee from your card or the retailer.

 

BTW, looks like we are moving to the U.S. this year.  Our house here in Subic Bay Freeport will have a For Sale sign up tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salamat! Great comments and much to think about. Regarding the mail: I get it. Joan DID receive her NOA form for her 129F (back in the day)...AFTER she was already in the US (I even think we were married and she had her GC by then!) I AM listening to everyone and will look for a US address. It does sound like the best option.  We will be selling the condo.

 

Banking: Salamat! We are already looking into the BPI USD account. The depositing a US check seems to be the best option.

 

Credit cards: I have both a MC and Visa account, but did not know about using them transfer dollars. I will add it to my list of things to investigate. The US address thing would allow us to keep at least one of them. The caution about keeping large amounts of money in a PI bank is well taken. The US check option resolves that concern (and the transfer issue). Very interesting about using  your US credit card for all purchases and paying in USD (I assume from the US bank account). I did not think of that. Great advice about making sure that the charge is in pesos.

 

Health Insurance: I agree that so far the Kaiser option seems best. I will look into it further.

 

Visa: I am not a veteran so the SRRV is probably not a great option. I didn't know about the ECC-B thing. I will look into it. Sounds like the old "travel tax" but more expensive! That and the "If your spouse dies then your visa is void thing!" Thankfully Joan is a lot younger than I am so on paper...

 

 

[Stevephoto 230]

7 hours ago, NeonParticles said:

I'd recommend applying for 13A / SRRV visa while abroad OR arrive with a balikbayan stamp and apply then.  Renewing endlessly is a hassle I'd never want to go through ever again.

Once you're a permanent resident, the only annoying part is renewing your ACR card every (5?) years and coming into a BI office every year for your annual report.  The annual report used to be a much more annoying process, but it's become fairly easy (like... 5 minutes in and out), especially at field offices like SM Aura BGC.

Thank you. "Abroad" Do you mean while still in the US? That was our plan.

[Stevephoto 230]

Salamat everyone. So much to think about. You are the best!

[seekingthetruth 1,246]

53 minutes ago, Stevephoto said:

I have both a MC and Visa account, but did not know about using them transfer dollars.

Just to be clear, don't use your credit card to get cash at ATMs.  That will hit you with big fees.  The exception would be that some banks / credit unions / brokerages will refund those feed.

 

55 minutes ago, Stevephoto said:

Sounds like the old "travel tax" but more expensive!

Unfortunately, permanent residents, like 13A, also have to pay the travel tax that Filipinos pay.  Adult is p1620.