Stevephoto

Soooo….I was going to post how efficient and responsive some of the PI government offices were to my panicked emails (Bureau of Immigration and Bureau of Animal Immigration)…and they were. Everything went smoothly with our cat (aside from the extra $400.00 to Philippine Airlines). …and then we got here…on Sunday with a holiday on Monday. Gave my passport and the sealed packet (I applied for the 13A in America) to immigration on entrance and was told to go to the Bureau of Immigration in Intramuros—about 1 1/2 hours from our home and P5000 for the car/driver—within 7 days (remember, Monday was a holiday). Thank goodness we started on Tuesday. We got there and were told that everything was in order and they directed us to the Bureau of Quarantine to have my passport stamped. It was nearby so we stopped by. Turns out that I needed to be screened by one of their doctors even though I had all the tests done in Hawai’i…but they were fully booked and were unsympathetic about our travel time and expense. Sooo….back we go at 6 on Wednesday morning to get the first appointment. They checked all my documents and everything was good…except that I did not have a blood test done for…Syphilis! Took the blood test and 1 hour later learned that I do not have syphilis! Whew! I was really scared there for a while I also needed a polio vaccine booster! WHAT?? Got the stamp in my passport and we were ready to go back to Immigration…except…they CLOSED BECAUSE IT RAINED LAST NIGHT and was drizzling that morning! We hired the guy to drive us back AGAIN on Friday because this needed to get done and we had furniture scheduled to be delivered on Thursday. I kept checking the weather reports in panic all day on Thursday. The heavy rain predicted never came and the forecast was better for Friday…oh did I mention that Friday was declared a no work holiday for parts of Manila and the Philippines, so I really did not know if the BOI would even be open! Anyway, Joan and I were awakened by torrential rain about 1 in the morning! So much for sleep that night! Friday morning turned out to be a very pleasant day and the office was open. My ACR-I was finally approved after the usual "go here go there stuff" but we need to call (land line only) and then go back AGAIN to pick up the card in about ten days. P20,000 later! Here are my take-aways: Remember that the 13A visa is just that: a visa.It allows a 59 day stay. It does not provide residence status. The ACR-I card does (think of it as a green card in America). Save yourself some heartache and travel/expenses: you will need to have a medical screening and review of your documents even if everything was completed in the US (be sure to include a syphilis test in your blood tests!) Schedule your screening for early in the morning, do what you need to do, get your passport stamped THEN go over to the Bureau of Immigration! Bring your marriage certificate and your spouse’s passport. You will need to make photocopies of five things including the stamp, last entry date and visa from your passport. Copies at the Bureau cost P25 each. OH! Cash is ok at immigration but not the Bureau of Quarantine so load up on Gcash. You can also create an online account and pay by credit card. …and that is the saga so far!

Salamat for the email information J.M. This is the response from the Veterinary Quarantine Service at NAIA: SPS Import Clearance Fee - P100.00 Inspection Fee - First two heads P250.00 (In excess of 2 heads P300.00/head) SPS Lodgement Fee - P55.00 So glad I was wrong! Thanks again for the help everyone!

Salamat!

UPDATE: I emailed the Bureau of Immigration and got a response in about 2 hours! This was the reply: Dear Sir/Ma’am, Good day Please be advised that foreign nationals with valid and existing visas at the time of entry into the Philippines, may be allowed entry. Immigrant and Non-Immigrant visa holders issued by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) must ensure that their visas, ACR I-Card, and Return Permit (RP)/Special Return Certificate (SRC) are all valid upon arrival into the country. Please refer to the link below regarding your concern: Looks like we are good to go! Now, any advice on the short-term insurance issue? Salamat!

Yes, there is So much misinformation. To be honest, I was in a state of panic even before I read that. I read that Dune needed his rabbies 30 days out from flying and we had just booked the flight (it is 14 days--at least for Hawai'i--vet confirmed!) and also that he needed a pet passport--also takes 30 days (No pet passport needed--again at least in Hawai'i--the vet fills out what is needed beyond our permit application (also vet confirmed!). THEN I read about the 50K! That may be why I missed the "total" part of the sentence! But thank you for the clarification. Speaking of questionable online information, can any of you comment on whether I need a cheap outgoing plane ticket when entering the Phils with a 13A Visa? Thank you all. This has been such a great resource for so many years.

THANK YOU!!! That makes much more sense! I have rarely been as happy to be wrong a s I am now! I guess that was a poorly worded post on the other forum. Yes, it would be about $900.00 when you add the carrier, vet fees, airlines etc. WHEW! Yes you are right. That information is nearly impossible to find! Thank you for searching for us.

For what it is worth, this is the only place I have seen any notice of entrance fees. I freaked out because the "total" fees were mentioned while discussing picking up your cat at the airport. Again, I would be VERY happy to be wrong! Salamat!

THANK YOU! That's what I thought! I truly hope that I misinterpreted the statement and that the total cost listed includes the vet visit including shots and airline fees (and the carrier) and not an entrance fee. I would be very happy if someone could tell me I am wrong. Here is the quote and source: Once you have registered with the BAI, a Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC) can be obtained from the BAI National Veterinary Quarantine Services Division (NVQSD) prior to importation. Do this by logging in on the BAI website using your registered email address and password to get to the 3-page SPS Clearance Application (import permit). Print this and present it at the Philippine quarantine station in the airport. Approval usually takes 1-2 days, while the validity of the SPS permit is two months. The total estimated fees/ cost to bring your pet to the Philippines is approx php50,000/USD 900. https://www.expat.com/en/guide/asia/philippines/12881-traveling-to-the-philippines-with-your-pet.html#:~:text=Approval usually takes 1-2 days%2C while the validity,pet to the Philippines is approx php50%2C000%2FUSD 900.

Thanks for the reminder! I remember having to do that last time...I wonder if we need to register Dune (our cat) on etravel!!! 🤣 OH speaking of bringing in pets, we just learned that there is a P50,000 entry fee for the cat! YIKES!

Aloha again! We finally have a move date! We will be boots on the ground in the Philippines towards the end of August! We are applying for health coverage beyond Philhealth but there will be a gap in coverage of about 45 days. Does anyone know of inexpensive short term health care I looked at Allianz and it was very expensive. Here is our update for those following: we were able to purchase one-way tickets from Philippine Airlines (which I believe is all that is needed with a 13A Visa)—if anyone knows something different then please tell us!) I read a horror story on a different forum about someone getting his ACR card from a 13A obtained in the US. Can someone who has gone through the process let me know what the steps are? My impression was that I just needed to go to the Bureau of Immigration with my passport/visa, application and paid fees. Is there more? Salamat!

Great answers. Salamat. I will look at them very closely. Yes, I did not mention that we will maintain an address in the US for the very reasons you stated. We appreciate your input.

Here we go! My turn again to ask more questions. They are numbered for ease of reference. 1. As I mentioned in a recent post, I have retired and have my 13A Visa in hand with a sealed envelope that I am to give to the immigration officer at NAIA. Is that the same person that we show our passports to or is there a separate office to find? I know that I need to use my 13A Visa to get my yellow ACR-I card. 2. Can I go to the local Bureau of Immigration with my visa, photos, application and receipt of payment of the fees within a few days of arrival or is there something in that packet that I need to wait for? 3. Am I correct that the ACR card is valid for 5 years but I need to “check-in” every year? We are installing as high speed internet as possible and will add VPN once we get there. I know that I asked the next three questions before, but that was a while ago. Please forgive the repeated questions! 4. A VPN would allow us to continue using US-based remittance websites, correct? (We are going to look into the great idea mentioned in a much earlier post about depositing a a US check into a US dollar account, but we want to keep access to the remittance services for emergencies and Remitly told me that they would cut us off after 6 months in the Philippines). 5. VPN also allows access to bank, credit card, SSA, etc. websites, right? Netflix is not crucial, but a nice bonus. 6. Does anyone have recommendations for a good VPN service? The big question now is phone service. We need our phones to access our US accounts (two-factor authentication, etc. I know one big option is porting the numbers over to Google Voice, although to be honest, I haven’t quite figured out that process. 7. Is Google Voice the best overall option? 8. My current cellular plan gets cut off once the numbers port over to Google Voice. Is that correct? 9. The question I thought of was: what happens when you are away from wifi or when the internet goes down? Local SIM card or e-sim card? Any and all suggestions are welcome. I thought about keeping one off the phones connected to a US cellular carrier, but I heard that they will also cut you off after 6 months (even Google Fi), so that does not seem to be a great option. Salamat! I may have more questions over the next few weeks because this is now very real!

@RO_AH can elaborate, but it does not sound like the balikbayan visa is an option for you. Essentially when I entered the Philippines with my wife I was given a one year visa. When I traveled to see her alone back in the day I was given a 30 day visa each time. I visited 4 times in 12 months (never longer than 30 days on a given trip) and there was never a problem. Members, PLEASE correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the 30 day visa can be extended at least once by visiting the Bureau of Immigration, but again, my caveat is that most of my information is over 10-years old and things do change.

Nathan, as @RO_AH said, we all in this to help each other out. From what I can see you are at the "H*LY SH*T phase. We have all been there. EVERY step in this process can feel overwhelming. Break it down into small bites and tackle them in order--I went so far as to have five different labeled envelopes for Joan's interview--each one dealing with different requirements! PLAN on hiccups to occur during the process: when everything is broken down into bite sized pieces then you can just slide in the hiccup without feeling like the pile just got higher. I think it was a different post and I think it was either @top_secret or @RO_AH that talked about going back again. I was there 4 times in a year and was lucky enough to be there for Joan's interview. It was an amazing experience. I said this in a different post: breathe. It will happen. Please feel free to PM me if you want someone to @#@$#%## at. My actual information is old, but the feelings are still valid. Hang in there!

YOUR birth certificate? I have always used a certified copy (I am 62 years old so I had NO idea where my "original" was). The only thing we ever got apostillized (sp?) was a power of attorney to buy land in the Philippines. Everything else was certified copies...including notarized documents for my recent 13A Visa. YMMV!

YES! DO THIS ^^^ We filed our report of marriage as soon as we were married in 2013 but recently learned that we needed the PSA marriage certificate for me to apply for my 13A Spousal Visa for us to move back to the Philippines!

Mabuhay everyone. It has been a while. I finally have some updates that might be helpful (I do know that this is a forum for people coming to the US, but as has been noted before, the Philippines forum has been helpful for all thing Filipino including moving from the US to the Philippines). I finally received my 13A Visa a few days ago! I applied and received it while in the US and the process was quite easy (with a few hiccups that I will describe) and fast. While the time frame from applying to receiving the visa was fast, the time gathering the requirements took some time—especially juggling a full-time job at the time. What I am going to say is specific to the Philippine Consulate in Honolulu, the process may be relatively similar in your area. First comment is that the consulate was as friendly and helpful as could be. They responded to my (many) emails within the same day. Unfortunately one of the responses indicated that the visa had a set end date that would not be extended. The process was to email all your documents to the consulate for initial review. This is not a big deal for most of us, but you will need to be able to scan and save your documents. The consulate will—and did—email you if they need more information. I was then asked to mail all of the original documents to the consulate. I live 10 minutes from their office and asked if I could drop t˙e packet off. Nope. Mail only. They recommended Priority Mail from the USPS with tracking information and I would have to agree. Our packet was delivered to them in one day and the return delivery was also one day. Here is what you need from the consulate website (with notes): 13A Immigrant Visa (spouse or unmarried child under twenty-one years of age of a Philippine citizen) 1. Actual passport of applicant (valid at least 1 year from date of application) and one (1) photocopy of the data page. (Note: self-explanatory) 2. Duly-accomplished Immigrant Visa application form, typed or printed legibly in black or blue ink (One (1) original notarized and one (1) photocopy). (Note: the only hassle here was finding time to get to the bank for the notary because as you will see later we also needed to send a notarized letter of intent to move from Joan. Our bank accepts a few notary appointments per day, so scheduling the appointment with two full-time jobs was a challenge. Obviously you do not need to use your bank for a notary, but plan ahead.) 3. Four (4) identical colored photos, 2″ x 2″, taken within six months before the date of application, showing a clear front view of applicant’s face, with a white background. No sleeveless attire. Blurred or low-quality photos are not accepted. (Note: Easy—CVS!) 4. Documentary evidence to prove Philippine citizenship of spouse/child and show the applicant’s relationship to the Philippine citizen (One (1) original and one (1) photocopy): A. Philippine passport of Filipino spouse/child and Birth Certificate of spouse/child issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority; (Note: We had these documents from previous applications, but remember the new law that your birth certificate is still valid if it was issued from the old NSO) B. If married to a Filipino spouse: Marriage Certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority or Report of Marriage issued by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate (if married outside the Philippines). (Note: THIS one created a minor problem! Read the requirement carefully: it says PSA Marriage Certificate OR Report of Marriage IF married outside of the Philippines. Joan and I were married in Hawai’i and duly filed our Report of Marriage immediately. So…I emailed a copy our ROM AND our Hawai’i marriage certificate…and received an email back requesting the PSA Marriage certificate! Thankfully they sent a link to psaserbilis -dot- com. We used the DHL Express option and had the certificates in about a week. Lesson: be sure to file your ROM AND get the PSA Marriage certificate!) C. Copy of US green card or Certificate of Dual Citizenship, if applicable (for Filipino spouses who are residing in the US). (Note: we had Joan’s dual citizenship papers.) 5. Duly notarized letter signed by the Filipino spouse of the applicant’s intention to permanently reside in the Philippines and other reasons for the visa application. (See above for the notary issue. We just made a letterhead and wrote that we were moving to our house at —address— and planned to move around August.) 6. Medical Examination Report, duly accomplished by a licensed physician, which should include his/her contact details, and not be more than six (6) months from date of application, together with laboratory reports (original and one photocopy), for the following tests: a) stool (ova/parasite and occult blood); b) urinalysis; and c) complete blood test (blood serology and chemistry) i.e. HIV, drugs, UTI. (Note: be prepared—this is a FULL lab test—and I mean FULL! The medical examination report is not the clearest document in the world and does not ask for things that you might expect from a medical examination—like blood pressure, etc. I was able to download the test results from the lab, but I picked up the copies from my doctor because they had more information about who ordered the tests. I included the fact that I have Cerebral Palsy on my application and on the medical examination report. I just indicated that it was from birth and not contagious—no problem.) 7. Chest X-ray, negative, standard size - in CD (preferable). (Note: you will get a brief reading of the results, but make sure you get the CD. The consulate will ask for it.) 8. Copy of a proof of vaccination against COVID-19, i.e. CDC vaccination record card, state issued vaccine records. (Note: Yes, they are still asking for this!) 9. Certificate of No Police Record from place of residence of applicant (original and one photocopy) (Note: as stated, this is from your local police. Search for how to get your police record in your area—it was not the police department in Honolulu so don’t walk in and ask for it! In Honolulu you can request a name only search or a fingerprint search. The fingerprint search cost a little more, but it is worth it. Funny story—the fingerprinting was a little awkward because of the way my muscles work. It took about 5 or 6 attempts to get a good reading. I was fine with it but the guy collecting the prints kept apologizing! I felt worse for him than me!) 10. Proof of financial stability (One (1) original and one (1) photocopy) (e.g. proof of real property, investment/s, bank certification, pension, or notarized Affidavit of Support from a relative in the Philippines, with attached documents to substantiate declaration or claim.) (Note: I sent a copy of our house payment statement and a note estimating my pensions and SSA in pesos. I did not send any bank statements.) 11.Self-addressed prepaid return envelope, with stamps worth USD 9.90 for express or priority mail with tracking numbers via US Postal Service, or with pre-paid mailing envelope from private courier of choice (Do not use FedEx). (Note: Use the flat rate priority mail envelope and place the stamp on the envelope. It is too small and easy to lose. Have the post office place the tracking sticker on the envelope and write the number somewhere—the little piece of paper the post office gives you can also get lost.) 12.Visa fee of $150.00 (non-refundable), payable in cash or money order made payable to “Philippine Consulate General Honolulu, Hawaii.” Personal checks are not accepted. (Note: Cash won’t work if you are required to mail your documents. The instructions say “money order,” but a bank cashier’s check was fine. The fee was $160.00 including a $10.00 expedite charge.) This is similar to visas to enter the US to me: I received a sealed envelope to be turned over to immigration at NAIA—just like Joan received 13 years ago. The visa is NOT your permanent residence permit. It is a single entry visa which allows you to get a yellow ACR-I card. The yellow card to me is like a green card in the US. That is your ID and proof of permanent residence…which leads me to my questions to those who have gone before me! What are the next steps after I give the packet to the immigration officer at NAIA (and is this the person that I show my passport to or is it somewhere else at NAIA)? I have read that the ACR card is paid for five years but I need to check in with BI every year. Is that accurate? I hope this long review helps others. I am sorry that I have not had much of value to add to this wonderful community but all my information about the steps to bring someone here is way outdated. I do appreciate those who do still contribute frequently. To the newer members: listen to the responses to your questions. You might not always like what you read, but believe me, those responding know what they are talking about. Take me for example: I went from total frightened newbie to someone who for a while knew what I was talking about to someone reversing course and retiring in the Philippines! There is no way that that would have happened without this incredible community. Salamat everyone!

Good luck to you. Sorry I went through the Fiance Visa process 13 years ago so anything I could say is way outdated. It will work out!

Repeating what others have said: relax! Everything will be fine. This is your last step. Breathe your way through this last interview and then go enjoy the oath ceremony!--OOOPS---did not read the whole thread! Congratulations!

For what it is worth (because this was 10 years ago), I was with Joan during her interview (GREAT experience, so go if you can). Joan's English is very very good, but remember, this is a nerve wracking experience. The embassy does provide interpreters on request. Personally I would suggest requesting an interpreter because we don't always hear the question when we are nervous...or register the final comment ("I don't see any problem here. You are approved" in our case. We asked for an interpreter but the interviewer said something like "well you are here so can we continue in English?" We did and were approved in 5 minutes. She will be fine, but good luck!

Gracias amigo!

11-years? Wow! Hard to believe. I only hope that my contributions over the years has been even a fraction as helpful as all of you have been to us. Mahalo, salamat, thank you!

Gracias amigo. Much appreciated.

Moderators--Please move this to the appropriate place or delete it if inappropriate. To my Maui and Big Island friends and O'hana: Our hearts go out to you on this horrific and historic day. I have lived on O'ahu since 2003, but visited both of your islands during my first trip to Hawai'i in 2000. The special role in the history of Hawai'i, aside from your natural beauty and the beauty of your people, that each place holds is forever etched in our hearts. Aloha mākou iā ʻoe

Gracias amigo! Feeling a little better every day. Como estas? I miss our chats. Will send a PM soon. I hope all is well.