Expats / Residence / 6 month+ Stay - Philippines Immigration changes to ECC process

[dixonk]

I will high five you half way there. I am finally leaving Kuwait, hopefully for good.

Only going for 3 weeks. Been going back and forth to that crappy place for 10 years now. Lived there for 4.

---------- Post added May 10th, 2013 at 01:31 AM ----------

Local budget airline. You've been here right?

Yep. Get yourself a credit card with travel insurance as a perk. My CC company will refund me the ticket cost if something comes up and I can't make it so long as I pay with the card. I have used it to get out of a 250 dollar travel date change fee that united tried to charge me before.

 

[kwhkg]

from anzcham office today quote I called again to clarify at the Bureau of Immigration, the officer said
that the guidelines for the memo still needs to be determined.
If foreigners are being held at the airports BI will need to see their
visas, if they have tourist visas and they stayed here for more than 6
months, they will have to get their ECC at the main office or the sub port
offices. He also said that this does not include ACR-I card holders, but
again they will have to clarify at the office of the commissioner. unquote

seems confusion reigns

 

[philnz47]

I am booked to go to NZ next Saturday with my wife to see my seriously ill 86 year old mum. I am an ACR-I card holder.

Has anyone got a definitive answer on this yet? I simply cannot afford to lose my airfare payment.

Thank you.

 

[kwhkg]

you better call BID HQ, also if true there must be lots of foreigners being denied exit at Cebu and Davao also

 

[drbill]

Hmmm... I met a few lovely Filipinas on my recent trip there. Maybe I should accept their offer of marriage!

 

[philnz47]

I called BI at NAIA Departures. They said they are 100% sure that if you have ACR-I card you can pay at airport on leaving.

 

[DevonDiver]

from anzcham office today quote I called again to clarify at the Bureau of Immigration, the officer said that the guidelines for the memo still needs to be determined.

Meaning that immigration themselves don't know how to interpret the memo, I guess...

If foreigners are being held at the airports BI will need to see their visas, if they have tourist visas and they stayed here for more than 6 months, they will have to get their ECC at the main office or the sub port offices. He also said that this does not include ACR-I card holders, but again they will have to clarify at the office of the commissioner.

Even with a tourist visa, anything over 2 (?) months extension requires an ACR card. Therefore it'd be impossible that a six-month stayer wouldn't have an ACR-I card to exit with...

seems confusion reigns

Yep... typical. It's hurting people too, with lost flights and unplanned extended stays to trip to Manila and resolve...

I called BI at NAIA Departures. They said they are 100% sure that if you have ACR-I card you can pay at airport on leaving.

Last week at DMIA Departures (Clark airport), they were 100% sure that you couldn't pay at airport on departure. Nobody could...they weren't accepting any payments.

 

[kevinl4270]

This may be a dumb question.

I am going to the Philippines for it looks like 28 days. I was going to get the one year spousal visa, but that seems like overkill. Is it easier and cheaper to do the 21 day visa and apply for an extension, or should I just go with the spousal visa?

Thanks for your help.

 

[DevonDiver]

For 28 days, just get an extension. Any of the sub/satellite offices can manage that - it's a 15 minute process. Go to the main office in Intramuros and it can be an all-day drag... or have to return the next morning to collect your passport.

 

[Hank49]

Back in the 90s it didn't cost anything extra to get the Balikbayan visa. If you qualify for it, they just stamp your passport at Immigration.