Staying in PI maximum allowed duration.

[Arturo]

Hi,

A summary of the information we have confirmed with PI immigration help desk. most if not allis already coomon knowledge on th eforum.

A "tourist" can enter Pi without a visa for a maximum stay of 21 days.
This can be extended by 38 days and thereafter every 59 days for 16 months.
After which a written application to extend further is needed to a max of 24 months. There is a fee for each extentions applied for.

After which its exit and return.

Unless, it seems, that if a marriage takes place and the usual proofs are shown "...you will be qualified to apply for permanent visa under 13(a). I gather there is a 12 month probationery period to go through.

Thoughout, a valid return ticket ( or ticket to any destination outside PI ) is needed to be produced with the application.

I ask therefore if anybody has had any experience in booking an open ended return ticket? It seems it's going to be an expncibe option because of potential increases in ticket costs and airport taxes etc,.

Nearly there !!

TIA

Arthur

[fred]

I gather there is a 12 month probationery period to go through.

Not if you apply for it from the Phil embassy in London...

[Arturo]

Not if you apply for it from the Phil embassy in London...

Snag is.... I live outside Sydney - Austalia.

So far!

[fred]

Snag is.... I live outside Sydney - Austalia.

So far!

No snag Art..
Just apply for it in the Filipino embassy in Sydney.

[ginapeterb]

Although guys, if you enter with your wife on her Filipino passport, which I did last week, we did receive the balik bayan family privilidge, of a 12 month visa for the visiting husband.

We just asked the immigration officer, who kindly said, its ok, to have a 12 month visa to stay in the Philippines, although I only need 4 weeks, this then does not neccesitate extending the visa by 1 week, and going downtown to BOI to get it extended.

I also noted, that they did not ask for the NSO Marriage certificate as proof of marriage, she simply accepted my wife's word that we were married, no doubt she was smart enough to note that our names were same in passports.

Just a thought.....I don;t know all the answers....

[fred]

Just to be clear....Balikbayan stamp is not a visa or something that can be obtained from a Filipino embassy...Anywhere.
When the Balibayan expires you can then extend as usual for up to another year and perhaps even beyond.

[flomike]

Although guys, if you enter with your wife on her Filipino passport, which I did last week, we did receive the balik bayan family privilidge, of a 12 month visa for the visiting husband.

We just asked the immigration officer, who kindly said, its ok, to have a 12 month visa to stay in the Philippines, although I only need 4 weeks, this then does not neccesitate extending the visa by 1 week, and going downtown to BOI to get it extended.

I also noted, that they did not ask for the NSO Marriage certificate as proof of marriage, she simply accepted my wife's word that we were married, no doubt she was smart enough to note that our names were same in passports.

Just a thought.....I don;t know all the answers....

this is my first time to travel to Phils with my British passport and its nice to know that we can avail a 12 month visa for my husband since we're going to stay there for 4 weeks this coming Dec. I remember 2 years ago the immigration officer gave him only 21 days even as spouse of balikbayan (Im still on my ILR that time) we didn't argue just bec we'll only be staying for 3 weeks anyway.

Thanks for the info