Well done, Peter!
Well done, Peter!
Thanks Stewart, and thanks for your help and support as I follow in your footsteps.Originally Posted by imagine
Well done, Peter!
I'm happy to be making progress, no matter how slow. My treatment at BI has improved dramatically and I'm now getting smiles and help without asking.
Even so, based on my experience, I'd definitely consider one of the SRRV routes.
The attorney asked my wife if she had employment to which she replied no. He asked about her income to which she said none.
So you live off your husbands pension then.
Yes. She said.
He didn't ask me how much income I had.
He asked my wife do you own a house here in the Philippines or are you renting. She told him we have a house in Manila a house in Davao and another house in Mindanao that is being rented out.
He seemed satisfied.
We didn't mention anything about the houses being on market for sale
Onwards and upwards
It sure is more fun in the Philippines.
Walay sapayan
and thanks for the rep.
Great news!Well, the 'hearing' went well. Much better than we expected. Lasted about 15 minutes max.
He asked my wife all the usual questions such as when and where did we first meet, where and when did we get married why does she want me to live in the Philippines and was I a good husband.
I got asked only one question, was she a good wife and why......
I was told to be kind to her as my visa is in her hands
He then signed-off the needed certificates asked us both to sign the documentation again and informed us to wait for the processing to be completed.
Now, this means waiting 3-4months since our bundle will go to Manila first for processing.
When it's return we'll be invited back to his office for implementation of the visa and the biometrics and issue of my ACR card.
So at last some good news
Step by step we're getting there.
Good news Peter. Good luck to you both.
Thanks Michael. As always I'm hoping for the best and planning for the worstGreat news!
Thanks GrahamGood news Peter. Good luck to you both.
The Mayor is a good man, Peter.
Hi Terpe! Just thought id share the fact that i applied for section 13A non-quota immigrant status today........If I couldn't laugh I'd cry.
Went to the Immigration Office again yesterday with my bundle of papers and my application forms for my 13a visa.
Security seemed a bit stricter than usual with a highly visible armed military presence. My wife began looking tense so had to do some 'stroking' much earlier than planned.
Once inside I was pleasantly surprised to see the place almost empty. Just a few miserable looking foreigners sitting around waiting for the call to their next window.
I handed over my forms for the first check. Fail.
One of my forms was a photocopy of the other and both identical forms must be orginal.
I asked for another application form so I could fill it out and was told BI no longer gives out forms.
They need to be downloaded and printed.
Thought I'd be clever and said I don't have a printer. Go to an internet cafe they said.
Point, set and match BI
They also told me the forms must be printed on 8.5" x 13" paper. Mine were on A4 size.
The forms also need to be fastened into a buff legal folder with size 8.5" x 14" . Mine was a yellow 'legal short', whatever that means.
Our petition letter must also be on presented on 8.5" x 13" paper and should be addressed to the Commissioner of Immigration by name and not just by title.
I remained calm and asked if there was anything else wrong with the application. They wouldn't look, just said read the General Instructions available on their websight.....goodbye.
So here I am trying to fully comply with regulations I can't find written anywhere.
I've managed to get some 8.5" x 13" paper and an 8.5" x 14" buff coloured folder together with some fasteners.
I've redone our petition letter accordingly.
Can't go back to the office tomorrow so it'll have to be on Monday.
More to come.
Always look on the bright side of life
We live on Cebu, so we travelled to the immigration office situated within J Centre Mall, Mandaue; having read about your exploits in Davao, we didnt really know what to expect, but to be honest (and thanks to your related information regarding paper size, file colour etc) it went really smoothly and quickly! I forgot to bring photo copies of the application, and my passport! Doh! so we did have to leave the office and find a photocopy (i mean xerox) shop outside, then when we had the copies we returned to the office to be told we needed to photocopy the receipts the lady behind the counter just gave us, along with BI certification. When we returned we paid (the fee included fast track which we didnt ask for - i guess they do it automatically.......) all in all, it wasnt too bad at all , and it was busy in there all the time that we were there! Time-wise, from leaving the house this morning to getting home totalled about 7 hours - not bad as we live about 60 Km north of Mandaue! We just have to wait 3 days before returning to Mandaue for the interview!
Congratulations Mick & Myrna, good luck for the future!Hi Terpe! Just thought id share the fact that i applied for section 13A non-quota immigrant status today........
We live on Cebu, so we travelled to the immigration office situated within J Centre Mall, Mandaue; having read about your exploits in Davao, we didnt really know what to expect, but to be honest (and thanks to your related information regarding paper size, file colour etc) it went really smoothly and quickly! I forgot to bring photo copies of the application, and my passport! Doh! so we did have to leave the office and find a photocopy (i mean xerox) shop outside, then when we had the copies we returned to the office to be told we needed to photocopy the receipts the lady behind the counter just gave us, along with BI certification. When we returned we paid (the fee included fast track which we didnt ask for - i guess they do it automatically.......) all in all, it wasnt too bad at all , and it was busy in there all the time that we were there! Time-wise, from leaving the house this morning to getting home totalled about 7 hours - not bad as we live about 60 Km north of Mandaue! We just have to wait 3 days before returning to Mandaue for the interview!
Thank you Michael
...'s welcome news, Mick. Congratulations, well done and best wishes to Myrna and yourself.
Last edited by Arthur Little; 5th September 2015 at 18:54.
Hi mickmyrna,Hi Terpe! Just thought id share the fact that i applied for section 13A non-quota immigrant status today........
We live on Cebu, so we travelled to the immigration office situated within J Centre Mall, Mandaue; having read about your exploits in Davao, we didnt really know what to expect, but to be honest (and thanks to your related information regarding paper size, file colour etc) it went really smoothly and quickly! I forgot to bring photo copies of the application, and my passport! Doh! so we did have to leave the office and find a photocopy (i mean xerox) shop outside, then when we had the copies we returned to the office to be told we needed to photocopy the receipts the lady behind the counter just gave us, along with BI certification. When we returned we paid (the fee included fast track which we didnt ask for - i guess they do it automatically.......) all in all, it wasnt too bad at all , and it was busy in there all the time that we were there! Time-wise, from leaving the house this morning to getting home totalled about 7 hours - not bad as we live about 60 Km north of Mandaue! We just have to wait 3 days before returning to Mandaue for the interview!
Glad to know you had a successful day.
Also pleased my failings actually helped
Based on my experience the 'interview/hearing' is nothing to be concerned about.
I'm now still waiting for my next appearance and ACR card.
It's great fun here in the Philippines
Thank you Arthur! Its definitely more fun in the Philippines lol!...
Last edited by Arthur Little; 5th September 2015 at 18:54.
Thanks for that Terpe! Hoping i get my ACR card soon so we can make my wifes Land Bank of Philippines a joint account - keep having problems sending ourselves money from our UK bank......Hi mickmyrna,
Glad to know you had a successful day.
Also pleased my failings actually helped
Based on my experience the 'interview/hearing' is nothing to be concerned about.
I'm now still waiting for my next appearance and ACR card.
It's great fun here in the Philippines
They told me after the interview it would be 3 - 4 months processing as the 'application bundle' will be sent to Manila then back to Davao.Thanks for that Terpe! Hoping i get my ACR card soon so we can make my wifes Land Bank of Philippines a joint account - keep having problems sending ourselves money from our UK bank......
The Attorny who did our interview was new in the post and was very surprised to learn it would take so long.
I actually enquired whether I could get one faster if I made a seperate application as a tourist and was told no, it wouldn't be any faster.
Anyway, lets enjoy our life here to the max, relax and have fun.
Just an idea Mick, but if you have time have a word with your local PNB branch about the Global Filipino Card.
It's a pre-paid reloadable ATM card. You can load it up from UK in Peso and it works in real time. Access your funds (in Peso) at most ATM's
You should find that both you and you wife can get one each without needing the ACR card. Just need 1 ID
Believe or not but it's free
Thank you for that useful bit of info Terpe! I will look into that..... cheers!They told me after the interview it would be 3 - 4 months processing as the 'application bundle' will be sent to Manila then back to Davao.
The Attorny who did our interview was new in the post and was very surprised to learn it would take so long.
I actually enquired whether I could get one faster if I made a seperate application as a tourist and was told no, it wouldn't be any faster.
Anyway, lets enjoy our life here to the max, relax and have fun.
Just an idea Mick, but if you have time have a word with your local PNB branch about the Global Filipino Card.
It's a pre-paid reloadable ATM card. You can load it up from UK in Peso and it works in real time. Access your funds (in Peso) at most ATM's
You should find that both you and you wife can get one each without needing the ACR card. Just need 1 ID
Believe or not but it's free
You'll know by now that banks here are still run by the bank manager.Thank you for that useful bit of info Terpe! I will look into that..... cheers!
That's why it always best to see what the individual branch can do.
If I had the time I'd research every bank near to me just to see what I could get from them.
Went back to immigration last Tuesday for my 08:00 appointment.
Finished my biometrics and left the building at 12:30
Another experience I could have done without.
Details later but importantly have my first year visa and done everything needed for my ACR card.
Have to wait another month for that
Onwards and upwards
Still waiting to hear some news about my ACR cardWent back to immigration last Tuesday for my 08:00 appointment.
Finished my biometrics and left the building at 12:30
Another experience I could have done without.
Details later but importantly have my first year visa and done everything needed for my ACR card.
Have to wait another month for that
Onwards and upwards
I'll give it another couple of weeks before making a nuisance of myself.......again
I am sorry to hear that you've had so much trouble in getting your 13a, Peter. I obtained mine four or five years ago in Davao and I have to say that compared to your experience, mine was 'a walk in the park'. Just the original and one copy of everything and assembled in a pair of foolscap sized manila folders.
I am aware that there's a new Alien Control Officer in Davao whom I hear was redeployed from Cebu - reputedly a hotbed of corruption. Maybe he's trying it on here.
Well done for reporting your bad experiences with BI to the Mayor's Office. As you may know, Mayor Duterte has quite recently warned the Bureau of Immigration not to make life difficult nor seek to profit from foreign visitors/residents, with the threat of prosecution for those who do. He is one of a very few key politicians who is pro-foreigner.
It's been sometime since I was thinking to making a fuss.
We been quite busy making visits here there and everywhere.
So we decided to vist the BI office yesterday to enquire. Looks like many changes happened since our last visit.......I wouldn't say for the better from a 'customer' perspective.
Definite lack of visible immigration staff. Definite significant increase in the number of 'customers' waiting for support. The 'back-room' is now off-limits and empty.
Cutting a long story short, after a cursory look at my passport I was given a number and told I'd be called.
Eventually my wife couldn't hold back any longer, she joined the long queue and questioned again what's going on. Answer please wait.
After a couple of hours my number was called. I was again asked why was I here.
I repeated for the nth time that I was told if I had not received notification that my ACR card was available for claiming that I should attend the office in person with my wife and document bundle to report it.
The officer asked for my claim stub and exchanged it for my ACR card...........ahhh, at last.
The only problem being it shows my old address instead of my new one. I've decided better to do nothing about that for now as I need this card to secure a Philippine Drivers licence, a decent bank account, a cell phone contract and a BIR Tax Identification Number.
If you could see my photo on this card you'd laugh. It's a side-on mug shot that has been squeezed down vertically to fit the card space. Only in the Philippines
At last I got it.
At last indeed!!
My address is still in Manila..I doubt that I will ever change it...Cost well over 1k to do that I was told.
Since this is my first year of 13a it means I'm on probation and also my ACR card expires next year too.At last indeed!!
My address is still in Manila..I doubt that I will ever change it...Cost well over 1k to do that I was told.
Looks like I'll be waiting to renew it next year so seems it's no problem to wait until then.
Thanks for the tip fred, appreciated.
Congrats Peter!
-=rayna.keith=-
...When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible...
Thank you RaynaCongrats Peter!
It feels like that for both of us. We're very happy.
After getting the card we went to our favourite Vietnamese restaurant for a late lunch/ early dinner.
Tonight we roamed around the city centre then ended up at MTS for a live band, local foods, a bucket of San Mig Pils and a pitcher of blue margarita.
Life is very good. Now we have to strive onwards and upwards.
I'm so happy to have that card
Well done Peter
Thanks Steve, it's a big thing for me, despite being 'run of the mill' for many.
We'll be using this as a reason to celebrate for a few days yet
CONGRATULATIONS, Peter and Carina ... from Myrna and myself.
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