Continuing My 13a Immigration Visa Woes

[Terpe]

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

[Michael Parnham]

They just like to make you think that they are really important people, it's all part of the 'showing off' culture.

[fred]

My Mrs always does that stuff for me..She actually seems to enjoy it!
Today we went to the D.T.I to kick off registering our business name..They said she need two govt ID's that include a picture. She only has one..Her passport.. Problem is to get another one like an SSS I.D you also need 2 ID's!!
We thought we had cracked it by spending 2 hours renewing her driving licence..We get to the final window after doing the medical blah blah and pay the fee and late fines..Only to get a receipt and no new licence! They have no stock of materials to make her licence card..Not till April!
The official receipt is NOT a valid ID apparently.

We gave up today but will rejoin the battle ground tomorrow.

[Terpe]

My Mrs always does that stuff for me..She actually seems to enjoy it!
Today we went to the D.T.I to kick off registering our business name..They said she need two gov. ID's that includes a picture. She only has one..Her passport.. Problem is to get another one like an SSS ID you also need 2 ID's!!
We thought we had cracked it by spending 2 hours renewing her driving licence..We get to the final window after doing the medical blah blah and pay the fee and late fines..Only to get a receipt and no new licence! They have no stock of materials to make her licence card..Not till April!
The official receipt is NOT a valid ID apparently.

We gave up today but will rejoin the battle ground tomorrow.

Hahaha, never say die eh?

I daren't leave all this stuff to my missus, she isn't able to let things go and remain calm and smiling.

We'll get there in the end

[raynaputi]

Fred, get your wife a postal ID. There's a thread here about that.

[fred]

OK thanks..

However, I just looked and it looks like we can do it all online..just need a pin number, pay 200+ via credit card and download the DTI registered business name!

I wonder if it's that easy?

[imagine]

Oh I'm really sorry Peter. Before - in another thread - I forgot about the paper size, and that both identical forms must be original.

But I can tell you that all your documents and forms in the folder must be in the correct order.

I am lucky, because Lita takes control of everything, and the woman at our immigration office was very helpful to us even though it was very busy.

Wish you better luck for Monday!

Stay calm, accept the palaver they create for you.
You will get there in the end.

[Terpe]

Oh I'm really sorry Peter. Before - in another thread - I forgot about the paper size, and that both identical forms must be original.

But I can tell you that all your documents and forms in the folder must be in the correct order.

I am lucky, because Lita takes control of everything, and the woman at our immigration office was very helpful to us even though it was very busy.

Wish you better luck for Monday!

Stay calm, accept the palaver they create for you.
You will get there in the end.

Thanks Stewart, yes it's a bit of a palava but I'm OK with all so far.
I'm still smiling.
I guess I should have consulted the immigration specialist next door, but these days I'll put up just to save a few peso
If the jeepney driver shorts me by a single piso I soon get on his case. My wife says I've become a kuripot, think on balance I have

[imagine]

Thanks Stewart, yes it's a bit of a palava but I'm OK with all so far.
I'm still smiling.
I guess I should have consulted the immigration specialist next door, but these days I'll put up just to save a few peso
If the jeepney driver shorts me by a single piso I soon get on his case. My wife says I've become a kuripot, think on balance I have

[grahamw48]

This is the downside of living in a country where corruption and fraud are rampant...meaning that no citizen (nor anyone else) can be trusted, documents taken at face value etc.

The UK is heading down the same slippery slope now that we've admitted so many immigrants from societies even more corrupt than the Phils.

[mikek1]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is a 13A Visa? I intend to semi-retire to the Philippines.

My wife is Filipino but has a Dutch passport. We always get a yearly balikbayan (1 year stamp) when we go through passport control.

I have read somewhere that if we were to lodge US$ 10,000 (or more) we would not need a visa for a permanent stay. Could someone clarify my asumption.

[jonnijon]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is a 13A Visa? I intend to semi-retire to the Philippines.

My wife is Filipino but has a Dutch passport. We always get a yearly balikbayan (1 year stamp) when we go through passport control.

I have read somewhere that if we were to lodge US$ 10,000 (or more) we would not need a visa for a permanent stay. Could someone clarify my asumption.

13a is permanent resident visa, what you are talking about is retirement visa thats expensive.

[Terpe]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is a 13A Visa?

If you are legally married to a Filipino citizen, you may apply for the Permanent Resident Visa (13A) as stated in the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, Section 13.

Here's a link

Non-quota immigrant visa by marriage 13a

[Terpe]

.....I have read somewhere that if we were to lodge US$ 10,000 (or more) we would not need a visa for a permanent stay. Could someone clarify my asumption.

As Jonnijon has said, that would be the Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV). The SRRV is a special non- immigrant visa which entitles foreign nationals and former Filipino citizens to reside in the Philippines indefinitely with multiple-entry privileges.

Here's a link

Special Resident Retiree’s Visa

If you have a budget that might well be your best option since it's multiple entry.

[Terpe]

......My wife is Filipino but has a Dutch passport. We always get a yearly balikbayan (1 year stamp) when we go through passport control.....

That's another option too. Just continue to enter together under the Balikbayan programme for as long as immigration allows. The Philippines Immigration have been known to get very crusty about that when it continues for a few years.
Just be aware.

Also, as I've mentioned to you before, do please carefully understand the implications of leaving the UK for periods longer than 3 months. Especially when it comes to the NHS and the eligibility for medical treatments/prescriptions etc.

Food for thought.

[Terpe]

Went back to immigration on Tuesday with a new set of papers including those I was told to include.
Since I checked, double checked and triple checked everything that BI stated I was feeling optimistic.

Sir, you forgot your NBI clearance.
Sir, you forgot to include 3 sets of photocopy

Eventually they agreed the NBI clearance was not a mandatory requirement in my case, but they would require it under discretionary powers.
Good news was they would pop next door to secure the clearance certificate.
Of course I would need to pay

I also popped to the other next door to Immigration Advisors to get all needed photocopies. Of course I had to pay

Now with my application bundle complete I was told to sit and wait.

Me: how long will I sit and wait? May I go out for lunch break?
They: the immigration officer will call you for payment when your application is processed.
If you're not here when called you will go to the bottom of the pile.
By the way Collections closes at 4pm

So we sat there virtually the whole day waiting and waiting on hard hard very hard plastic chairs without lunch.

The Collections Window closed promptly at 4pm
One of the few things to actually happen on time.
I asked if I should come back on Wednesday and was told to sit and wait.
At 5pm they called my name .........Mr Peter
Who is Mr Peter?
Yes me
I went to the closed collections window and paid the amount showing on the computer screen indicated by the expert finger pointing of the officer.

Now, having paid and been given a receipt I had to bo the the 13a visa conversion desk to organise an 'official receipt'.
So I hand over the receipt I'd just been given and was told to wait.
My bundle went off to the Alien Control Officer.
I waited.
The immigration office closes at 5:30pm
It did.
We were still sitting there waiting. The place was empty apart from us.

At 6:30 I was called to the visa desk and told to get 3 more copies of everything in my ever growing bundle.
I rushed next door to secure more copies and noticed the receipt had been stamped as official, and that I had a certificate of NBI clearance. Clear.

Back to the BI who collated the papers and gave me a set of copies and told my wife she'd get a text informing about her hearing.......good bye
That was it.

We went home exhausted and wondering what that was all about.

Anyway my papers processed and and hearing will be conducted with my wife..........eventually

Looking at the detailed receipt I noticed that a total of P2500 had been charged for various 'Express Lanes'
There is no express lane that I saw

Ah well that's all for now.

Just waiting for the text.

By the by, the official receipt States that a hearing will be made on Friday 13th at PEZA building Roxas Boulevard at 9am with fingerprinting at10am
Problem is that address is in Manila
We both must attend and failure to do so will mean dismissal of my application.

We're going to ignore that. Nobody mentioned anything to us about that at all.

If it gets denied fine.

It's more fun in the Philippines

[Michael Parnham]

Went back to immigration on Tuesday with a new set of papers including those I was told to include.
Since I checked, double checked and triple checked everything that BI stated I was feeling optimistic.

Sir, you forgot your NBI clearance.
Sir, you forgot to include 3 sets of photocopy

Eventually they agreed the NBI clearance was not a mandatory requirement in my case, but they would require it under discretionary powers.
Good news was they would pop next door to secure the clearance certificate.
Of course I would need to pay

I also popped to the other next door to Immigration Advisors to get all needed photocopies. Of course I had to pay

Now with my application bundle complete I was told to sit and wait.

Me: how long will I sit and wait? May I go out for lunch break?
They: the immigration officer will call you for payment when your application is processed.
If you're not here when called you will go to the bottom of the pile.
By the way Collections closes at 4pm

So we sat there virtually the whole day waiting and waiting on hard hard very hard plastic chairs without lunch.

The Collections Window closed promptly at 4pm
One of the few things to actually happen on time.
I asked if I should come back on Wednesday and was told to sit and wait.
At 5pm they called my name .........Mr Peter
Who is Mr Peter?
Yes me
I went to the closed collections window and paid the amount showing on the computer screen indicated by the expert finger pointing of the officer.

Now, having paid and been given a receipt I had to bo the the 13a visa conversion desk to organise an 'official receipt'.
So I hand over the receipt I'd just been given and was told to wait.
My bundle went off to the Alien Control Officer.
I waited.
The immigration office closes at 5:30pm
It did.
We were still sitting there waiting. The place was empty apart from us.

At 6:30 I was called to the visa desk and told to get 3 more copies of everything in my ever growing bundle.
I rushed next door to secure more copies and noticed the receipt had been stamped as official, and that I had a certificate of NBI clearance. Clear.

Back to the BI who collated the papers and gave me a set of copies and told my wife she'd get a text informing about her hearing.......good bye
That was it.

We went home exhausted and wondering what that was all about.

Anyway my papers processed and and hearing will be conducted with my wife..........eventually

Looking at the detailed receipt I noticed that a total of P2500 had been charged for various 'Express Lanes'
There is no express lane that I saw

Ah well that's all for now.

Just waiting for the text.

By the by, the official receipt States that a hearing will be made on Friday 13th at PEZA building Roxas Boulevard at 9am with fingerprinting at10am
Problem is that address is in Manila
We both must attend and failure to do so will mean dismissal of my application.

We're going to ignore that. Nobody mentioned anything to us about that at all.

If it gets denied fine.

It's more fun in the Philippines

I can imagine just how you were feeling during your eventful day Peter, at last it's over now!

[Terpe]

I can imagine just how you were feeling during your eventful day Peter, at last it's over now!

Not over yet Michael.
There's more fun yet to had

[fred]

What a palava!!

[Michael Parnham]

Not over yet Michael.
There's more fun yet to had

Will it ever end? Good luck whatever way it goes.

[imagine]

Just waiting for the text.

By the by, the official receipt States that a hearing will be made on Friday 13th at PEZA building Roxas Boulevard at 9am with fingerprinting at10am
Problem is that address is in Manila
We both must attend and failure to do so will mean dismissal of my application.

We're going to ignore that. Nobody mentioned anything to us about that at all.

If it gets denied fine.

It's more fun in the Philippines

Maybe you could check that they have given you the correct attendance address. If it is correct, why is it not at The Bureau of Immigration, Intramuros, Manila? (I'm sure I've spelt that wrongly! )

Perhaps with hindsight, it would have been better applying in Manila. At least there are places to eat, and attorneys to help you get your documents sorted.

Yes, it's certainly more fun in the Philippines.

[andy222]

They just like to make you think that they are really important people, it's all part of the 'showing off' culture.

It's just the same as our HMRC and Department of Work and Pensions.

[Arthur Little]

Maybe you could check that they have given you the correct attendance address. If it is correct, why is it not at The Bureau of Immigration, *Intramuros, Manila? (I'm sure I've spelt that wrongly, )

No, Stewart ... you've spelt *it correctly!

[jonnijon]

When I was getting my 13a, once the paperwork was finished we were told to check the website and look for my name. So after about four weeks our name appeared online, and off we went to Davao.

"Oh just because your name is online does not mean your card is ready, sir go home and wait for our text." That was about another four weeks

[Terpe]

When I was getting my 13a, once the paperwork was finished we were told to check the website and look for my name. So after about four weeks our name appeared online, and off we went to Davao.

"Oh just because your name is online does not mean your card is ready, sir go home and wait for our text." That was about another four weeks

Where did you have the interviews?
Davao or Manila?

[jonnijon]

Where did you have the interviews?
Davao or Manila?

Davao, ground floor.

[imagine]

No, Stewart ... you've spelt *it correctly!

[Terpe]

Davao, ground floor.

Thanks Jonnijon, I complained to City Hall about my experience. I got an apology and an interview date for next Thursday afternoon.

Hopefully I'll get no more nonsense.

[jonnijon]

That's good Peter, you should not get any more problems. People here do not complain enough and that's why some services here are so bad.

We had problems with BIR, all wanting backhanders to make tax bills go away, so we closed the business and said, "now you get nothing!"

[Terpe]

Thanks Jonnijon, I complained to City Hall about my experience. I got an apology and an interview date for next Thursday afternoon.

Hopefully I'll get no more nonsense.

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.