What are the eligibility requirements for financial assistance by the us embassy

[Dr. Shiva]

I guess it is depend on the cause what did him make becoming broke. If it is a medical issue or he was being the victim of a theft, robbery or an assault, the embassy will (probably) help. If it is a case by just using too much money they won't assist. In the case of being victim to a theft, assault or robbery you need to file a case at the police and bring that paper to the embassy. I dunno if this counts also if being the victim of a scam or cheat.

Best would be that you ask the embassy for the requirements for getting assistance.

Edited December 21, 2016 by Dr. Shiva

[AlwaysRt]

12 hours ago, rainart222 said:

I've run into a dead end trying to survive in the Philippines. I need to get back home but broke. No family or friends to turn to. I checked the embassy site and it States I need to be eligible to receive financial assistance. Does anyone know what the requirements are? 

How old are you? Anything that qualifies as a disability? I was thinking SocSec, SSDI, or SSI

[Gator]

5 hours ago, rainart222 said:

As serious as my situation is your suggestion actually made me laugh. I know it's a serious suggestion it's just that is insanely clever and risky at the same time. I just want to be prepared for any questions that they will ask when I inquire so that I have a best chance of qualifying.. Why would they state financial assistance and eligibility requirements if it doesn't really exist? Thank you for that suggestion 

I wouldn't even consider falsely admitting to a crime - any crime! - and especially one that would brand me as a rapist and a pedophile for the rest of my life. In any event, and this also applies to overstaying your visa and turning yourself in, you'd likely have to be charged in the Phils first, endure a lengthy trial while sitting in jail ( years not months here) and then serve your 20-40 year (if not life) prison sentence before being deported (or sent home in a pine box). 

Having helped inmates in Cebu I do have some experience in trying to obtain assistance for them, and in a couple of cases for their families, from various embassies. To date, I know of no circumstances where the US Embassy has assisted anyone to get home (except for one who was deported and then tried in the USA for sex crimes committed while abroad). The only assistance they might provide is giving you a small amount of aid to buy some food or a small loan.

What embassies say and what they actually do is entirely different. 

You'd likely have more success finding help with a charitable or religious group. 

Edited December 21, 2016 by Gator
Spellication

[Jack Peterson]

In Reality, I don't think any of us Understand just how difficult it is to get Deported from the PI, There are 00's? waiting for the order of Deportation and I for one, would not wish to spend any time in a PI prison waiting for the Order to be implemented 

[jpbago]

15 hours ago, Jack Peterson said:

In Reality, I don't think any of us Understand just how difficult it is to get Deported from the PI, There are 00's? waiting for the order of Deportation and I for one, would not wish to spend any time in a PI prison waiting for the Order to be implemented 

For deportation, they don't put you in Bilibid, they have a different place for the deportees. It wouldn't be too bad if you could speak Mandarin and like to gamble. I believe that there are 1,600 Chinese from Pampanga awaiting deportation unless some got the get out of jail free card from JL. They were arrested for being in PI illegally and for illegal online gambling.

[Jack Peterson]

2 minutes ago, jpbago said:

For deportation, they don't put you in Bilibid, they have a different place for the deportees.

Still wouldn't want to be there or any Prison (Holding Place) 

[scott h]

Ladies and Gents: After hitting myself up the side of my head, I decided just to send an email to my brother who is a consular officer with the United States Department of State. He is currently assigned in Washington DC, but has served at US embassies in Nigeria, Argentina, Afghanistan, El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama. After editing out Family greetings and stuff I will insert his reply to me.

Don't attribute this to me, but there is a policy, but we don't really advertise it- for obvious reasons.  Any AMCIT can walk into any Embassy and seek help at the American Citizen Unit (ACS) - the Officer will first "help" the person to find a way to solve their problem- help them contact a relative that can send money, help them get a cash advance on their credit card, that sort of thing- If the AMCIT has no funds or friends/family the Officer will then "help" them to try again and think harder on someone (anyone not the USG) who may be willing to pay their way back to the U.S. or send them money to support them.  If this does not work, the Officer will "help" them think even harder, and will facilitate/encourage them to contact that estranged family member or ex-wife who has written them off.  This process will continue until the officer (and probably their boss the AMCIT never sees) is convinced that this AMCIT is actually destitute and has nobody  in the world that will help, at that point they will provide a loan to purchase a one-way ticket back to the U.S., a single use passport if needed, and if I remember correctly a very small amount of cash to settle bills.  This is a loan, and in addition to other strings the  person will not be able to obtain a new passport until it is repaid.  The Department REALLY does not like to make these loans, so it is by design not an easy or painless process- and I bet in a place like Manila they see a number of these folks and are practiced at "helping" folks find other funding.     The reason most think it is "tough luck" is that the Officer will not even mention the loan option early on because they don't want the person to know it is even an option.  In the vast majority of the cases some other source of funds is found to return the person to the U.S.

Folks, please note the second to last sentence. If you have worked for the US government as I have, it makes perfect sense. Hope this answers the question somewhat.
 

Jolly, you think I should start a new topic in an FAQ section or something?

[intrepid]

14 hours ago, scott h said:

Ladies and Gents: After hitting myself up the side of my head, I decided just to send an email to my brother who is a consular officer with the United States Department of State. He is currently assigned in Washington DC, but has served at US embassies in Nigeria, Argentina, Afghanistan, El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama. After editing out Family greetings and stuff I will insert his reply to me.

Don't attribute this to me, but there is a policy, but we don't really advertise it- for obvious reasons.  Any AMCIT can walk into any Embassy and seek help at the American Citizen Unit (ACS) - the Officer will first "help" the person to find a way to solve their problem- help them contact a relative that can send money, help them get a cash advance on their credit card, that sort of thing- If the AMCIT has no funds or friends/family the Officer will then "help" them to try again and think harder on someone (anyone not the USG) who may be willing to pay their way back to the U.S. or send them money to support them.  If this does not work, the Officer will "help" them think even harder, and will facilitate/encourage them to contact that estranged family member or ex-wife who has written them off.  This process will continue until the officer (and probably their boss the AMCIT never sees) is convinced that this AMCIT is actually destitute and has nobody  in the world that will help, at that point they will provide a loan to purchase a one-way ticket back to the U.S., a single use passport if needed, and if I remember correctly a very small amount of cash to settle bills.  This is a loan, and in addition to other strings the  person will not be able to obtain a new passport until it is repaid.  The Department REALLY does not like to make these loans, so it is by design not an easy or painless process- and I bet in a place like Manila they see a number of these folks and are practiced at "helping" folks find other funding.     The reason most think it is "tough luck" is that the Officer will not even mention the loan option early on because they don't want the person to know it is even an option.  In the vast majority of the cases some other source of funds is found to return the person to the U.S.

Folks, please note the second to last sentence. If you have worked for the US government as I have, it makes perfect sense. Hope this answers the question somewhat.
 

Jolly, you think I should start a new topic in an FAQ section or something?

Thanks Scott. Some really good information here.  Thanks for sharing.  Although I did not know this, I always suspected this would be the process.  I would also think that many to most other countries would have a similar policy. I hope most members can read this and have for future purposes because sooner or later we are bound to run into someone here needing this information. Thanks again Scott. 

[russellmania]

I hope some of these guys that are planning to throw in the towel and sell off everything and make a go of it in the Philippines ,have read this thread. The first thing I learned from the expats was to ALWAYS have an exit strategy! No truer words has ever been spoken!

Edited January 4, 2017 by russellmania

[Rain44]

On 12/21/2016 at 4:09 PM, AlwaysRt said:

How old are you? Anything that qualifies as a disability? I was thinking SocSec, SSDI, or SSI

I'm 43 yrs old. No disability. I tried to look into that too. Nothing turns up