Travel on US passports for family?

[OnMyWay]

3 minutes ago, jkeenan213 said:

OnMyWay, that makes sense...present both passports.  We are not going anywhere soon, and I think we are good while here, I am concerned about their (wife and kids) status should we want to go back to the US to visit.  And FYI...and we have confirmed this both in the US and here:  Because we registered the kids' births at the embassy in the US (a formal process), they are indeed automatically afforded PI citizenship by the de sanguinis rule (and by nature of their US birth certificates, dual citizenship there).  As a matter of fact, the NSO has a record of their birth in their database and we can/will be having PI birth certificates issued for them, it's just a form (and a fee of course).  It's actually easier to get a BC for a foreign born Filipino (if you registered the birth) than for a native born in the provinces where recordkeeping is a bit sketchy.

I don't know where you are doing it, but my 13a process at the Cebu district office was excellent.  Not the nightmare I hear about at all.  Smiling, efficient, helpful.  Yes you have to wait a bit, yes you have to go to five "windows", yes there are fees (about 11K).  But pretty painless.  The ACR-I card, across the hall in the "annex" office...not so much and pretty chaotic.  Had my interview 5 days from first application, now 30-60 days (they say).  I've extended my Balikbayan with a tourist visa to April 2, if I have to do so again, so be it.

Ah, OK, I'm not familiar with "de sanquinis" so it sounds like you got everything done for the kids back in the states.

What about you?  Are you overstayed?  Tomorrow we are going to ask if their is any way to avoid paying for another month of tourist.  Like you, I paid a bit over 11k to file for the 13a.  On their website, I think it says you should allow 20 days but I think my estimated completion date is well over 30 days since I filed.

Filing for the 13a was not so pleasant at the Main BI, mainly because it was jam packed that day.  I have been meaning to do a write up on that visit but have not done so yet.

 

[jkeenan213]

There are two "birthright" citizenship principles...jus sanguinis means "rule of blood" or you are a citizen if born to a national regardless of where.  The other is "jus soli" (rule of soil), making the child a national where born regardless of parent's nationality.  Some countries are based on a bit of both, but a child born to a Filipino parent is a Filipino regardless of the place of birth.  Registering the birth abroad at an embassy is a lot less hassle and cheaper than doing it once here.  Embassies/consulates recognize birth certificates in the country that they operate, here you may need to have a foreign BC "authenticated and certified".

As for me, I'm good.  I knew this process was a bit lengthy, so extended 60 days via TVV - Tourist visa.  My own fault, I should have started at 6 months before my Balikbayan expired but we have been busy.  I can do so again if necessary but it gets expensive (I think the second extension is like P6K).  20 days...I would be surprised.  Once you do your interview and biometrics (for the ACR-I card, fingerprints and pics), they will give you a phone number and website url.  I was told 30-60 days before you should even call or check the website.  Now, then again, I am doing mine in Cebu City.  I know it goes to Manila, and in talking with the ACO, the courier in between is only once weekly.  Perhaps that is the added time.  If it goes longer, I believe your best option is to extend the TVV.  It's possible you could get a waiver, but very doubtful as you have other options (for which they get a fee, you can't blame them).

The clock stops ticking on the approval date of your 13a, you do not have to have it in hand, but you do have to appear within 60 days of the approval date to claim it.  Finally, do not leave PI until you have it in your passport.  Doing so changes your status, your entry (or re-entry) date, and so your valid stay date.  That invalidates your 13a application and it's back to square one...and another P11K.  So if you're thinking Balikbayan to extend (which I doubt if cost is an issue)...not a good idea.  Good luck!

My concern is not with our status here, but how my wife/kids exit and entry both here and there are handled should we decide to travel as a family.  Being from the US, our new president there isn't making me feel all warm and fuzzy about "bopping" back and forth.

[KC813]

There is a lot of good information in this thread.  Of course, different personal circumstances will sometimes lead to different answers.

For example, children born abroad to a Filipino citizen (father or mother) are considered ‘natural-born’ citizens.  If the Filipino parent lost their Philippine citizenship before the child was born, but then re-acquired Filipino citizenship before the child reaches 18, the child is a Philippine citizen.

There used to be a lot of different passport combinations people used to enter and leave different countries, and most of the time it did not make much difference as long as the US citizen used the US passport when entering the US. 

This has changed in recent years (at least ‘recent’ to me!) so now it is important to match the passport info on the airline ticket with the passport to be used when entering the US.  Recall that all the behind-the-scenes security checks are performed pre-arrival based on the passenger manifest and identifier data provided by the airline.   Boarding with one passport and entering with another may lead to some additional questions upon entry.

Also, I wonder if there have been some technological improvements the last couple of years in the Philippine entry/exit data records.  Twice at entry I’ve had them swipe my passport, then ask if my wife was traveling with me, and once the officer politely engaged me in a conversation about one of my two-day trips that happened years ago on a different (now expired) passport!

[jkeenan213]

21 minutes ago, KC813 said:

Of course, different personal circumstances will sometimes lead to different answers.

So true.  One thing I have learned, there is little consistency on this side of the pond.  So in addition to "personal circumstances" I would expand the above to include the knowledge/training/mood of the official you are sitting in front of.  Hehehe.  I have found that a smile, being pleasant and showing respect go a long way here.

[OnMyWay]

On 2/7/2017 at 5:18 PM, OnMyWay said:

Tomorrow we are going to ask if their is any way to avoid paying for another month of tourist.

I didn't get a chance to ask anyone about this nor did I know who to ask.  It was a whirlwind trip and I was just glad to get out of there quickly.  I'm going to assume I have to extend if my 13a is not ready on time.  It says estimated date March 15 on my 13A OR and my tourist visa expires on the 5th.  I will check the website everyday and hope to get lucky.

Our 13a interview visit today was quick, thanks again to our kids, despite another jamb packed day at main BI.  We reported to room 424 as instructed and they directed us to the attorney in another room, where there was a waiting list on the outside wall.  There seemed to be 1 or 2 ahead of us, but as soon as the two young ladies inside saw the kids, they were all over us.  One grabbed the baby and took her to see some people in adjoining offices.  Leila was in a good mood and enjoyed it.  Katy, the older terrorist toddler, managed to find a stamping ink pad withing 1 minute of entering the lawyer's office, and had a few blue fingers.  The lawyer asked me some simple questions and scolded my wife for jumping in.  Then he had us sign a paper and head off to bio-metrics.

There was a waiting list for the bio-metrics and I had to get a number.  They were serving 57 and I was 70.  Only 1 window for this.  At a gap, and carrying the baby, I asked the lady if I could get priority because we had two small children with us.  She looked puzzled and said, you are 70.  I explained again and she asked her co-worker, who said to squeeze me in.  So I waited for the next 2 people (they were together) and then she waved me up.  She did the work quickly.  I thanked her, and boom, we were outa there.

I know, I suck.  At least to the people who should have been in front of me.  They did not seem too perturbed.

 

[jkeenan213]

HAHAHA.  Yes, you suck.  Imagine using your own children like that, you should be ashamed.  Hehehe.

But on the other hand...my experience here is that the concept of "a line" or "waiting on queue" escapes a lot of foreigners (and Filipinos alike) that have no legitimate or compelling reason to place themselves ahead of the rest of us.  So have at it.