9a Extension Costs as of February 14

[Heeb]

Prices have gone up. I was on a 9a visa for just shy of 6 months and I maybe it was 3k average for 2 months extensions, I think I paid 4k the first time maybe because of the ACR. If I wanted a 6 month extension I had to travel to Manila because  the local BI couldn't do it.

[Mike J]

10 hours ago, BrettGC said:

I was told no card anymore, just a similar endorsement in your passport.  I specifically asked if I would need to bring in photos for my extension and was told no.  I'lll be taking some anyway.

Interesting.  The BOI website has fees listed which basically match what you posted and those fees include $50 (2500 peso at current rates) for an ACR card.  But I suppose the web site info could be out of date.  Who knows anymore what the rules and fees are supposed to be. 

https://immigration.gov.ph/visa-requirements/non-immigrant-visa/temporary-visitor-visa/extension-of-authorized-stay-beyond-59-days

[Dave Hounddriver]

16 minutes ago, Mike J said:

those fees include $50 (2500 peso at current rates) for an ACR card

It could be semantics.  Like an express fee that does not speed things up, a fee for a card that does not get you a card.

[GeoffH]

3 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Like an express fee that does not speed things up

Unless things have changed over the last 2 years (which is possible) then the express fee did speed things up at CDO. 

They have 2 sets of benches, if you pay express then you get to go sit on the express bench (which has few or sometimes no people on it) if not then you sit on the normal bench and move along as people are served.  So you got to the window a fair bit quicker from the express bench (which got priority to the window).

Then if you had paid express you could wait a short while (under 1 hour) and get your passport back with the extension in it, if not then you came back a few days later.

For us the express fee was worth it, because other wise we had to do another 1 hour drive to downtown CDO, pay for parking and fuel and most times ended up buying some lunch.

Edited February 15, 2022 by GeoffH

[Dave Hounddriver]

4 hours ago, GeoffH said:

Unless things have changed over the last 2 years

Ah no . . it was before that.  At the Dumaguete BI in days past,  anyone could renew their visa overnight.  Then there was a lot of noise about the express fee.  The solution was to let those who pay the express fee get their visa overnight and make the rest wait a week.  No rhyme or reason why the week long wait except to justify that fee.

[graham59]

So extension price has approximately doubled ... over say, last year's ? 

 

[hk blues]

10 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

It could be semantics.  Like an express fee that does not speed things up, a fee for a card that does not get you a card.

Yep.  Here in Iloilo, the express fee is compulsory for every transaction with the exception of the Annual Report.  

[Jollygoodfellow]

6 hours ago, graham59 said:

So extension price has approximately doubled ... over say, last year's ? 

 

Will let you know tomorrow. My agent says still waiting for my visa to be released where normally she has done it a few days before so not sure what's going on.

But if the price Brett shown is the new norm then too expensive to stay here in the future.

[Jollygoodfellow]

2 hours ago, hk blues said:

Yep.  Here in Iloilo, the express fee is compulsory for every transaction with the exception of the Annual Report.  

Its compulsory as the BI agents receive the fees as bonuses and overtime. Remember maybe 3 or so years back Duterte removed it so the BI retaliated with slow service and closed for lunch etc.

So they reinstated it to pay the BI for overtime. They won, Duterte lost, we lost.

 

[The Carabao Whisperer]

on 02-feb-2022 i paid 1,830 for 2 months

 

 

 

Edited February 15, 2022 by Old55