Tourist Extension Update

[Onemore52]

2 hours ago, Greglm said:

I just wonder why they no longer stamp your passport when you extend your visa. I extended for two years at 90 intervals [because that's all they'd give me] and they stamped my passport each time. When my daughter and wife asked why they don't stamp the passport showing the new expiration date the immigration officer said it was because they gave a receipt. Of course they did that before.

Maybe they're out of ink??

Whatever the reason I am glad of it, the thin passports issued by Australia don’t last that long.

They used to have a thicker one for business travellers but I guess there was no money in them.

[Jollygoodfellow]

2 hours ago, Greglm said:

I just wonder why they no longer stamp your passport when you extend your visa. I extended for two years at 90 intervals [because that's all they'd give me] and they stamped my passport each time. When my daughter and wife asked why they don't stamp the passport showing the new expiration date the immigration officer said it was because they gave a receipt. Of course they did that before.

Maybe they're out of ink??

They have not used ink for years at immigration offices, you used to get a sticker placed in your passport but that stopped maybe 2 years ago too. They used to say out of stickers but I guess realised its cheaper not to do it.

[Jollygoodfellow]

9 minutes ago, Onemore52 said:

Whatever the reason I am glad of it, the thin passports issued by Australia don’t last that long.

Did you apply for a 10 year or 5 year passport? 

[Onemore52]

1 minute ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

Did you apply for a 10 year or 5 year passport? 

10 years but there are only 2 pages left in it, yes I was doing a lot of travel before China proved that they could bring the world to its knees.

Edited July 21, 2022 by Onemore52
Incomplete

[Colsie]

On 7/20/2022 at 4:49 AM, BrettGC said:

Yeah, express fee is mandatory on the 6 month, not so on the 2 month.  

 

That's not true for Tacloban office where I have been getting my 6 month extensions from without the express fee for the last few years 

[BrettGC]

1 minute ago, Colsie said:

That's not true for Tacloban office where I have been getting my 6 month extensions from without the express fee for the last few years 

It's different everywhere I think.  

[Colsie]

3 hours ago, Greglm said:

I just wonder why they no longer stamp your passport when you extend your visa. I extended for two years at 90 intervals [because that's all they'd give me] and they stamped my passport each time. When my daughter and wife asked why they don't stamp the passport showing the new expiration date the immigration officer said it was because they gave a receipt. Of course they did that before.

Maybe they're out of ink??

Maybe stamps where easier to fake or sell... 

[Freebie]

39 minutes ago, Onemore52 said:

10 years but there are only 2 pages left in it, yes I was doing a lot of travel before China proved that they could bring the world to its knees.

Long ago in my working days I had a 10 year UK, standard 48 pages as it was then. Only prob with quite few China work permit/residence pages  plus  several Jakarta trips passport was getting unnecessarily full.  Despite the wonderful  folk in Taipei airport stamping wherever I indicated " can you stamp in that small corner, or maybe over the china stamp.. sure sir no problem "

Anyways one day was in Jakarta airport, leaving, knowing I had just  two pages left and still had some trips to make rendering passport full.

So I removed the Jakarta sticker which was from most recent trip.. after all taking up one page of passport was a 2 day trip was excessive.

And yes yes yes, never mess with a passport , definitely not recommended. etc.....but I lived to tell the tale so no worries.

I then got a little more ambitious and  with help on how to do this from a youtube channel was able to remove two more pages of Indonesian stickers. 

And then had Taipei airport deliberately stamp on the suddenly empty pages.  And then I applied and received a new passport. Funny times before retiring.  And such a pain in the rear to get a new UK passport, and now apparently even worse.

[hk blues]

22 minutes ago, Freebie said:

And such a pain in the rear to get a new UK passport, and now apparently even worse.

It seems there is a temporary issue as folk held off applying for a new passport during Covid and suddenly all applied at once with the resultant chaos at the passport office.

I applied using the online system and it was very, very simple - the only thing I had to send was my expiring passport and hey presto, in about 4 weeks (IIRC) both my old and ew passport arrived via DHL.  As far as I am aware, foreign applications are processed more quickly than from those living in the UK.

10/10 for a change for a government service.

[Colsie]

35 minutes ago, hk blues said:

It seems there is a temporary issue as folk held off applying for a new passport during Covid and suddenly all applied at once with the resultant chaos at the passport office.

I applied using the online system and it was very, very simple - the only thing I had to send was my expiring passport and hey presto, in about 4 weeks (IIRC) both my old and ew passport arrived via DHL.  As far as I am aware, foreign applications are processed more quickly than from those living in the UK.

10/10 for a change for a government service.

Replacing my old expired UK passport under covid was easy even here in the province. Passport photo was a selfie and didn't have to travel into the city to mail it. 

The Australian passport renewal on the other hand was a painful experience as its expected that you can only renew it in Manila...luckily, I eventually got dispensation from travelling to Manila due to covid. 

Edited July 21, 2022 by Colsie