Immigration woes, I dont want to play anymore

[JJReyes]

1 hour ago, Kingpin said:

SRRV you deal with the PRA, not BI

Technically, the SRRV recommends, but it is the Bureau of Immigration who has final approval and issues the visa.  At one time there was an issue regarding fee sharing.  It appears to have been resolved.  BI officers are now recommending the SRRV for foreigners interested in long stay rather than the maximum three years and going overseas before returning for an additional three years.

[Kingpin]

On 12/18/2022 at 9:07 AM, Colsie said:

I guess if you're a single guy coming into the country, if you start getting harassed you'll just go Thailand or somewhere else and no doubt they know this and know they have no leverage as you have no commitments here.

If you're a single 9a with no commitments, they don't even want you here after a few years. Evidence is all the expats who get hassled and need to prove they have a commitment to enter the country.

 

59 minutes ago, JJReyes said:

 it is the Bureau of Immigration who has final approval and issues the visa.

And then you never have to deal with BI again, easy solution. 13a is of course just as easy, and cheaper.

 

59 minutes ago, JJReyes said:

The goal is to make it easier for foreigners.

If that's the goal it would be a historic first

Edited December 19, 2022 by Kingpin

[JJReyes]

55 minutes ago, Kingpin said:

1 hour ago, JJReyes said:

The goal is to make it easier for foreigners.

If that's the goal it would be a historic first

That's the stated goal by a high-ranking official appointed under the new administration.  The reality could be different.  Bureaucrat mindset is difficult to change.

The Philippines is a service-based economy.   Prime examples include BPOs and OFWs.  Another is tourism whether short term visitor or long stay.  So long as these visitors bring money from overseas and don't compete with the local labor market, why not make entry and stay much easier.  

[Kingpin]

10 hours ago, JJReyes said:

why not make entry and stay much easier.  

 Why haven't they made entry and stay easier for 'long term tourists' before? If anything it's gotten worse, 12 month stay shortened to 6 months, shortened to only 3 months, airport drama, etc. The answer is stated many times in this thread; the longer you stay on 9a, the more they 'encourage' you to become a permanent resident.

[JJReyes]

3 hours ago, Kingpin said:

14 hours ago, JJReyes said:

why not make entry and stay much easier.  

 Why haven't they made entry and stay easier for 'long term tourists' before? If anything it's gotten worse, 12 month stay shortened to 6 months, shortened to only 3 months, airport drama, etc. The answer is stated many times in this thread; the longer you stay on 9a, the more they 'encourage' you to become a permanent resident.

There are an estimated 10,000 Americans retiring every single day.  That's every single day!  Add to that number Canadians, Australians, Brits, Europeans, Japanese, etc. and you have a potential, incredible "export" market.  The retiree expats can make a significant financial contribution to the Philippine economy.  The government know this, and the response is encouraging, including the SRRV program.  The Bureau of Immigrations policy is actually very liberal.  It allows free entry for visitors from most countries and, thereafter, fee-based renewals for three years.  Thereafter, another three years simply by going to a nearby country and sometimes returning on the same day.

Compare the situation to Filipinos wanting to visit the United States, Australia, Canada and the Schengen countries.  They face delays, regulatory requirements like prepaid insurance and payment of large fees.  They need to prove sufficient funds and close ties to their country. 

In my opinion, entry and stay in the Philippines is already easy.  Of course, those desiring a longer stay like 6, 9 or 12 years would like to make it even easier.

[Dave Hounddriver]

4 hours ago, Kingpin said:

The answer is stated many times in this thread; the longer you stay on 9a, the more they 'encourage' you to become a permanent resident.

Permanent resident?  Like on a 13a?  Now there's a laugh for ya.  I have stayed in Philippines on a 9a for longer than ANY of my "permanent" marriages have lasted in my lifetime and also I am not retired in the Philippines so an SRRV would be a costly mistake..  Your arguments give me a chuckle though.

[RBM]

1 hour ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Permanent resident?  Like on a 13a?  Now there's a laugh for ya.  I have stayed in Philippines on a 9a for longer than ANY of my "permanent" marriages have lasted in my lifetime and also I am not retired in the Philippines so an SRRV would be a costly mistake..  Your arguments give me a chuckle though.

Well I guess that would depend. Take for example a single guy on a 9a, he has been coming and going for years, won"t or unable to get the SRRV. He owns a condo and probably a car, suddenly he meets a rather disgruntled BI man at airport, visa refused......In this hypothetical situation a SRRV would definitely be cheaper. 

[Snowy79]

4 hours ago, RBM said:

Well I guess that would depend. Take for example a single guy on a 9a, he has been coming and going for years, won"t or unable to get the SRRV. He owns a condo and probably a car, suddenly he meets a rather disgruntled BI man at airport, visa refused......In this hypothetical situation a SRRV would definitely be cheaper. 

That's pretty much my thinking also.  How many people when they shoot off for a visa run pack all their things up and sort out their banks, cable, phones etc just incase they get knocked back at customs?  It could be a very expensive lesson and I'd hazzard a guess if there's a girlfriend in the equation and she knows you're not getting back your things will become her things.

[Dave Hounddriver]

5 hours ago, RBM said:

Well I guess that would depend. Take for example a single guy on a 9a, he has been coming and going for years, won"t or unable to get the SRRV. He owns a condo and probably a car, suddenly he meets a rather disgruntled BI man at airport, visa refused......In this hypothetical situation a SRRV would definitely be cheaper. 

In that same hypothetical situation, the guy on the SRRV would have been locked out of the Philippines from 2020 to when?  Of course that does not happen all the time, but meeting a disgruntled BI man at airport does not happen all the time either.  Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances.

[Kingpin]

7 hours ago, JJReyes said:

another three years simply by going to a nearby country and sometimes returning on the same day.

Again, that's the part that is being actively discouraged by BI agents. More so the more you do it, that's the subject of this thread.

 

7 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Permanent resident?  Like on a 13a?  Now there's a laugh for ya.  I have stayed in Philippines on a 9a for longer than ANY of my "permanent" marriages have lasted in my lifetime and also I am not retired in the Philippines so an SRRV would be a costly mistake.. 

Not sure how effective that will be with a BI agent, try it though and report back. 

Or maybe not because said you're not retired but you can't work on a 9a.