BI to go after overstayers

[OnMyWay]

On 5/10/2023 at 3:10 AM, Joey G said:

FIVE illegal aliens ?!?!?!?!?!  Oh to be an island with no land borders...

If BI does a good job, maybe the U.S. can outsource to them to nab the millions of illegal aliens in the U.S.  They can work remotely.

Edited May 11, 2023 by OnMyWay

[JJReyes]

This is another example of government headline grabbing.  Press announcements are made, and the media is invited to join agents on a few raids and arrests.  After a few weeks, everything dies down and forgotten.  The local expression is "lingas cogon" or how dry wild grass catches fire and very quickly dies out.  About 3 months from now, search information about additional arrests as part of the same sustained campaign.  

[Snowy79]

I currently know of one guy who has been in court over trumped up charges from his ex partner, even spending two nights under arrrest, once in a kubo outside the police station and once inside a prison. 

All charges were thrown out after a good 5 court appearances and he is well over one year as an overstayer, has zero money to his name as his partner cleared his bank account out before going into hiding. The court held his passport but returned it to him last month. He has no pension as too young and no money, just living on handouts from mainly Filipinos. No one was interested in his overstay.

[RBM]

12 hours ago, Snowy79 said:

I currently know of one guy who has been in court over trumped up charges from his ex partner, even spending two nights under arrrest, once in a kubo outside the police station and once inside a prison. 

All charges were thrown out after a good 5 court appearances and he is well over one year as an overstayer, has zero money to his name as his partner cleared his bank account out before going into hiding. The court held his passport but returned it to him last month. He has no pension as too young and no money, just living on handouts from mainly Filipinos. No one was interested in his overstay.

Yes I know of similar cases, in fact there are several people not far from myself here in Bacolod whom have over stayed many years. Nobody is interested in checking, guess it works if one runs into no strife and is happy to stay put.

Friend here had his passport taken by the hospital as unable to pay his bill in full. Being unable to update his visa he is now several years behind. The US embassy had zero interest in the case which surprised me, after all the passport belongs to the US not him.

[scott h]

9 minutes ago, RBM said:

Nobody is interested in checking, guess it works if one runs into no strife and is happy to stay put.

There is a viral video on U tube right now by a do gooder phil vlogger right now that my wife is following with a passion (that I dont understand) about a 70ish Amerikan whos phil wife left him, his passport and visa are both expired and his SSI has either stopped or being intercepted by the wife. From what I have seen he is ill and not all mentally there. He is living on donations from do gooders. If the BOI wanted to they could easily find and deport this guy but like you say he is really not harming anyone.

15 minutes ago, RBM said:

The US embassy had zero interest in the case which surprised me,

My brother works for the US state department as an embassy official (usually in Latin America). The USA attitude about citizens abroad is "your on your own!" Rarely will they give financial or legal assistance to citizens in trouble abroad. Unless your a Gay, female, minority basketball player and the media gets a hold of it, they will just visit you in jail and make sure your not being tortured and are being fed.   

[OnMyWay]

2 hours ago, scott h said:

There is a viral video on U tube right now by a do gooder phil vlogger right now that my wife is following with a passion (that I dont understand) about a 70ish Amerikan whos phil wife left him, his passport and visa are both expired and his SSI has either stopped or being intercepted by the wife. From what I have seen he is ill and not all mentally there. He is living on donations from do gooders. If the BOI wanted to they could easily find and deport this guy but like you say he is really not harming anyone.

My brother works for the US state department as an embassy official (usually in Latin America). The USA attitude about citizens abroad is "your on your own!" Rarely will they give financial or legal assistance to citizens in trouble abroad. Unless your a Gay, female, minority basketball player and the media gets a hold of it, they will just visit you in jail and make sure your not being tortured and are being fed.   

Was it here on the forum I saw an interview with a senior U.S. Embassy official who explained what they could do??  I will try to find it.  They will loan you the money to get home but you are supposed to pay it back,

Now I remember.  It was that vlogger guy everyone knows.  Not sure it I would be allowed to post.  It is good info.  The embassy asked him to be a liaison.

[scott h]

28 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

They will loan you the money to get home

Yep, that is what my brother said, but they will make you jump through hoops like you can't believe before they shell out. They usually interrogate you to the ninth degree about any family, friends, ex friends, classmates, co-workers, anybody or any organization imaginable where you might borrow the money, before they will buy you an economy class ticket back to the states, they don't hand over the cash.

Now this is what my brother says.....but then again, he BLAMED me for the bicycle tire tracks in our mom's flower bed....have not trusted the little worm since.

[Mike J]

19 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Was it here on the forum I saw an interview with a senior U.S. Embassy official who explained what they could do??  I will try to find it.  They will loan you the money to get home but you are supposed to pay it back,

Now I remember.  It was that vlogger guy everyone knows.  Not sure it I would be allowed to post.  It is good info.  The embassy asked him to be a liaison.

As @scott h mentioned they make sure you have no means of getting assistance from family or friends.  As a last resort they will get you home.

<snip>Destitute U.S. citizens may be eligible for a loan from the U.S. government to travel to the United States. Repatriation loans must eventually be paid back to the U.S. government. Your U.S. passports will be limited at the time the loan is issued and in most cases you will not be issued a new passport until the loan is paid in full. Contact us for more information.<end snip>

Source = https://ph.usembassy.gov/services/#financialassistance

[RBM]

Nice info here from members, wondering how the US Embassy does not take action when an establishment, like a hospital takes possession of a US passport until debt is paid. After all its their property.

[Joe LP]

I overstayed once.  I was upfront with the BI and they okayed it and everything.  Still, they did NOT forgive any fees that overstaying forced.  

I was coming back from Tawain and flew into Cebu City.  Been there scores of times, and this one time got lazy and wasn't on my toes and my passport got stolen.  I realized it that night when I returned to my hotel room.  My ACR I-Card was still legit, but immigration didn't care.  They told me not to worry about it as I went right to my local BI office(about 90 minutes from my home) and talked to them about it.  The boss passed it off with a "oh well attitude".  So, I'm thinking all good.  Ran back down to Cebu City, hit the US Consulate, ordered a new Passport.  Got it about 45 days later.  Went back to the BI office, and was hit with late fees and other fees that sorta floored me.  I was in the back of my mind hoping they'd wave at least some of them as I was on the up and up and was very upfront with them.  Nope.  Had to pay every single one and they were not cheap.  

Someone else stated on here, if you struggle to pay your BI fees, you probably shouldn't be here.  I agree with that.  At the same time, do your best to always get to the BI on time.  The only time was was not charged, and I was only a day late, was no long after I got here.  The local BI office just went online.  I showed up a couple days early(as usual for me) and the system was down, they could not process me.  Went the next day, then the due day...system still down.  The boss in the office promised not to charge me and held true to her word.  When I went in the day after my due day she ran it through, took care of the extension with no late fees.  After that I started showing up a week early every time.