Balikbayan Visa Privilege

[sjp52]

both Paul and Lee are well known in this forum and one other. Their contributions and help go far and beyond what the average poster has done. With out these two people there probably wouldn,t be either one of these forums ( of course Tom included ) My hats off to you guys and your little disagreement with each other will be over looked this time but watch out. :angry: now have a :13_4_10[1]: and say your sorry. :36_6_3[1]:

[Mr Lee]

You are welcome Mugs and it is always my pleasure to try to help members, but I am not sure I can answer this with a definite answer. The law from how I read it say "has to be out of the Philippines for a year," and it had been discussed and told to me that meant at least one time, but then there was a discussion a while back that said something different, so hopefully someone else will answer this who has actual knowledge and possibly experience with this. What I have found in the Philippines is that many things are up to the discretion of the official doing them, so yes you might get a bb stamp, and no you might not and if you do not, but if you don't then you can go to the BI and ask to speak to a supervisor as one of the people and a member of this forum that I know did, and then it might be stamped bb as it was for him. I guess it is really a matter of interpretation but since you mentioned my name in the post above, I felt that I should at least try to answer, but sorry I know my answer is probably worthlessly vague :13_4_10[1]: yet I had to at least say you are welcome, and thank you for your kind comments both here and in other places.

[sjp52]

From all that I have read the one year away has been eliminated and I would make plans according to that statement myself personally but thats me.

[Mr Lee]

From all that I have read the one year away has been eliminated and I would make plans according to that statement myself personally but thats me.

You are probably correct from all I have read but since my wife and I enter each year and get the BB stamp, but we actually do live outside the country for about 8 months or so a year, so I am not an authority on if someone lives in the country and has never left before, and then leaves for vacation, will they be entitled, so I did not wish to give the wrong answer, since I try hard to only give correct answers that I can back up with links or document, unlike some who just say what is on their mind to see themselves post, while not even having the documents or links to back up their supposed and often made up facts.edit to add, No I am not talking about anyone in this thread and thank you very much for the compliment above. :13_4_10[1]: Edited January 9, 2012 by Mr. Lee

[Mike S]

Please remember that BB stamp is not multi-entrance permit you will not be permited to re-enter on the same stamp but be required to get a visitors visa for thle reminder of the year ...... or so I've been told ....... and happened to a friend of mine ...... his wife was allowed but he wasn't ..... go figure ...... hope I'm not passing scuttle-butt .... but it happened to him and that was the reason they gave him

[Steve & Myrlita]

It sounds to me like whether or not you get the BB stamp rests entirely upon the whims of the BI official and what mood he or she is in.

Edited January 10, 2012 by Steve & Myrlita

[Mike S]

Oppppppps should have posted that they didn't arrive together ...... he came here before she did ..... he was coming back after being gone for only 3 months on a BB stamp ...... I think she has a dual citizenship so maybe she has 2 passports ... is that possible? ..... they were both here together in say June both stayed here for several months then went back to the US ..... he came back in Oct. ...... the one year had not expired yet but no go ..... she came back in Nov. no problemTo much coming and going ..... makes my head hurt ...... :thumbsup:

[Art2ro]

as a new member of this forum who does not know either one of them it appears to me that mr lee was trying to help members with information as he has in many of his posts and mr paul was standing on semantics and trying to disrupt the flow of the forum and thus take away from the actual topic with useless and quite annoying distracting posts. i find that any post made by mr paul beyond the first correction post to be a huge waste of space. i thank mr lee for all the helpful information he has posted all over this forum and i have a question for mr lee or anyone who can answer it. if i marry a lady while there and decide to stay for a while, can we leave to go on a honeymoon to another country and then come back on a balikbayan visa privilege?

Mugs,As not to make this topic anymore confusing than it is, let me point something out with a question. If you got married to a Filipina while in the Philippines, can she qualify as a Balikbayan in accordance with the Republic Act 6768 which defines what a Balikbyan is. Does she fall under any of those 3 categories? One never knows what can happen at these airport immigration counters upon re-entering the Philippines with their Filipina spouse from their honeymoon, because the immigration officials themselves may not know their own policies and procedures and you may just fly under the radar and get a BB stamp and then again, you may not since your wife hasn't been out of the Philippines previously for at least a year! Just my opinion though as I read it! It would work if you brought your Filipina spouse back to the U.S. and after a year or when she gets her Green Card or citizenship after 3 yrs and return to the Philippines for a vacation, you would both be officially "balikbayans", she being your sponsor and you will both get the permit aka the BB Stamp to stay for a year for free! By legal definition, a Balikbayan is:1. A Filipino citizen who has been continuously out of the Philippines for a period of at least 1 year2. A Filipino overseas worker (OFW)3. A former Filipino citizen (a citizen, permanent resident or dual citzen of another country) and his or her foreign or Filipino spouse and their children, who had been naturalized in a foreign country and comes or returns to the Philippines.

[MikeB]

if i marry a lady while there and decide to stay for a while, can we leave to go on a honeymoon to another country and then come back on a balikbayan visa privilege?

I have been researching this myself because it will pertain to me in the near future and I agree with what Art and Steve have said. Although (according to the statutes) this situation should not qualify, I have read many accounts of people getting the stamp after just a day out of country. The luck of whomever you get at the window seems to play a big part and it doesn't hurt to smile and be polite. I have read stories of people traveling together as tourists, one gets a 21 day stamp, the other a 59; no rhyme or reason so it's definitely worth a shot if you're married. The continual renewals are a pretty big drain and pia, especially if you don't live near a BI office.