a return flight from philippines to hong kong is going to cost more than the visa ext or visa in advance
i believe the extension can be done at the airport -although not sure where the immigration office is there
If it is NAIA then it is on the left just before the immigration desks, Anthony can go there and ask for an extension before going to the normal immigration booths, cost is about 2600 peso. I did this last Christmas much easier for me than trying to get the correct visa while still in the UK.
I didn't know you could do that. Certainly the simplest and cheapest way to do it. The normal cost of visa extension is 3030 Pesos and a bit more than that in the UK if you did it by post. It also gives anthony the option of trying to blag a free balikbayan stamp first. I wonder if the satellite office at NAIA is manned all the time?
It is open quite late, not 24 hours though, the actual times are on here somewhere Micawber mentioned them some time back, I've mentioned this route before as have some others but we have a lot of posting these days so I guess some stuff can get missed I also tried blagging once at the ordinary immigration desk on the basis that my previous entry stamp was marked BB the officer was polite but was having none of it probably not wise to ask, the rule is for returning Filipino ex-pats (those who have lost Filipino citizenship) and spouses of Filipino nationals and spouses of ex Filipino nationals . I actually got my first BB stamp in error as Ana and I are not married I dare say I could have got into trouble if questioned elsewhere for any reason. We should also correct the assumption that it is a "Balikbayan Visa" there is no such thing, it is a privilege not a Visa, the privilege allows the right to remain for 12 months without all the usual Visa palaver and fees apart from that it is more akin to the old 21 now 30 day visa waiver.
For me I used to go to London to the Embassy to get my Visas very expensive process, plus documentary requirements when applying here are quite stringent, the on arrival thing is much better just turn up and pay the fee no questions asked, unless I guess one looks like a right reprobate
You are right, it is not a visa. You cannot go to the embassy and get the same privilege. You can only request the privilege upon arrival in the country. But I think the Balikbayan stamp is the same as a visa stamp now, except they mark the stamp with the letters 'BB'' rather than indicating the length of stay in days. As you probably know I have never actually needed a visa but if I do retire to to the Philippines then, if married, the Balikbayan privilege is one way of doing that. The problem comes if you become incapacitated with age and cannot make a return trip each year with your wife. To go the normal retirement route you have to be medically and physically fit. There is an option to retire to Philippines if you are not, but you have to have a greater income which I could not meet.
The stamps are the same, the difference is only legal, one is a Visa the other is not. The normal way to stay in the Phils for most folk was to do the regular renewal every couple of months (possibly easier with the new 6 month extension) do that up to the legal limits then fly to Hong Kong for the weekend and return, Hong Kong being the closest and sometimes cheapest ticket, once back the whole process starts again, think of it as tax (and a pain in the backside) as essentally that is what it is. The other option is move there get the initial visa give them an address, then move and live a quiet life, you might just get away with that however you would always be on tenterhooks and that would not be fun. Saying that I have never once in about 500 days of living there over the last nine years been challenged to show ID, it all depends where you go when you go and what you do, most people would probably be fine most of the time even off grid.
Thank you Oss for making things clearer....! sorry to all out there it was I who called it a visa and as its been pointed out its a privilege and not a visa. you can see from my post that I've not been here for sometime my wife and I are in how late 50's and like Howerd said its the greater income thing that's stopping us being together, waiting for my pension but the gov keep adding on years, and my health isn't that good at the moment and may not get to see the dam pension, it may well better to wait and see if one win's the lotto....!. thank you all for your reply's this one...anthony.
Actually technically when I think about it I'm wrong when I said that, the entry stamps are the same however neither is a visa unless an actual visa has been previously applied for and is affixed to your passport, the BB entry stamp and the 21 day (now 30 day) stamp are really two different forms of a visa waiver.
In order to be admitted under the Balikbayan Privilege, your wife must physically enter the country with you, present acopy of the Marriage Certificate and it is she - not you - who requests the BB Privilege. Without a 9a Vistors Visa, you will now be admitted for an initial period of 30 days and if you want to stay longer, you can buy an Extension at the airport - simply mention this to the Immigration Officer who stamps your Passport and he will direct you to the airport office.
Howard.. The best way to retire here (if married to a Filipino) is with a 13a visa. Once you have this visa you only need report once a year to B.I and pay P310.00. Your Residence card must be renewed every 5 years. I have never heard of anyone failing a medical or being refused this visa.
Don't forget the criminal records check and proof of assets/income which are now required for 13a Visas.
Once again, Markam's insight, has hit the nail on the head. 13A visa route may not be open to me because of the criminal record checks. Unfortunately, my forays into uncovering fraudsters has lead to my own conviction for harassment. I would pass the basic CRB check since any conviction has long been spent, but I am not sure if the Philippines authorities would require a full CRB check, which would fail. With a Balikbayan privilege there are no such checks but problems would arise should incapacity mean that I am unable to renew the Balikbayan Privilege each year. The SRRV route also requires criminal record checks and provable income and the requirement to make a deposit of $10,000 in an approved bank which I can meet. But I am disabled and cannot meet the higher income requirements for the disabled SRRV. So, the choice is between 13A visa (if Philippine authorities accept basic CRB check) or the Balikbayan privilege. And that is assuming my now ex-fiancee ever managed to get an annulment! I cannot go the disabled SRRV route if she does not get an annulment because of the income requirements and if we lived together unmarried her husband would surely get me arrested anyway.
Or you could do what everyone else does (at least at this point in time might change in future) you go, you pay for the visa's and when your allowed time is up (over a year just now) you take a trip to Hong Kong or anywhere cheap even if only for the day then start the whole process over again. More expensive but currently a process that works.
Slightly off topic but such a terrible state of affairs for someone like your ex (and you). My wife's sister is in a similar position. She is a lovely young woman too.
The ACPO Police Check is all that is required here and that does not include spent convictions so you would be fine.
