What is Immigration?

Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens.

The Bureau of Immigration is the immigration regulatory and control body of the Philippines. It was established by the Philippine Immigration Act in 1940, although a predecessor agency had existed as part of the Bureau of Customs since 1899.

Immigrant Visas

Foreign nationals who wish to settle in the Philippines may consider applying for an immigrant visa. These types of visa are granted to non-citizens whose country grants permanent residence and immigration privileges to Filipinos.

13(a) Non-Quota Immigrant Visa by Marriage

The 13(a) Non-Quota Visa is issued to foreign nationals who have contracted a valid marriage, recognized by Philippine laws, with a Filipino citizen. The petitioner of the visa should be the Filipino spouse. While waiting for the visa approval, the Applicant can stay in the Philippines under a tourist visa and extend the status as applicable.

This visa will allow the Applicant to stay in the Philippines indefinitely provided the conditions of the visa are maintained, i.e. a valid marriage with a Filipino citizen, among others.

The process usually takes 2 to 3 months from complete submission of the documentary requirements. If application is approved, the Applicant will initially be given a 1-year probationary status after which, the same will be re-evaluated to determine if the Applicant is qualified for conversion to permanent resident status. The 13(a) visa holders are exempt from securing an alien employment permit.

While the 13(a) visa is being processed, a Special Work Permit (SWP) is advisable if engaged in local employment. SWPs are valid for 3 months and renewable for another 3 months. Continuous physical presence in the Philippines is recommended during the visa processing period to avoid the need for re-validation.

Temporary Resident Visa (TRV)

The Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) is given to foreign nationals whose country does not have an existing reciprocity agreement in the Philippines but have contracted a valid marriage, recognized by Philippine laws, with a Filipino citizen.

This visa allows the Applicant to stay in the Philippines for five (5) years provided the conditions of the visa are maintained, i.e. a valid marriage with a Filipino citizen, among others. The visa can then be extended as needed.

Pursuant to Immigration Administrative Order No. SBM-2014-006, the passports of applicants are required to be surrendered to the Bureau while the application is ongoing and shall be returned to the applicant via courier service delivery upon proper disposition of the same. Any request for pull-out of a required document (e.g. passport, birth/marriage certificate) while the application is still ongoing shall be deemed an act of abandonment of the existing application. Moreover, the application shall be dismissed and all payments made with reference to the application shall not be subject to refund.

The process usually takes 1 to 2 months from complete submission of the documentary requirements. TRV holders are exempt from securing an alien employment permit should they wish to be employed in the Philippines. However, while the TRV is being processed, a Special Work Permit (SWP) is advisable if locally employed. SWPs are valid for 3 months and renewable for another 3 months.

Continuous physical presence in the Philippines is recommended during the visa processing period to avoid the need for re-validation.

Special Resident Visa for the Philippines

Special Resident Visas are issued to foreign nationals who are coming to the Philippines for indefinite stay or permanent living whether for work, employment generation, investment or retirement purposes. Classifications of the resident visa may vary from investment conditions and types of retirement.

Special Investor's Resident Visa (SIRV)

Special Visa for Employment Generation (SVEG)

Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV)

The Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV) entitles the holder to reside during his lifetime in the Philippines, permitting multiple entry privileges, so long as the requirements of the visa remain in the Philippines. The SRRV is issued by the Bureau of Immigration upon endorsement of the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA).

The SRRV program of the PRA requires the foreign national to have a certain amount of deposit in any PRA-accredited bank in the Philippines. The amount has to be deposited via inward remittance.

An inward remittance implies a money transfer into your account was made, i.e. your account got credited. Whether this was a domestic remittance (i.e. money that was sent within the country) or international remittance (i.e. money that was sent from another country), only you would know.

There are different SRRV Programs available. The amount of bank deposit requirement depends on the program being applied for. Any foreigner, who is at least thirty-five (35) years of age, is eligible to apply for an SRRV provided he meets at least one of the SRRV programs' requirements. The applicant may be joined by his dependents, who can be his/her spouse and/or his unmarried children under 21 years old. The number of dependents to be included in the application may vary from the amount of required deposit and may be subject to the conditions of the program.

The deposit may be converted into an active investment. The total amount of investment must be at least US$50,000 for conversion to be allowed. There are programs which only allow qualified retirees to convert their time deposit into active investments after a holding period of thirty (30) days from the date of SRRV issuance. He can choose to invest their deposit through the following means:

Purchase, acquisition, and ownership of a condominium unit
Long-term lease of house and lot, condominium or townhouse for a period not shorter than twenty (20) years
Purchase, acquisition, and ownership of golf or country club shares

The SRRV holder will be exempted from securing an Alien Certificate Registration Identity Card (ACR I-Card). Such general requirement by the BI is replaced with a PRA Membership Identity Card.

SRRV Options

SRRV Smile

SRRV Classic

SRRV Human Touch

SRRV Courtesy

SRRV Expanded Courtesy

Non-Immigrant Visas

9(a) Temporary Visitor's Visa

The 9(a) or Temporary Visitor's Visa is a non-immigrant visa issued to foreign nationals who come to the Philippines for a short period of time, whether for tourism, business or medical purposes. Restricted foreign nationals are required to secure an entry visa before they can enter the Philippines. However, unrestricted foreign nationals can travel to the Philippines without an entry visa. Most foreign nationals are given a 30-day period to stay in the country upon arrival, but that initial stay can be as few as 7 days and as many as 59 days, depending on the visitor's country of origin. This initial stay can be extended to a maximum stay of 16 months.

Temporary Visitor's Visa is available to foreign nationals who are traveling to the Philippines for these common purposes:

Pleasure - for holiday or leisurely stay
Business - may be of commercial, industrial/professional character but must be temporary in nature e.g. those who are attending international conferences, here to negotiate contracts and attend business meetings
Health - provided not contagious, loathsome and/or dangerous diseases