Dave82,

That is NOT correct. They ask you not to leave the Philippines while your application for your 13A is in process (typically about 1 to 2 months). Once you have your new visa stamp and your new ACR card (this replaces the one that says "Tourist" on it) you can travel outside the Philippines without issue.

Do be aware that with your 13A visa you will have to pay exit fees at the airport when/if you leave the country (something you don't do as a tourist) but in the long run the 13A saves so much money it usually works in your favor by quite a bit.

If you have an emergency and must leave the Philippines during the time they're processing your 13A application they can help you out. It's a fair bit of work for them, which is why they ask you not to leave, but in an emergency they'll help you. Mostly they have to arrange it so you can get back into the country and not mess up your application process.

Les

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00abuse

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Thank you for the reply. I will start the process next week. Once again thanks.

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00abuse

Hi Dave82,

Happy my answer helped.

Another thing to consider but at the same time it's a bit of an unknown; that is, Duterte taking office at the end of the month. This may affect your application in regards to the petition letter...or it may not.

The petition letter is the one that your wife writes to the Commissioner of the Philippine Bureau of Immigration requesting that they grant you a 13A visa (you both sign it and it's notarized).

I'm aware of one case where the 13A process was started and then rejected because the Commissioner was replaced, so the letter was addressed to a person that was no longer there.

I just took that chance myself since my paperwork when in about two weeks ago. Even then the head of the BI office said he hoped the paperwork would go through before Duterte took office, just in case he decides to appoint a new Commissioner of the BI.

You might ask your local BI office if they have any idea yet whether or not things will change.

Also, that information (about the rejection) was not first hand, it was just a report from another expat (the one it happened to)...so who knows. And, if the application is rejected because of a change in leadership it just needs to be resubmitted (you don't pay again) with the new Commissioner's name.

This is just a "heads up" sort of thing, don't put too much emphasis on it but, as I said, you might ask at your BI office.

Les

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00abuse

@lblampman. i agree. Same happened to me with the change of the last president. sometimes they change the head of the office.

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00abuse