About bluegrassky

Status:

Expatriate  

Gender:

Male

Currently Lives:

Citizen Of:

United States

Some Forum Posts:

Philippines: Balikbayan Entry:

My experience. Is that some Agents will try to enforce purchase of a departure ticket but will relent after discussion with a supervisor. I have politely suggested they check the Timatic database most airlines use to get up to date immigration refs which states former Filipinos and spouses don't need an onward ticket when traveling together. A lot depends on the agent challenging, so be courteous but positive.!!

Philippines: my 13A visa experience:

I had posted this before, but the only real complication I had in the 13a process was that BI. Manila would Not accept my certified. Embossed copy of my US marriage license. I had to get a recent copy from the VA records office, have it verified by the VA Secretary of State and then certified by the Philippine Embassy in Wasington. All three offices charged fees and the mailings back and forth were done by my sister in the States to save time but still took over a month! Might have Been better to have gotten married again here except for fact that the PI is the only real country in the world with no divorce.. .

Philippines: Banks, the NBI, and problems to live in the Philippines!:

I agree on banks being more restrictive. For 15 years I have saved a lot of time paying nearly all my utility bills and converting my dollars to peso on line with BPI. About a year ago I could no longer access my BPI website with my Apple ( my server was outdated I think) so I got a new IPad. It accesses another BPI site which enables me to pay bills but I no longer have the ability to transfer from my dollar account to my peso account. Went to the bank but they couldn't help me. The BPI rate is very unfavorable anyway but I am 76 and may not be much longer able to go to the bank each time to withdraw dollars, exchange at Edsen and deposit the pesos, a time .consuming ordeal. It's possible the IPad and not the bank are to blame.

Philippines: Uninvited Relatives Overstaying:

It is almost inevitable if you have space available and your spouses relatives do not have a place that they will come and live with you. My wife's 45 year old daughter has occupied our guest room for ten years and lived on and off with us for about twenty. I was not aware of the custom until too late. It is hard to ask family to leave but they will stay forever unless they win the lotery and maybe not even then!!

Philippines: My Philippine 13A Permanent Resident Visa Experience:

Thanks for the info on the 13A. While I did mine at BI Manila, I had all of the same confusion on which Form was the latest. But mine took about three months and required two extensions of my Balikbayan privilege because I married my wife in the US . They would not accept our notarized authentic marriage license with embossed seal, This required me to get a fresh copy of the license from the Virginia Birth records office, then submit it to the Virginia Secretary of State for verification and then to the Philippine Embassy in Washington for its chop and only then could it be submitted. All if this had to be done from a US address and each submission had to be accompanied by a check or Postal Money order. If I didnothave help from my zSister in the States it would have taken several more months. Also, I was dismayed to learn that my 13a was only Probationery and I would have to wait another year and fill out another Form and could not get guidance as to what I needed to do to qualify. Just keep out of jail I guess.

Philippines: Permanent residency:

After residing in the PI since 1980, first as diplomatic staff and then after retirement using the Balikbayan privilege for ten years, I had an angioplasty and didn't want to travel out and back in anymore. I heard that Permanent Resdiency was the answer so my wife converted to Dual Citizenship (easily) and I tried to file for conversion to PR. Four months later I am still waiting for my valid, embossed marriage certificate to be reissued by the Virginia Vital Records, after which it needs to be authenticated by the VA Sec. of State and then sent to the PI Embassy in Washington DC and only then will the BI accept the Application. So much for trying to do it legally. Might be faster to re-marry my wife. Should have stayed a Balikbayan. Any comments?

Philippines: MOVING TO PHIL COOL AREA BAGIO:

Daniel, I loved Baguio the first time I visited ten years ago, with lots of cool night spots to visit and of course the climate. But a visit a few years ago I found the main street no longer had pubs and restaurants and the traffic situation was bad. Try Tagaytay for a nice cool alternative and also nearer Manila. I have a weekend house in Los Banos Laguna which is about 5 degrees cooler than Manila.

Philippines: Applying for 13a visa, need police clearance:

Talk about differences!!! I am already married 20 years to a great Philippina from Ilocos and have been visiting here on a Balikbayan privilege for most of that time. I decided to apply for the 13a visa because at 76 I no longer enjoyed the requirement to travel outside the country and return (with the wife) EVERY year. Didnt need medical tests or home town police clearance (NBI here gave me one easily) BUT they would not accept my Virginia marriage licence. I had to (from a US address) write the Virginia Vital records to get recent copy of the licence (my own with raised seal was no good) then send that tot the Virginia Secretary of State to get a stamp, with red ribbon, and then send that to the Philippine Embasy in Wash. D>C> to get a final endorsement. All three Agencies of course charged fees and this took my sister in Florida some time in managing the logistics. So don't marry a Pinay in the States if you have a choice!

Date Joined:

7/1/2014

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13

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