Visa Renewal hints

The following information is from an e-mail that was sent out to the Bugle.  We are reprinting it here as there seems to be a lot of information that will help us along in our annual renewal trip,


     Philippines Immigration has a new (four part) form that must be completed prior to your annual registration. I finally completed this gruelling task today after my third trip to their office. Which is now located at 111A Gordon Ave. Just beyond 14th. St. (very limited parking)
The simplest way to do this is as follows.

1.      Go to their office Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8 – 12 AM  or 1 – 5 PM.
2.      Bring your ACR card and your U.S. Passport with you.
3.      Be sure to wear a proper collared shirt for passport style picture. Which they will take there, and charge you P50. For three pictures. (they give you two back). If you decide to bring your own picture make sure it has been taken within the last thirty days. Hey! They are just trying to make a few peso off of everyone.
4.      They will give you a two page BI form which is four parts (front to back). The forms must be filled out with a “Black ball point pen”.
       You can take the forms home to complete, or (I recommend) that you fill out the forms there. The reason being, there are samples of the completed forms posted on the wall there. Two pages of the form will not apply to most people. (unless you are employed here in the Philippines). In that case you simply write N/A in all of the blocks on pages two and three. This is where most people screw up the form. That is why I recommend you look at the completed samples on the wall.
5.      Once you have filled out all four parts of the form, date and sign page four. Take it back to any open window. An Immigration officer will inspect the form. If it is filled out correctly, he will then take you inside for fingerprinting, and they will take your picture.
6.      The charge for these two services is P50. For the picture, and P150. To have your paperwork notarized.
7.      Then you wait.
8.      They will call your name, and you then pay your annual registration fee of P310. “Be sure to get your receipt”
9.      And your done, for another year.

This entire procedure took me fifteen minutes to complete. But I filled out the form at home.