PATHWAYS TO PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR FOREIGN SPOUSE & CHILDREN

Permanent Resident Visa in the Philippines; Philippine permanent resident visa; Philippine immigrant visa; Philippine Immigration; Philippine immigration policy; Temporary resident visa; Travel visa; Philippine travel visa; Philippine tourist visa; Balikbayan visa; Philippine vlog; Philippine travel; Spousal visa in the Philippines; Marriage Visa in the Philippines; How to become a permanent resident in the Philippines; Who may apply for permanent resident visa in the Philippines? Natural born Filipino citizens; retiring in the Philippines; retirement in the Philippines; Former natural born Filipino citizen; Qualifications for permanent resident visa; Bureau of Immigration; Philippine Embassy; Philippine Consulate General; Philippine Immigration Act; 13 (g) visa; 13 (a) visa; Can a foreign spouse or foreign children of a Filipino or former Filipino citizen be allowed to live permanently in the Philippines? In other words, can they be given a permanent resident or immigrant status? Indeed, by marrying a Filipino citizen, a foreigner could qualify to apply for a permanent resident visa, subject to other qualifications. 2 pathways by which a foreigner spouse may apply for a permanent resident status in the Philippines: one, is the 13(g) visa and the other is the 13(a) visa. There third one known as the SRRV or the Special Resident Retiree’s Visa, but I will not discuss it here because it is not dependent on marriage with a Filipino citizen. I will discuss that in a separate video. Under the 13(g) visa or also known as the Balikbayan Visa, a foreigner spouse as well as the unmarried minor children of a former natural-born Filipino citizen can be included in the application for non-quota immigrant visa in accordance with Section 13(g) of the Philippine Immigration Act, as amended. For 13 (g) visa to apply, the applicant foreign citizen must be the spouse or child of former natural-born citizen of the Philippines, who was naturalized citizen of a foreign country and intends to return to the Philippines for permanent residence. The 13(a) Spousal or Marriage Visa, on the other hand, is issued to foreign nationals who have contracted a valid marriage, recognized by Philippine laws, with a Filipino citizen. The application can be made in the Philippines through the participating office of Bureau of Immigration or abroad though the Philippine embassy or consulate. For 13 (a) visa, it requires that the applicant foreign citizen must be the spouse or unmarried minor child under 21 years old of a Philippine citizen. In the case of the spouse, there must be a valid marriage certificate recognized by the Philippines. It also requires a sufficient financial means to support themselves and their family. The 13a is a multiple entry Non-Quota Immigrant Visa type, which means there is no annual limit on the number of visa applicants and the visa allows for permanent residency. So, both the 13(g) visa and 13(a) visa are Spousal Visas allowing permanent residency to foreign nationals with Philippine citizen spouses. The difference is the current citizenship of the Filipino spouse. In the 13(g) visa, the spouse is a former natural-born Filipino citizen, whereas in 13 (a) visa, the spouse is a Filipino citizen. You use the 13a when your spouse is a CURRENT Philippine citizen. You use the 13g when your spouse is a Balikbayan, i.e., a returning former Filipino citizen who is now a naturalized citizen of a foreign country. The grant of permanent resident visa works on the basis of reciprocity. It is available only to a foreigner whose country of origin also grants permanent residence and immigration privileges to Filipinos. Permanent residency is available to foreign nationals from any of 84 countries with reciprocity agreements giving the same immigration privileges to Philippine citizens.

Useful links on the eligibility, requirements and process for application for 13A visa and 13G visa:

https://immigration.gov.ph/visa-requi...

https://immigration.gov.ph/visa-requi...

https://immigration.gov.ph/visa-requi...

https://www.philippineconsulatela.org...

https://www.philippine-embassy.org.sg...

http://philippine-embassy.de/wp-conte...

https://tokyo.philembassy.net/consula...

https://cfo.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads...

https://www.philippineconsulatela.org...

http://philippine-embassy.de/wp-conte...