Services - Immigration Law / Visa Types

Visa Types

There are some 48 kinds of visas in the Philippines. We have the Student Visa, Special Study Permit, Missionary Visa, Special Investor Visa, Married to Filipina Visa, Balikbayan Visa, Quota Immigrant Visa, Treaty Traders Visa, Working visa, Artist Visa, Scientist Visa, Diplomatic Visa, Diplomat’s Dependent Visa, Special Abilities Visa, Tourist Visa , Retiree Visa, and all others within the range and within the eccentricities that foreigners can dream of.

• There are two kinds of foreigners in the Philippines. The first one is what is called Restricted Aliens. They are the foreigners who need prior visa to enter the Philippines like the Chinese, Indians, Russians, North Koreans, and most of the former Russian former republics. That means that they cannot enter the Philippines without getting the visa first and that is why they are called Restricted Aliens.

The non Restricted Aliens are those people coming from countries who would simply have their citizens buy a ticket to fly into the Philippines and enter the country without need of a visa. If you want a listing of citizens under restricted or non-restricted aliens, click on the appropriate tab.

• Balikbayan Visa or BV: Anyone who marries a Filipina is entitled to a Balikbayan Visa. Upon arrival in the Philippines as a Tourist or as a Visitor visa stamped-holder, a foreigner is entitled to 21 days of primary stay and is entitled to a general extension totaling 24months without ever living the country. However, a Balikbayan Visa stamped is made when a foreigner married to a Filipina comes to the Philippines exactly in the same flight with the Filipina wife and is entitled automatically to a straight one year of stay without need of extension every 59 days. This is a great savings on fees of extension of stay as a tourist in the Philippines every 59 days.As stamped with a Balikbayan Visa, the old rule is that the alien has to get out of the country after twelve (12) months and come back to the Philippines in an entirely new entry as a Balikbayan for the next twelve (12) months.

The recent rule in immigration s no longer true and is more Tourist-friendly. In that, after the stay of the initial Balikbayan stamp of entry for one year, she could avail of the same extensions of another twenty-four (24) months. This is the new law and if you want to have more details on these and the fees you can click on my tab at the bottom of this page.

• In regards to the other forty-eight (48) kinds of Visa’s that would fit each person’s individual circumstance, please click on my tab below.

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