⌛ P40,000 too much to pay lawyer for 13a visa?

There is a lawyer here in Bacolod that is charging 40,000 pesos to get an expat married to a Filipina a 13a resident visa.

Imigrations has really cut down on the requirements and paperwork needed for the 13a, so there is not alot involved anymore.

I would do this myself without a lawyer, but it involves I believe at least 2 trips up to Manila to get the visa. The lawyer eliminates these trips.

Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone here has used a lawyer reciently to help you get a 13a visa, and what did it cost you?

Thank's,
Ron

 

There is only one price to pay for a 13A visa in addition to the Bureau of Immigration fee schedule - ZERO.

Now, if you insist on making a stranger rich - go ahead. Be advised that none of this is rocket science. Travel to Manila if you must. The 13visa is also available at the B of I office in Cebu. Check with the local B of I in Bacolod to see if it might be available there as well.

 

I hate Lawyers But..

I know in America lawyers charge $3,000.00 USD to deal with getting a green card. Which you can do for yourself for a few hundred. It requires you to fill out lots of forms and meet requirements which the lawyer only fills out the forums and sends them in. Then you wait for the government to do there thing. But this is how Lawyers make there money.

It comes down to if you want to deal with it yourself or not. This being an important problem to deal with, you really don't want to send a runner. you require someone with a brain ie a lawyer or yourself. if you just want to go on with your happy without any headaches use the lawyer. If you have the time do it yourself. You can learn a lot in the process.

I am interested in the process you have to deal with. I have to file for a 13a myself in the future. an I'm still interested in your city as a possible place to live instead of Mindanao. But I don't know anyone there and that is a problem I no longer have the luxury of going into a place blind..

 

P40,000.00 too much to pay for 13a visa?

OMG - YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Di it yourself. The B.I. has completely overhauled their process and as long as you are qualified by being married to a Filipina, the process is now extremely simple.....yes, you will have to make one trip over to either manila OR cebu B of I. You do NOT need a "Fixer"....you can do it yourself!
Check the B of I web site - I believe you can download and print out the required forms from there. Follow the instructions....and just do it!

 

Teacher, How is life in Mindano? I have been considering living in Davao in the future. It seems ok for a large city..
Jerry.

 

Mindanao is a wonderful place.

Or at least half of it is. I live near Gingoog City it a great place every expat believes it has potential. You can Google it. You can still afford to buy land and build a house without too much trouble. The average Joe has not been priced out yet.

Davao is a very nice place but you need to always be aware of what is going on around you. It is not a happy go lucky kind of place but it is safe enough. I live in Northern Mindanao No Bombs, no trouble to speak of. It is just beautiful and peaceful another city that is not far is Butan city. Nice place too. This is an Hour and half from Gingoog city. Going south you have Cagayan de Oro City this is three hours away.

Mindanao all in all good place to live although I would say live in the Northern half of the Island think you would be happier. From Gingoog City you can go to Butan and get a plane or ferry to Manila or Cebu. It is still an unspoiled area as far as prices go. There is no bar scene it not a place for the guy who needs lots of action. It a great place to settle and make a quiet life.

 

Thank you for the info.... I think i'm going to love the Phils...:D
Jerry.

 

I JUST RECEIVED MY 13A VISA !

Rather than start a new thread, I searched this one out upon which to post the good news.

Last week Annabelle and I took Rhoody's favourite Cebu Pacific flight to the airline's namesake city. I attended the Canadian Consulate to receive my new Canadian passport. We then repaired to the Bureau of Immigration to have my 13A visa inserted into it.

I am extremely pleased to report to the DI membership that we successfully did the job ourselves.

More important - no consideration to any member of the B of I was solicited or paid at any point in the process.

I myself was skeptical. Everything I had read, both here and elsewhere strongly indicated that a "consideration" would be expected to be paid to facilitate the process. The figure of 25 - 30K pesos had even been suggested. This did NOT occur.

Do not misunderstand. The B of I's processes are bureaucratic, cumbersome and extremely slow. The entire process is opaque to the user. E-mails are deflected. Letters are NOT answered nor even acknowledged.

Visa Issuance Made Simple is an illusion. The much vaunted program of the current commissioner may be in place in the Manila office. It does not extend to the provinces, where a manana mentality persists. His initiative must look good politically. The reality indicates otherwise.

Our application was submitted in mid January, It was processed, at least the Manila part of it which counts, in two business days in mid April. We were notified in mid-June that the visa was ready. Why the gaps?

The one month delay from June to July was due to a separate bureaucracy in Canada, so B of I gets a pass on that.

Meanwhile, I purchased and paid for one visitor's visa more than necessary. Will I receive a refund? Not likely. My one year probationary visa actually becomes a nine month visa in my hand.

I may write again about individual aspects of the process.

Meanwhile, I repeat: our experience of the 13A visa process found it to be corruption free! May yours be so as well.

 

Sounds good. I will may start mine from outside the PI at least I believe that will be best. Let me see If I understand this so far. DavFitz from your post above it appears that the 13A is an endorsement on your passport and not a seperate ID card like a green card in the US. Is that only the probationary part and a full ID is going to be issued after the probationary period or is this endorsement going to be transfered and re-endorsed each time your passport expires? Anyone else have their's for more than a year and able to enlighten us on that?

 

The 13A visa is just that - a visa like any other. As such it is an endorsement placed into a current and valid passport.

Yes, there is a card, eventually - the ACR card. That is the next step.You will apply for that once your 13A is approved and entered into your passport.

Remember that this is a joint application of yourself and your Philippine spouse. The logistics of same might be easier if you attend to it jointly, which means here and in person.

Your questions should be answered more fully (and accurately) by working your way through all the minute detail at the Bureau of Immigration website. Here's a link:

Bureau of Immigration, Philippines - MAIN