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Retirement Visa COURTESY SRRV FOR VETERANS (US VETS AND OTHERS)

Discussion in 'Passports and Visas' started by nwlivewire, May 25, 2015.

  1. redhorse

    redhorse DI Forum Adept

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    Thanks, Edward K. I meant the user "NYC", I realize now that wasn't clear in my post since I also referred to the place NYC. He had a post about getting his docs "red-ribboned" at the New York Philippines Consulate, but didn't mention getting them "apostiled" by the US State Dept first.
    I know I can send him a PM, but figured I'd try here first so it becomes part of the thread.
     
  2. NYC

    NYC DI Senior Member Showcase Reviewer Blood Donor Veteran Air Force

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    This is a follow-up on my experience with the Consulate in New York and the PRA in Manila. Your mileage may vary if you go to other offices.

    I did not get a local police background report, but simply used one of the FBI-approved services to pull an FBI background check. The Consulate was fine with that. (I really don't think the Consulate cared much, but who knows...it might depend on who is working that day.) The Consulate also accepted the copy of my DD-214 which looked like a 5th generation photocopy. It did have a barely discernable raised seal. They accepted the Social Security report you can download from the internet. The only glitch was the doctor's report which had to be notarized locally, then I had to take that report to the county clerk and have the County Clerk's Office authenticate the notary signature and seal.

    I brought nothing at all to the Dept. of State.

    The Philippines is not a signatory to the Apostille Treaty anyway. I had nothing "apostilled."

    Somewhere in the process there is verbiage that talks about presenting the actual x-ray negative with the health form. That is not necessary. The doctor's certification with the radiologist report is all they are look for as far as the chest x-ray is concerned. I brought the actual x-ray with me, but ended up trashing it.

    It all worked, though. I received my Courtesy SRRV today at the PRA office in Manila. I submitted the completed application with all of the paperwork sealed by the Consulate in Manhattan on Sept 1. I was told to expect 15 - 20 WORKING days to get the visa. The PRA send the whole thing to the Bureau of Immigration for review. The Bureau of Immigration approved the application on Sept 14 (which is the date on my SRRV,) and their letter makes it clear that my temporary visitor visa was thereby converted to an SRRV (which kept me from going "illegal" on my 30-day visitor visa.) I called the PRA as they suggested on Sept 22 to check the status and was told the BOI had approved it, but there was more processing to be done and to call back on Sept 30. So I called on Sept 30 and was told it was ready for me to pick up, but I was traveling around the Visayas and Mindanao, so I didn't get to the Manila PRA office until today.

    They gave me a copy of the POI approval, an "Affirmation of Membership" with the PRA, a SRRV identification card that (thankfully) has it printed on it that I am exempt from needing an ACR-I (whatever that is...everyone wants to see it from expats to get anything done) and finally they returned my US passport with the actual visa attached to one of the pages.
     
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    Last edited: Oct 6, 2016
  3. NYC

    NYC DI Senior Member Showcase Reviewer Blood Donor Veteran Air Force

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    ...one other caveat regarding the Consulate in New York. Each Consulate has oversight of a number of US states. For the NY Consulate to approve a notarized doctor's report, the notary seal must be from a state over which the NY Consulate has purview. So, if you get your physical in Texas, the Consulate in NY will probably reject it as "out of their area."

    That is spelled out in the Consulate's website. Again, another Consulate may have other ideas.


    Let me expand a bit on why I said that the Consulate didn't seem to care much about what I presented:

    My FBI report came in a sealed envelope. I left it sealed when I brought it to the Consulate and the clerk looked puzzled. I said the FBI report is inside the sealed envelope for them to open and review. When I got everything returned, they had placed the Consular seal (a brass rivet, actually) through the still-sealed envelope. No one at the Consulate had even bothered to look at the report (since it was still in the unopened envelope.)

    When I got to the PRA in Manila, they gave me the same puzzled look. I told them that normally a record in a sealed envelope should remain there until the person needing the information opens it. I had an extra copy of the FBI report with me, and handed it to them and said "this is what is in the envelope." They said they were not allowed to open it, either, but went ahead and carefully cut the edge and peeked inside to compare it to the copy I had given them. But they left the main envelope seal intact. I suppose the BOI finally opened it. Or, maybe it's still sealed awaiting the appropriate bureaucrat with proper authority to look at it.
     
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    Last edited: Oct 6, 2016
  4. Edward K

    Edward K DI Senior Member Veteran Navy

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    My processing at PRA has started, my fixer got my un-red-ribboned docs (remittance, pension, dd214) authenticated at the Dept of Foreign Affairs in Manila, PNB finally got around to issuing the Certificate of Deposit (the $1500 USD for a 72 yr old / honorable (only 4 yrs service, not "retired") / "expanded courtesy").

    Two items: first we have a dollar account for wires from the states, and a peso for local / atm stuff. YOU WILL get a SAVINGS account. I would guess the checking is only worthwhile for a biz person. Difficult to remember to say savings when using your debit/atm card for BPI. No problems yet, even got a peso credit card.

    With a savings, you can get a "managers check" from your bank if it is a bunch of pesos. DO NOT USE a managers check for dollars, it takes 21 days to clear even at another bank. PESO managers checks take 3 days. Landbank would not even accept a dollar mgr's check for the $1400 USD fee.

    I would plan on two months for an SRRV. I got a visitor visa when i arrived, a two month renewal while i got my stuff together, and the "service provider" suggested an extra month as the SRRV might take over a month, but i'll let you know exact. Was a good idea, PNB held things up and i would have gone over the visa expiration.
     
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  5. AsColdAsIce

    AsColdAsIce DI Member

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    hi how did ur application goes?did u get ur dd214 notarized in the U.s?
     
  6. Edward K

    Edward K DI Senior Member Veteran Navy

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    HI ACAI, I know you queried nwlivewire, but my experience is covered mostly in the SRRV thread similar to this (see "sticky threads"). I should have done more in the US, but i got my DD214 "notarized" at the CEBU US Consulate at the Waterfront Hotel, and was delivered by my "service provider" and "authenticated" by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila, before delivery to the PRA Manila.
     
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  7. OP
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    nwlivewire

    nwlivewire DI Senior Member Showcase Reviewer Blood Donor Veteran Army Navy

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    Dear Forum Members:

    I have hit ANOTHER time delay - this time it's not the IRS, it's medical.

    Thank the Good Lord, the IRS is just about done!

    My medical test results come back next week or early the following week, so I'll have a better idea of what's going on about this issue at that time.

    It's highly likely I'll have to go under the surgeon's knife in the next month or two for removal of some or all of my "fancy parts" - hopefully nothing more than that.

    I'm just hoping it's not because of the "Big C", and that whatever cells are so abnormal, that this situation got caught in time.

    I've had ZERO symptoms of anything going haywire, so I'm glad I went in for a general check-up - something I haven't done for a few years.

    My check-up was part of my planning stage prior to departure for long-term living overseas, so I am glad I did this step.

    They also found the beginning stages of cataracts in both my eyes. But since they are not ready or advanced enough for removal, I'll still depart for overseas life with this issue still on hold and get them removed later on when I need to get them removed.

    As you can imagine, I'm just a bit anxious right now, waiting for test results to come back.

    But it looks like I'll be in the States until early Summer before I can launch myself to where I want to be.

    More to follow....

    V/R,
    nwlivewire
     
  8. Rye83

    Rye83 with pastrami Admin Secured Account Highly Rated Poster SC Connoisseur Veteran Army

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    Sorry to hear about your medical problems. Best of luck in getting those issues resolved and moving on to your travels.
     
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  9. Edward K

    Edward K DI Senior Member Veteran Navy

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    NWLW: best of luck. Don't worry about the cataracts. Think one of the places here is fine with that, or maybe Cebu. Hurry here, before it gets any more popular and crowded than it already is...
    EDWARD
     
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    nwlivewire

    nwlivewire DI Senior Member Showcase Reviewer Blood Donor Veteran Army Navy

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    Dear Edward:

    I'll be making my SE Asia relocation with cataracts in tow. My US friends living in Vietnam said this is an easy fix as there are several internationally accredited JCI hospitals around SE Asia.

    For example, there are 4 in the Philippines (all located in/around the Manila area), 1 in Vietnam, and a whole bunch (and located in many different regions) within Malaysia, Thailand, and several in the little country of Singapore.

    Find a Gold Seal Hospital | WorldHospitalSearch.org

    V/R,
    nwlivewire
     
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