Review LTO Foreign Conversion Drivers License

There is a difference between having a requirement that one “could” be subject to vs what you personally “were” subjected to. If the requirement is on the books, prepare to comply. From an author researching this requirement. While researching a recent article on the Long Stay Visitor Visa Extension (LSVVE) now being offered by Immigration, I came across information regarding new requirements for the Permanent Resident Visa that have been in place since earlier this year:

1. Bank Certificate in the Philippines (your wife’s or joint account)
2. Police Clearance from your home country

Now when my spouse sponsored me for my 13a Permanent Resident Visa, there was a requirement for proof of income to show financial capacity. I had bank statements and other financial statements, but no one asked for it. So I do not doubt what you say but you should be able to show some kind of financial solvency if asked, which is just common sense. Did you actually obtain a 13a? If so, did you do it from Europe (sorry but I can tell from your writing hehe) or from the Philippines where all those documents need to be notarized by your Embassy and red-ribboned by the DFA at Aseana in Manila or similar place? I agree, fairly easy to do if done from your home country.


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POLICE CLEARANCE FROM YOUR OWN COUNTRY.
At one that was a requirement. Now I think it is only required if you have been in the country less than 6 months. If you have been here 6 months or more then an NBI clearance is enough.
The requirements change from time to time and often without notice.
Your mileage may vary.

 

Thank you for editing, Wrye. I must have done my QUOTE command improperly.


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My gut feeling - based on the move in the Philippines towards a National Identity Card. It seems logical to me that they would also want 'aliens' to have some form of registration (i.e. ACR card) and this does not exist with a BB waiver. Also, it is currently the only Visa (I think), other than a short Tourist Visa, which requires no exit clearance.

 

OK. I appreciate you have a "gut feeling". I also have a "gut feeling" that Philippines will eventually develop a less generous tourist visa policy as 3 years with perpetual renewals is too good to be true forever.

But on the subject of ACR card not existing with a BB waiver, interestingly enough I just has a conversation with a friend who is on a BB waiver and has an ACR. Here is what he said to me ". . . for us on Balikbayan the ACR card is optional . . ." So if that is what you are basing your gut feeling on then it would not be hard to make that ACR for Balikbayans mandatory.

 

SRRV requires no exit clearance either. It is really the “Cadillac” of Phils visas. But if they wanted UD with BB, they could change the ACR-I for BB from voluntary to mandatory.

They won’t change BB in my opinion, even in today’s revised attitudes towards foreigners. BB is a part of life here and an extremely successful pillar of the remittance economy with no downside and a huge upside of dollars spent here and employment generation. Before relocating permanently, we always used BB, never a problem for we parents and kids. And SRRV is a vast improvement over BB if you stay here permanently and your wife has given up Filipino citizenship, And B.B. is free. Unbelievable really. Does Anybody know if Thailand has something equivalent to BB?


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I see your point but BB is not a Visa and perhaps the nature of it would have to change to make an ACR mandatory. Also, a BB is not extendible but expires after a year, so I assume legally the ACR card would expire at the same time and then need to be renewed upon the return of the holder to the Philippines; that 'return'could be hours or years after exit.

 

Having known quite a few tourists making the "visa run" to Hong Kong on the evening flight and taking the next flight back so that they are back in Philippines less than 12 hours after they left, I am wondering about your source of information. Is this new?

I am not saying they are doing the "right thing" but I am saying it has worked for many expat tourists.