Retirement Visa STATESIDE TIMELINE FOR US VETERAN & COURTESY SRRV PROCESS

Dear DI Forum Reader:

Over time, this thread will become a list of things I will have needed to do in order to secure all the paperwork necessary to establish a Philippine COURTESY SRRV for a US VETERAN.

It will also include other things I will have needed to do while INSIDE the USA, that for me, MUST be done PRIOR to departure to facilitate a smoother landing for long-term living in the Philippines. For me, many of the things I'm doing NOW will keep me focused on my future Philippine "here and now" activities/experiences, and will minimize my time (and expenses) of constantly having to look at my rear-view Stateside mirror.

I'm HOPING to arrive in the Philippines 9 months from now - assuming of course, that all the various and sundry bureaucratic departments won't take too long to complete all the necessary pre-requisite SRRV documents and certifications.

Meanwhile, while I am waiting on the bureaucratic parts to complete themselves, I will also have many other personal life/living things to "button up" as well - things that can only be accomplished while I am here in the States.

Every month from now until departure time, there are things to accomplish on my "Pre-Flight Checklist", so I will update this thread every month as it goes along.

PLEASE feel free to share and POST ON THIS THREAD - ANY and ALL tips, hints, or suggestions - ANYTHING you think that might help, or something I may have forgotten or have not even thought about.

PRE-FLIGHT CHECKLIST
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SEPT 2015 - OPENED ACCOUNTS WITH WELLS FARGO BANK (US/FDIC bank with ties to PNB)

SEPT 2015 - REQUESTED PENSION AUTO DEPOSIT TRANSFER TO WELLS FARGO BANK

SEPT 2015 - REQUESTED 3 CERTIFIED COPIES OF BIRTH, MARRIAGE, & DEATH CERTIFICATES

(NONE of these documents are free - you will spend money for every STATE certified copy)

SEPT 2015 - APPT. WITH LAWYER TO DISCUSS LAST WILL, POA, AND OTHER LEGAL STUFF

(Be prepared to spend money for all the pre-departure Lawyer stuff you will need to get done)

SEPT 2015 - PURCHASED LUGGAGE THAT COMPLIES WITH MAXIMUM PHILIPPINE AIRLINES SIZES

(The current PAL MAX USA departure-sized linear inch maximums will comply with current
linear inch luggage maximums for current "Space A" Retiree/Travelers. This could come in
handy should I later on wish to travel as a Retiree on "Space A" Travel)
I did my luggage research, found a brand, waited for them to go "on sale", and got 50% off!

SEPT 2015 - PURCHASED "MAJIC JACK GO" WITH AN ADDITIONAL 5-YEAR CONTRACT

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If you want more info on this monthly process, if allowed by the "Main Man Moderator", then I would like to upload an updated file of monthly "to do/HAVE DONE" activities so this thread doesn't take up so much space.

My thought is that by clicking on an attached file to this thread, you would then be able to see what I'm doing, and you might be able to use and incorporate some of these "things to do" into your own uniquely personalized relocation template.

PLEASE feel free to share and POST ON THIS THREAD - ANY and ALL tips, hints, or suggestions - ANYTHING you think that might help or something I may have forgotten or not even thought about.

I hope for a minimum of "hiccups" from here to arrival at the Philippine SRRV site.

I will start a separate thread about the SRRV process once I arrive. Wonder what THAT will be like....

DUMAGUETE OR BUST!

V/R,
nwlivewire

 

UPDATE OCT/NOV 2015


OCTOBER 2015

RECEIVED SEP 2015 REQUESTS FOR STATE CERTIFIED COPIES OF MARRIAGE/BIRTH CERTIFICATES

PURCHASED ADDT’L LUGGAGE ITEMS – BACKPACK/SMALL ITEMS

APPOINTMENT MADE & COMPLETED FOR US PASSPORT @ USPS

(REQUESTED REGULAR TURN-AROUND TIME – NON RUSH)

WELLS FARGO ACCOUNT - NOW ACTIVE & READY FOR FUTURE USE


BOUGHT AIRLINE TICKETS/RENTAL CAR/HOTEL FOR LATE FEB 2016

– ONE WEEK - LOS ANGELES – OPEN PHILIPPINE NAT’L BANK ACCTS

– ONE WEEK - SAN FRANCISCO - PHILIPPINE EMBASSY (APOSTILLE)


BEGAN DOWNSIZING CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE UNITS FROM 5 TO 3 – WILL CONTINUE UNTIL ONLY 2 REMAIN FOR LONG TERM USE

BOUGHT GREAT BOOK – “GOING GLOBAL”, AN INTERNATIONAL MAN PUBLICATION FROM CASEY RESEARCH (2015) – A MUST READ!

BEGAN RESEARCH - ELECTRONIC/COMPUTER GEAR 4 FUTURE BUY


NOV 2015

RECEIVED US PASSPORT & PASSPORT CARD – TOOK THREE WEEKS

(WAS TOLD PASSPORT WOULD TAKE 2 MONTHS TO RECEIVE, SO TURN-AROUND TIME MAY VARY ACCORDING TO SEASON DEMANDS)

nwlivewire

 

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2016

SUBJECT: OPENING A PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK (PNB) ACCOUNT IN THE UNITED STATES WITH ATM CARD

Last Wednesday and Thursday (took me two trips to get this done), I opened a checking account in PHP with the Los Angeles branch of the Philippine National Bank.

First time in, it took 1 1/2 hours to do the paperwork, and make an initial deposit (with receipt). Second trip took 30 minutes.

I would have only had to make a one-time trip into the Los Angeles location to open this account, BUT my US Wells Fargo account had a different USA physical address and did not match my other USA physical addresses. So I had to go back to my hotel, go on-line to Wells Fargo, make a change, and wait for this to update so I could get a printout of matching physical addresses.

Wells Fargo and PNB are able to "talk" to each other for transfers of funds via account-to-account - and this can be done via internet, PROVIDING the FIRST TRANSFER from Wells Fargo to my PNB account is done IN PERSON at the WELLS FARGO BRANCH LOCATION where my Wells Fargo account is located at. Obviously, this first transaction needs to be successfully completed PRIOR to my departure to the Philippines.

PNB told me it would take 6-8 weeks for me to get my PNB ATM and PNB account number. I DID NOT request checks. PNB Los Angeles also said the PNB paying Branch/Office will be the PNB in Dumaguete.

Here is the address of the PNB in Los Angeles, California. This is the only PNB on the WEST COAST that can do this for you.

Philippine National Bank
316 W. 2nd Street, Suite 700 (7th Floor - there are elevators)
Los Angeles, California 9002
213.401.1800

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Here's what you need for a minimum of ID:

1. ONE LETTER of RETIREMENT/PENSION AWARD - IF you want to open an account with automatic Direct Deposit (I did NOT - not yet anyway).
a. Social Security or SSDI award letter.
b. Military Retirement award letter.
c. Other State or Governmental pension award letter.
d. VA Compensation award letter.
*** These DO NOT need to be notarized.

2. 2 (TWO) 2X2 ID pictures per EACH account you open with PNB (full color, passport type)
*** I only opened the ATM checking account. You need two photos PER account. PNB will take your photos right on the spot - cost is 10 USD and they come in a series of 4 - so 10 USD per 4 photos whether you need all four or not.

3. 2 (TWO) VALID PICTURE IDs
*** Since these last few months have been transitional for me, I DID NOT use my Driver's License (physical address would not have matched up). I used my Passport (picture ID with expiration date) and my Military Retirement Card (which has an expiration date on the BACK of the card - make sure they photocopy BOTH sides of that card).

4. 2 (TWO) PROOF of PHYSICAL ADDRESS - and they BOTH have to have the SAME physical address and be recent.

a. Driver's License can work - if valid and shows current address.
b. Utility Bill - MUST be recent.
c. BANK STATEMENT - recent.

**** PNB only needs the FIRST PAGE of any current USA bank statement that shows your current physical address. Be sure to CROSS-OUT your account number if you want added privacy. I did, and that was OK with the PNB clerk.

d. Medical record - what qualifies, I do NOT know as I did not have any, nor have a need to produce this type of document to make my TWO physical address requirements.

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COST TO OPEN EVERY SINGLE PNB ACCOUNT = 60.00 USD PER EACH PNB ACCOUNT

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When the PNB clerk told me this, I only opened up the PESO ATM ACCOUNT. Since I have a pension being automatically direct deposited into a Well Fargo account, and, since PNB is electronically linked with Wells Fargo, then once I get my PNB ATM card and account number, I will:

1. Go in-person to the Wells Fargo Branch where my account is at.
2. Request transfer of US Dollars to be withdrawn and deposited to the PNB PHP (PESO) account.

For further information about this Wells Fargo Service, please see below:

https://www.wellsfargo.com/help/faqs/international-remittances/

*** Transfers to Colombia, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Guatemala, India, Mexico, and Philippines are made in the currency of the receiving country.

*** Transfers to China, Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Peru, and Vietnam are made in U.S. Dollars.

*** Note: Transfers to Colombia, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Guatemala, India, Mexico, and Philippines are subject to the exchange rate in effect at the time of the transaction.

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PHILIPPINE Remittance Network Members

Daily transfer limit (U.S. $)

Philippines

• M Lhuillier - $1,000 USD
• Cebuana Lhuillier - $1,000 USD

BELOW: ALL HAVE $3,000 USD DAILY TRANSFER LIMIT

Bank of the Philippine Islands
BDO Unibank
Metrobank
Philippine National Bank

The minimum amount you can send is $25.

The maximum daily amount that you can send to all beneficiaries using multiple Wells Fargo ExpressSend Service Agreements is $5,000. The maximum total amount that you can send during any consecutive 30-day period using the Wells Fargo ExpressSend service is $12,500. You cannot name the same beneficiary on more than one service agreement.

Lower limits may apply at some Remittance Network Members.

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ExpressSend Remittance Cost Estimator

https://www.wellsfargo.com/international-remittances/cost-estimator

*** One thing I did notice on the cost estimator is that the USD/PHP conversion rate was highest (most favorable) to me when I "played" with how many dollars I wanted to send to my PHP account.

I discovered that the best conversion exchange rate I got was when I "transferred" 2,100 USD or more at one time.

Hmmmm....

Hope this helps someone out there.

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IF ANYONE KNOWS OF ANY OTHER PHILIPPINE BANKING THING I NEED TO DO BEFORE I LEAVE USA SOIL, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

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I have been told that I can INITIATE Direct Deposit of my US Social Security once I am on Philippine soil.

IS THIS CORRECT???? PNB Los Angeles lead me to believe I COULD NOT do this once I am in the Philippines.

V/R,
nwlivewire

 

Honestly I do NOT know but they do have a Social Security Department at the US Embassy in Manila. Here is a link : http://manila.usembassy.gov/offices-agencies
/social-security-administration.html Maybe you can find some answers there. Maybe send them an email?

 

I went on-line to SSA website.

Social Security has many nations where I CAN set up an INTERNATIONAL DIRECT DEPOSIT (IDD).

AS OF THIS DATE OF POSTING,

THE PHILIPPINES IS NOT LISTED AS AN IDD COUNTRY.

Countries closest to the Philippines where IDD IS authorized FOR SOCIAL SECURITY:

SOUTH KOREA
SINGAPORE
JAPAN
INDONESIA
HONG KONG
CHINA

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WENT TO THE DFAS WEBSITE, TOO.

FOR RETIREMENT/COMPENSATION PAY COMING FROM A DFAS ACCOUNTING SYSTEM (US MILITARY/VA COMPENSATION), THE CLOSEST COUNTRY TO THE PHILIPPINES (SE ASIA AREA) WHERE DFAS IS AUTHORIZED TO IDD (THIS IS ALSO CALLED "INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONIC FUND TRANSFER (IEFT)"):

HONG KONG - THAT'S IT -

NO IDD/IEFT ANYWHERE IN SE ASIA TO INCLUDE THE PHILIPPINES

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So it looks like I did the next best thing and set up a PNB PHP (Peso) account here in the States.

IDD is acceptable and doable in most European countries, and in some Central American countries.

Each agency (SSA and DFAS) has their own list of participating nations who are approved for IDD/IEFT, so you need to check each website as the nations who are approved will be different.

Nations will be added or dropped, too. So check those websites again BEFORE you buy your ticket to the Philippines - just in case these agencies have added or dropped a nation. Could be to your financial advantage....

nwlivewire

 

Not my thing really to join in on but here I can help, The Countries you mention have the SS Agreement with the Philippines as does the UK. I have said many times the US not having this SS Agreement, is not helping you Guys one Bit.
The Main Reason I suspect is that it is Reciprocal and I am sure this would not be wanted in the US and it would give too many other Rights to OFW's and those Drawing a PI pension in the US.

Just my Little Bit on this.

 

To me (my opinion on what is best for me which my not be the best for everyone) the setup you have now is preferable to international direct deposit anyway. The US policy on direct deposits to US banks isnt going to change but what countries they are playing nice with can change with the political winds. Not to mention how another country's political winds might effect a local bank account. I am leaving my VA direct deposit alone and will send my SS to the same US bank when the time comes. From there I can transfer what I need wherever I am in the world.

 

My SSA monthly is sent to a direct deposit bank account at Robinson's mall BDO Bank. You need to set up a direct deposit account (no ATM, no checking, your name only and fill out the form at the bank and I think we sent ours to the SSA office at the US Embassy Manila.