Today we got a comment and question from Robin Jarliga.
Here is what Robin had to say:
Sir,
i would like to know the following information:
My American Pensioner friend is planning to go to the Philippines and decided to stay here in the Philippines for long period of time. Now he wants to know details before his trip to the Philippines hopefully by May this year.
1. is it a requirement to get a round trip ticket to enter Philippines for the first time?
2. what he suppose to do in order for him to stay in the Philippines for long period of time?
3. is it advisable for him to have dual citizenship in order for him to stay for long period of time in the Philippines?
4. and what is the best remedy for him to do if he decided to live in the Philippines for good?
Here is Bob’s answer:
Permission to Stay
Hello robin, Here are answers to each of your questions:
1. Yes, he is required by law to have a ticket out of the Philippines upon entry. Not necessarily a round trip, but a ticket leaving the Philippines to any other country.
2. It depends on how long he wants to stay. He can stay up to 16 months on a tourist visa if he follows the renewal guidelines.
3. Your friend is not qualified to become a dual citizen. Because he is not a Philippine born citizen, he cannot avail of the dual citizen law, and never will be able to do so.
4. I don’t understand what you mean. “Remedy” for what?For further information on what Visas he needs, and how he can stay here, please tell him to purchase my book, Philippine Immigration Guide. The book is less than $10 and will answer the questions that he has about how to live here.
About MindanaoBob
Sir
In my case I came in the Philippines almost 2 years ago using a US passport and got a BB visa
I completed the dual citizenship process within a month of arrival in manila and stayed as a
Filipino student since then.
I’m not planning on going back to US for another 2 years, Am I going to have a problem when I come back to US?
Suppose I get a Philippine passport and use it to get out I’ll probably have problem in the US when they see the BB visa and arrival on my US passport and not have a departure back to US.
Is there a process that I should do or papers I should ready just so I’ll be clear for staying here for 4 years straight?
Hello dennis – When you leave the Philippines, present both your Philippine and US passports, they will both be stamped. You should have no issues re-entering the USA.
As for staying here for 4 years… you’re a citizen… you can stay here for 40 years or even 400 years, no papers to get ready, nothing to do. Just come and stay.
thanks a lot
I’m a dual citizen.fil-am.i stay in the us for only 5 months.and go back to the philippines to study.do i need to get a permit to study?can this affect my us citizenship?does my us citizenship can be lose?
No, if you are a dual citizen, you need nothing but to just enter on your Philippine Passport. Nothing else is required. No chance of losing your US citizenship either.
My parents are both Dual Am- Fil Citizen.. They have plans of staying in the PI for 15 mos.. But not sure if what passport they used when They went to PI? Do they need some papers to do? Also They brought my 18mOs niece with them but she’s not a dual citizen.. Will they have any problems staying In PI for over 12 mos?
Hello Joey – Your parents should present both US and Philippine Passports upon entry to the Philippines. When re-entering the USA they present only US passport.
There is no paperwork to do, they are citizens.
There may be difficulty bringing your niece, though. Firstly, your niece is not a Philippine Citizen, so she will be allowed 21 days stay, and after that she must renew her visa at 21 days, 59 days, and every 59 days after that. The maximum stay will be 16 months. There will be fees of P3,000 to P5,000 at each visa renewal date. Also, international travel with a minor who is not your own child is difficult these days. They will need paperwork from the parents of the child giving express permission for the child to accompany them while traveling. They should check with the airlines to find out the extent of the paperwork required. Perhaps they will need an attorney on this matter as well.
hi..
im a dual citizen (Fil.Am) I’ve been staying here in the Philippines for 3 yrs now for college. I haven’t gone back in the US yet..
my question is will there be a problem me going back in the U.S since i stayed here for 3 yrs?
coming back here i showed both my US and Philippine passport and also my Dual Citizen documents. But they only stamp my US passport.
will there be a problem once i go back to the US?
Hello mhaly – No, there will be no problem. You are a citizen, and can go back any time you please. Even if you stayed in the Philippines for 30 years or 100 years, you can go back, because you are a citizen. Just keep your passport renewal current, and no problems at all.
hello sir, i have a question regarding my status, im a dual citizen right now (FIL-AM), last september 2010 i came back here in the Philippines with AMERICAN citizenship ONLY, then by December 2010, i applied for my Dual citizenship here in Philippines, then my certificate was released by february 2011, my question is, i did not go back yet to the US since Sept 2010, so im almost 19 months here staying in the Philippines (because im studying in college), me and my parents are worried, if i will encounter problems when i will enter back the US?? is there a possibility that my american citizenship will be rebuke?? thankyou..
No, it is impossible that your US Citizenship will be lost. You are a citizen for life, unless you specifically renounce your citizenship at a US Embassy or at the State Department. You cannot lose citizenship for being out of the country. Even if you go back 100 years from now, you will still be a US citizen. Just make sure you keep your US passport up to date.