[greenstreak1946]

I know there is some discussions on this type of visa, but I have more questions.

1. With this SRRV visa do I have to leave the country and reenter at the end of 12 months stay like I do with the regular visa?
2. Plus how much advantage is it to have in stead of extending my regular visa for money costs? I have to deposit $10,000 into an account to qualify for this visa. That is a lot of
money just to leave in an account for this purpose.
3. Also, can this all be done within the Phillipines because they are asking for a medical and police report from the country of origin?
4. Can this be processed in my country before coming to the Philippines? If so, do I have to have an exit fight to enter the Philippines?

thanks

art

 

[bidrod]

1. You can stay on a 9a(tourist visa) up to 36 months without having to leave the country. SRRV you can stay forever.

2. 9a cost about $500 a year. If you are a veteran you can get the SRRV with a deposit of $1500. With the $10,000 deposit it can be used for purchase of a Condo, house/land lease for 25 years.

3. If you apply in the Philippines you can get the medical here. The Police Report of course needs to be from your home country.

4. It can be processed at your home country Philippine Embassy/Consulate.

PRA: Philippine Retirement Authority

Chuck

 

[Zep]

I never heard of the SRRV until this thread and after initial research I thought it looked like an acceptable way to avoid some of the other visa hassles. But the $1400.00 application fee is where my heart sunk.

I guess if you are here for 10 or more years (I hope to stay the rest of my life) then the savings on yearly fees would cancel out the $1400 up front fee so still worth more research on my part.

Not sure if this $10k or $20k time deposit is safe in a government backed bank but maybe. The 0.0001% interest you will probably get is not much worse than what you would get in the US so that is of little concern to me.

Anyone know if the added perks of being a PRA member have any real useful benefits? Like the assistance of getting a drivers license or NBI clearance?

Tim

 

[greenstreak1946]

Hey Chuck,

I am a veteran but on the Philippine embassy web site it doesn't say anything about the $1500 bank deposit. It only talks about the $10,000 over 50 years old or $50,000 deposit under 50. Where you find the info on the $1500 deposit? Also, how would I get the SRRV visa here in the usa before coming there since I got to make a bank deposit in the Philippines? I am very interested in doing this because the last time I lived there for a year it was a hassle to keep extending my visa and then at the end of 12 months I had to leave and re-enter.

thanks

art

 

[greenstreak1946]

Hey Chuck,

I found the info on the SRRV courtesy visa that includes the veteran. They just have never updated the PRA web site to show the veteran is included in the courtesy visa. But it is expensive. $1400 fee plus $1500 deposit and a few other fees. I don't remember how much I had to pay to keep extending my regular visa before. One of the main things about the SRRV is no exit or re-entry requirement.

art

The last time I came there to stay I had to have an exit ticket also so I purchased one from Manila to Singapore. That was the cheapest. Of course I never used it since I left on the 11th month for the USA.

 

[bidrod]

First off you never had to leave at the end of 12 months that I am aware of, I came here in 2010 and left the first time in 2012. I just complied with the requirement to ask to stay longer, If I remember correctly that requirement kicked in from the 16th month through the 24th. It has since been changed to 36 months from 24 months. As said in my previous post it cost approx $500 a year for a 9a visa. So it would take 6 years to equal your fee $1400 plus $1500 deposit.

Chuck

 

[greenstreak1946]

Hey Bidrod,
Here is what I went through the last time there.

Enter receving a 21 day stamp on your passport. Before that runs out you get a Visa waiver that extends your stay another 38 days. After this you renew your tourist visa every 2 months until you get to the 10th month when they will stamp your passport with a "final extension" giving you your last 2 months. This is where you exit the country going to any other and if you like come right back and begin the process for another year. After the next year you just repeat the process.

art

 

[Zep]

So it would take 6 years to equal your fee $1400 plus $1500 deposit.

Chuck

Except that it still costs $360/yr for the SRRV so it is longer than 6yrs.

 

[greenstreak1946]

Hey Zep,

The nice thing about the SRRV i can see is you only have to do it once a year and won't have to exit the country and then return at the 12 month interval. Plus won't have to extend visa every 2 months. That isn't to bad if a person lives close to an immigration office. When I lived in Tagum I had to travel almost 2 hours one way to Davao to extend my visa. This time I will be close to the immigration office so it wont be to bad unless I do get the SRRV.

art

 

[Gary D]

greenstreak why are you ignoring everyone when they say it 36 month before exiting the country. Your info is way out of date.

 

[bidrod]

Except that it still costs $360/yr for the SRRV so it is longer than 6yrs.

Actually it cost $10 a year if you served 2 years in the Philippines and $360 if you did not. You do not lose your $1500 it is a deposit in the bank in your name. So the cost is only the fees. The cheapest Visa is a 13a if you are married to a Filipino/a cost about $400 if you get it here and cheaper if you get it in your home country.

Chuck

 

[SimonAngeles]

Hey Bidrod,
Here is what I went through the last time there.

Enter receving a 21 day stamp on your passport. Before that runs out you get a Visa waiver that extends your stay another 38 days. After this you renew your tourist visa every 2 months until you get to the 10th month when they will stamp your passport with a "final extension" giving you your last 2 months. This is where you exit the country going to any other and if you like come right back and begin the process for another year. After the next year you just repeat the process.

art

Must have been a good few years ago that you were here last, they've been issuing a standard 28 day visa for about 3 years now.

 

[greenstreak1946]

Hey Chuck,

How do you figure getting a 13a is cheaper since you have to get MARRIED????? hahahahaha

 

[greenstreak1946]

Hey Simon

It was 5 years ago I was there. They don't seem to ever update their web site info.

thanks

art

 

[bidrod]

Hey Simon

It was 5 years ago I was there. They don't seem to ever update their web site info.

thanks

art

Five years ago is when I extended my Visa to 24 months before I had to leave.

Chuck

 

[greenstreak1946]

hey Chuck

what kind of visa do you have there? I have been coming to the philippines for over 12 years now. I would come twice a year and every time they would stamp my passport with a 21 day stamp. Then 5 years ago I came and stayed for a year and that was when I had to go to immigration and pay for my extension in Davao. Mine was just a tourist visa.

art

 

[Asian Spirit]

Hey Chuck,

How do you figure getting a 13a is cheaper since you have to get MARRIED????? hahahahaha

Exactly right. Guess it's about the same in any country

 

[bidrod]

hey Chuck

what kind of visa do you have there? I have been coming to the philippines for over 12 years now. I would come twice a year and every time they would stamp my passport with a 21 day stamp. Then 5 years ago I came and stayed for a year and that was when I had to go to immigration and pay for my extension in Davao. Mine was just a tourist visa.

art

9a(tourist visa) same as you had got it June 2010 extended til June 2012.

Chuck

 

[Gary D]

The visa waiver has been 30 days for more than 5 years now.

 

[SimonAngeles]

The visa waiver has been 30 days for more than 5 years now.

29th July 2013 was when it was changed.