13a Visa - Get it before you're here or after?

[sussexrob]

Thanks David,
Yes it seems that you are not far away from where we are planning to build.
My wife had been teaching in Davao when we first met, and it was her decision to live there.
I think it's because it's far  enough away from her family that they won't be on the doorstep every other day.
We love them visiting, but when in Gensan they sometimes turn up by the coachload, this can be a bit much , hence
moving a bit further away.
The security of a gated sub-division appeals in some ways,  but we decided to live a bit more in the countryside as the neighbours in Gensan are too noisy, and with the size of our plot they will not be too close.

Cheers
 

[sussexrob]

Thanks Terpe,
To be on the safe side, I think I'll get copies of everything that is possible to get.  I'll read the checklist a number of times before submitting anything, and go through all the forms more than once as well.
I also know I have to renew my passport as it runs out later this year, will do that in advance.
Thanks again

[Terpe]

Hi David,  We actually bought the land privately through a relation of ours.  It is in Catalunan Grande, right out of the way not far from St. pedro chapel.   

We lived 18 months not so far away from Catalunan Grande.
Sub-Division of Solariega at Puan Talomo and just a few mins walk from MacArthur Highway. Right opposite APO Golf club

[David690]

Hi Terpe

It is indeed a small world.  There is another forum member here, Meylou, who has also just finished building a house in the same gated community that we are in.

[Terpe]

Hi Terpe

It is indeed a small world.  There is another forum member here, Meylou, who has also just finished building a house in the same gated community that we are in.

Personally I really enjoyed our life in Davao.
The food and the fruits were just wonderful. At nice prices too.

I'd often catch a jeep to Toril and buy stuff from the market. Wonderful fresh veggies and fruit and also fish in the covered wet market. So fresh and so cheap.

We decided to move here to Marikina City after that horrible drop in RoE with the British Pound.
We were renting in Davao, but have our own house here in Marikina. Didn't make sense to pay rent and have an empty house..
Overall we made the best decision. Luckily.

We often travel to Davao to keep personal contact with family and have fun. Flights with AirAsia are very cheap.
we now know how to be prepared for some long long delays though. Hehehe

[gregpinton]

Hi, i know this is an old topic, almost 2 years from the last post, however my question is also about the 13a visa, and i rather not create a new topic.

I have read in various articles on the internet that i should apply for the 13a visa from here in Australia rather that while in the Philippines, and if this is correct, i assume that once i have obtained the actual visa, i am free to travel there and begin living as a permanent resident, and i can work or run a business as well.

The following article i found interesting:  https://liveinthephilippines.com/13a-resident-visa/

Just curious though, if i was to return home at any time, i am not sure how long i need to be continuously out of the Philippines before the 13a visa will become invalid, as i will be required to return to Australia at least once (may even be twice) every year so i do not lose my old age pension that i am due to get in 5 years time (currently $700au per fortnight for each member of a couple)

It is our intention to have a new business set up in Palawan by the end of 2019, and because i am retired on medical grounds, and my wife is only 56 and still wants to work until she is 60, i will be the one staying in Palawan to run the business while my wife lives back home working, and she will fly over several times during the year for a few weeks here and there, then she will join me full time at the end of 2013.

[bigrod]

Greg,

You get a permanent visa versus a 1 year temporary visa by applying before you arrive.  So there is no restriction on when you leave and return.  It is my understanding you need to request permission to leave in advance on a temporary.  You register yearly in Jan-Feb for php 310 and renew ACR-I card every 5 years. While the visa is permanent it can be voided by the death of the Filipino spouse, separation, request of spouse, etc.

Chuck

[Peter]

Greg.

Chuck is correct in saying you will not have any restrictions on travel when you have the permanent 13A.

Two things to note.
1. When you apply through the Philippines Embassy in your country and are "approved", they will give you a large, sealed, envelope with all the necessary paperwork, to hand over to the BI here.

There is a time limit on when you must arrive in the Philippines with the "package" for the BI and also a time limit after arrival to hand it into Immigration. They used to give you up to 12 months to arrive and you had to submit the "package" within 5 days after you get here, but those time limits may have changed.

2. Not all BI offices can process the "pre-arranged" 13A. BI HQ in Intramuros does do "face-to-face", "over-the-counter" processing, and while some other offices may be authorised to collect the package and send to Intramuros for processing, most may not be authorised to handle this.

The Embassy in your country may not be aware of the latest BI procedures, as they (being part of the DFA) are only acting as an "agent" for the BI. So direct contact with the BI (they respond very quickly to queries on their "effBook" account) is highly advised to iron out any wrinkles before they occur.

Hope all goes well with your plans.

Peter

[suzukig1]

If you have a 13A visa and you leave the PHL, you get a re-entry permit when you leave.  The re-entry permit is good for 1 year. 

If you stay out of the PHL for more than a year your re-entry permit will have expired.  You would have to go to immigration after entering the PHL to straighten everything out.

ECC, re-entry permit, etc. all can be done at the cashier at the airport.  All of the information required is stored on your permanent resident ACR-I card. 

[gregpinton]

Great news, thanks a lot guys, saved me from having to get on the phone and go thru all the stupid prompts to get thru to someone who could help answer all this for me, and everything you guys have mentioned seems to line up with the information i have since read about this 13a visa.

I have not seen anything mentioned about passports or citizenship, so with this permanent 13a visa, can i actually take on Filipino citizenship and get a Filipino passport, and if so, what would the process be ?

Or am i better to just stay as a permanent resident and retain my Australian status and passport.

Maybe i need to start another topic that focuses on what our intentions are for our plans there in the Philippines, then it would be a lot clearer for others to understand our situation, and may be able to offer advice.

[Peter]

Great news, thanks a lot guys, saved me from having to get on the phone and go thru all the stupid prompts to get thru to someone who could help answer all this for me, and everything you guys have mentioned seems to line up with the information i have since read about this 13a visa.

I have not seen anything mentioned about passports or citizenship, so with this permanent 13a visa, can i actually take on Filipino citizenship and get a Filipino passport, and if so, what would the process be ?

Or am i better to just stay as a permanent resident and retain my Australian status and passport.

Maybe i need to start another topic that focuses on what our intentions are for our plans there in the Philippines, then it would be a lot clearer for others to understand our situation, and may be able to offer advice.

Greg.

I'll try to answer some of your queries, not necessarily in order 

1. I would recommend retaining your Australian nationality, if only to protect your pensions from over there (who knows what rules they can put in place later for overseas pensioners?) and also not have to have a Philippines BIR tax liability.
(Edit. Liability on non-Filipino income I mean.)

2. 13A would appear to be the best way for you, based on what info you have shared. IMHO. You can conduct some business to a limited extent, but not as much as you can if you had, for example, an investor type of visa.

3. To apply for Philippines citizenship, doesn't require you to be here on a specific type of visa. Only that you fulfil their naturalisation requirements. Part of which is to give up your current nationality in favour of the Philippines.
This is a normal requirement in most countries. You can then re-apply to regain your Australian citizenship afterwards. If they will have you back that is 

I've been here, doing not-a-lot, on a 13A for 10 years LOL!

HTHs.

Peter.

[bigrod]

You can get Filipino citizenship after 5 years residency and fluency in the language since you are married to a Filipino, 10 years residency if not married to a Filipino. 

https://www.lawphil.net/statutes/comacts/ca_473_1939.html

Chuck

[gregpinton]

I have read a lot of info last night about our age pension and our rights to obtaining that, and it appears that we must hold Aust citizenship to get the age pension, but on the age pension we can travel wherever/whenever we like, for as long as we like, and live outside Aust if we want to as well, they cannot take it away.

As far as running a business in Palawan under a 13a visa, i must have misread the info i found, as i assumed that i can own a business and run it myself, or is this not the case after all ?

[Peter]

..............................
As far as running a business in Palawan under a 13a visa, i must have misread the info i found, as i assumed that i can own a business and run it myself, or is this not the case after all ?

I have no interest in business, so my knowledge of the finer points of "alien" ownership in this sphere is minimal.

I would suggest, however, that you get in contact with the PRA (the Philippines Retirement Authority) < https://pra.gov.ph  > who have all the information on business ownership and the different types of visa, investor, 13A/G and others.

I have a friend who was contemplating doing something similar to what you want to do and he assures me that the PRA will give you all the latest rules and regulations pertaining to "aliens".

HTHs.

Peter