Philippines Stopping Filipinas from Leaving As A Tourist?

412POSTS

13 years ago

Hi Morena girl ,,, i have the problems of serveral options for my gf i want her to join me in Thailand , shes is from cebu ,,
What you say is interesting , would you allow her to call you ???
Take care / luc

morenagirl wrote:
Jimf wrote:
ishar18 wrote:
yes, showing her previous travel in Singapore will make a difference. But, if she overstayed in Singapore she will be questioned in immigration. Don't worry much, let your girlfriend use her guts in dealing with immigration officials

Hello there,
I wanted to comment on this post. You say let the gf "use her guts?" Are you implying this is a sort of shakedown that we see happening throughout the Philippines? That possibly being persistent, or adamant enough can make a difference?
What about..."some pesos" hand delivered to these so-called officials?

Please do not do that...do not encourage corruption.

Lhynx Member

1POSTS

13 years ago

#42

Hi! Just wanna share my story..I was about to leave philippines last 2nd of November as a tourist in Kosovo, Pristina. I brought with me the invitation letter of my boyfriend, round ticket, hotel accomodation, travel insurance and letter from the police of Kosovo. Unfortunayely, the immigration at the airport offloaded my flight

As i remember immigration staff told me to let my boyfriend to pick me up here. And the big question is thay ig eber my boyfriend pick me up here and go with him it would.be easy for us? Or might they ask documents to my boyfriend. What should we do?? Pls help..Thank you..

akoaysibrey Active member

56POSTS

13 years ago

#43

she must have some support document,

* invitation letter from you but must be with seal,
* your passport copy and and your working permit,
* return ticket
* hotel booking
* if she's working in Phil, she must present her ID at her work,
* and don't forget atlist 500usd as a pocket money,

thats all I did when I tried to go out in my country , I got hold too at my first attempt but luckily i made it at second try with those documents,

randy87 New member

4POSTS

13 years ago

#44

I guess the Philippine immigration are only protecting the Filipinas not to be abused in Thailand caused by not having enough money.

irvi Member

1POSTS

13 years ago

#45

hello good day!!

I am 18 Filipino, and I have a good friend in Pattaya Thailand.
he would like me to go there for visit.
my plan is to get round trip ticket and maybe fly by February. I am planning to stay there for 15 days, I have 10,000 baht as pocket money and I have a card for the hotel where my friend stays, the address and the room # are written on that card.
so with all these that I have, could the immigration allow me for travelling or for entry?

thank you!!

please I really need answer..

dhnindc Serial expat

583POSTS

13 years ago

#46

irvi wrote:
hello good day!!

I am 18 Filipino, and I have a good friend in Pattaya Thailand.
he would like me to go there for visit.
my plan is to get round trip ticket and maybe fly by February. I am planning to stay there for 15 days, I have 10,000 baht as pocket money and I have a card for the hotel where my friend stays, the address and the room # are written on that card.
so with all these that I have, could the immigration allow me for travelling or for entry?

thank you!!

please I really need answer..

Doubtful, you are too young to travel by yourself (in Philippine immigration eyes). Just have him fly here instead, if only for 15 days, you can go to Boracay or Palawan.

joshua.w New member

7POSTS

13 years ago

#47

My wife worked in china( where we met) and we recenlty exchanged vows in manila. I am 31, she is 30, and she will stop working now. I am always in china for business and i of course want her with me here. She will come on business visa now also. Do the policies of the immigration for exiting philippines change because we are married now? My guess is yes, but i am hoping some of you who have more experience with this then I do will share your thoughts on this, any tips are appreciated, money isnt an issue and i have invitation letters for her from my company and my chinese customers

thanks
Joshua

thailen Active member

38POSTS

13 years ago

#48

I know of at least one filipina who had all the documents, plus a one-year Thai educational visa and was STILL refused by filipino immigration. I brought my filipina girl friend back to Thailand twice, without any documents, 20,k000 pesos in her bank account, etc. because I flew to Clark to meet her and accompany her. They talked to her for 5 minutes, had her fill out a form and talked to me for 5 minutes, asking me about my work, my assets in Thailand and let her go. Next time, I'll bring my Savings Account Thai Passbook, updated to the day before I fly from Thailand showing I have enough to support her(just to make sure they don't take my word for it). In my opinion, they just want to be sure she has enough support by me to cover her expenses.

joshua.w New member

7POSTS

13 years ago

#49

Yes, i see, and you were with her, i just left manila a few days ago because i had some problems with a customer and she will try to travel soon. I am more curious how it will be now tht we are married, If it wasnt so important to have the ceremony with her family, i wish we had done it in hong kong and skipped the hassle of her going in and out of philippines again, Thanks phillipines for convincing me to send as little money as possible into your economy, i love it there but damn what a headache to go in and out, anyway if worst comes to worst i will go there and get her, just seems stupid that a 30 yr old woman needs to worry so much about whether she can travel out of her own country.

oh and do you know anything about this CFO guidance thing? did she get that? seems it is a requirement if you leave to be with your spouse or partner

LUC TINEYRE Serial expat

412POSTS

13 years ago

#50

Dear friends

Whatever the gf or the wife has all necessary documentation , yes it is always a problem to go out,until the gf or wife has 'many' stamps proving many travels on the passport .

If you can afford ,for the 7 or 8 first times

be always there when you partner has to go out the country , it is unfortunatly the safest way .

Yes it is stupid , but maybe they saved destiny of several pinay , stupid world sometimes.

Good luck

joshua.w New member

7POSTS

13 years ago

#51

cool, yeah she has been abroad for the last 6 years china and japan, we will see how it goes this time and move forward, keeping my fingers crossed i dont have to make another tripp to manila so soon haha, thanks for the input guys

thailen Active member

38POSTS

13 years ago

#52

No, I don't. If you bring a letter from you guaranteeing you'll cover her expenses while in Thailand(or anywhere else) and attach a copy of your passport and when your visa expires, it can't hurt(but they never asked to see it).

Peter Pan Pan Member

2POSTS

13 years ago

#53

I am currently in Kuala Lumpur and my girlfriend from Cebu was going to come and spend 5 days here with me. I bought here a return ticket with my e-mail adress. I gave here a copy of my passport and information where we would stay.. full adress, tel nr everything. She had money. She has a mastercard. She had photos of her and me. Yet the migration officer denied her to fly to Malaysia.
She is a beautiful talent honest hard working filipina and she is treated like a criminal by her own people. This is unbelievable to me.These people working in the migration has no sensitivity about people and must have watched too many movies.
What right do they have to stop her from flying? Who do they think they are? If the authorities would have asked a question or two arriving in Kuala Lumpur that would have been understandable. Just a 15 second call to get confirmation that there is a booking for her at the hotel.
So I am both chocked and angry how the world looks like, but after reading some of the messages here on this site I am not surprised.

thailen Active member

38POSTS

13 years ago

#54

You're right about everything you said.It couldn't hurt to bring all the documents others have mentioned, but my girl friend didn't have many of them and little money in her bank account.Still they let her go,because I flew over to bring her back. They were only interested in me and whether or not I had enough money to support her. In the future, I intend to bring my bankbook, updated within a few days of my flight, so they can see how much money I have to support her. Trust me. It works!

joshua.w New member

7POSTS

13 years ago

#55

Just left from Manila Sunday with my wife. I was too worried to let her try it alone again. We passed right thru. The girl at the immigration counter said " are you maried?" We said yes and she said ok enjoy your flight and stamped her thru. Get used to it though like these guys said if you don't go there to get her there will be a good chance she will get turned away. I think especially to countries that filipinas "don't" need a visa. Anyway better luck next time. And yes I agree exit immigration in Philippines is full if sh*t.

bluemyst1982 New member

4POSTS

13 years ago

#56

It Happened to me the last time I left Philippines to Australia. The Immigration stopped me and asked me to fill up some forms and wait for further questioning that takes about 2 hours waiting in the line with other filipinos at the airport.Didn't make it to our flight bcause of this and has to buy another plane ticket just to get to Singapore where my connecting flight is. And the ticket is a lot expensive at the airport. I've been travelling alone and never had any problems in other countries. Not sure about Thailand though, coz I've never been there. Like most of the advice here, maybe it's better you come to Philippines to get your GF. Good Luck.

LUC TINEYRE Serial expat

412POSTS

13 years ago

#57

peter pan ,
Hi ,
Please refer to my message of the 20/02 , the ONLY guaranty was you to fly from KL to MNL , not very convenient , , i admit ..
godd luck

gonzrule Guest

0POSTS

13 years ago

#58

Hello,

There is what we call "profiling" in the immigration section in the airport and they assess the traveler for any inconsistencies in his/her travel documents and his over all appearance. Yes, that is right. The traveler's appearance.

If the traveler intends to go on a trip on a tourist visa, then he/she must look like a tourist, complete with the requirements such as being able to afford the trip forth and back plus other expenses, the number of luggage brought (as there are incidence of people embarking under tourist visa with 2 or 3 big trolleys which just doesn't seem right), and of course his/her grooming as there are "tourists" who seem to be under the guise of "being a tourist" but looks like someone trying to escape poverty in search of better job opportunity elsewhere.

It is not about depriving people of their right to travel. It is about obtaining the right documents and presenting them in IN GOOD FAITH.

Regarding Thailand immigration, I have not heard of that before. As per my experience, Thailand seems to be very lenient about it, probably a strategy to make their tourism industry even more appealing. But I have never encountered any problem at Thailand airport. The case may be true to Filipinos that Thai Immigration is becoming more strict, that is so because I believe that there have been a lot of Filipinos traveling to Thailand to find a job which makes is difficult for Philippine immigration to track down and record, and for some other reasons, I guess. No pun intended here.

Cheers!

gonzrule Guest

0POSTS

13 years ago

#59

akoaysibrey wrote:
she must have some support document,

* invitation letter from you but must be with seal,
* your passport copy and and your working permit,
* return ticket
* hotel booking
* if she's working in Phil, she must present her ID at her work,
* and don't forget atlist 500usd as a pocket money,

thats all I did when I tried to go out in my country , I got hold too at my first attempt but luckily i made it at second try with those documents,

At the Philippine Airport, I had a hard time making it through despite all my documents and my passport having all the stamps from various countries. I made it through but it definitely sucked!

cheers

thailen Active member

38POSTS

13 years ago

#60

That may well work,but my GF had only a letter of support from me and ME. They interviewed her for 5 minutes, she signed a form and they interviewed me, didn't ask for any finan cial documents(I'll bring my up-to-date bankbook next time,just in case) and let her go. There is no guarantee you'll get her out, no matter what she brings or even with you there. All I've ever said is your presence bringing her back with you is the safest way.

joshua.w New member

7POSTS

13 years ago

#61

What? Don't you know that the immigration officer has no idea how many bags the traveler has. Are you a BI agent? You check your bags just before going thru customs. And exactly what does a tourist look like to you? Flowery shirts and sandals? Camera around their neck? Get real man. And how many women with any amount of money would not carry more then one suitcase for a one month stay somewhere. I think half of it is jealousy that the ones leaving for work will be making 10x more money than the dopey immigration officer there drunk with power who turns them down to leave. It's your own fault that people leave to work. Doesn't matter if they go firstly on a tourist visa. Any way doesn't matter. Mine won't be back to the Philippines until her USA visa is ready in September. But good luck for the rest of you guys. And don't listen to that guy. It's way more then profiling. Go pick your girl up. Or she will almost always miss her flight and waste your money

thailen Active member

38POSTS

13 years ago

#62

Good advice,Joshua. Too many people are lulled into believing if they jumped thru enough hoops and filled enough forms and piled enough money into their bank accounts, immigration would wave them thru. Don't bet on it!

gonzrule Guest

0POSTS

13 years ago

#63

joshua.w wrote:
What? Don't you know that the immigration officer has no idea how many bags the traveler has. Are you a BI agent? You check your bags just before going thru customs. And exactly what does a tourist look like to you? Flowery shirts and sandals? Camera around their neck? Get real man. And how many women with any amount of money would not carry more then one suitcase for a one month stay somewhere. I think half of it is jealousy that the ones leaving for work will be making 10x more money than the dopey immigration officer there drunk with power who turns them down to leave. It's your own fault that people leave to work. Doesn't matter if they go firstly on a tourist visa. Any way doesn't matter. Mine won't be back to the Philippines until her USA visa is ready in September. But good luck for the rest of you guys. And don't listen to that guy. It's way more then profiling. Go pick your girl up. Or she will almost always miss her flight and waste your money

They look at the tickets and see the claim stamps.

I'm not an immigration officer but I have a friend who works in an airline who happens to have a friend who works in the immigration department, so yes I know what I'm talking about.

I know it is very wrong to assume that tourists only wear sandals and the flowery shirts with their cameras hangin' by the neck, and I am completely against profiling as it is very misleading. But let's get real. These kind of stuffs are happening. This may not be true in the western hemisphere or in some "more advanced" parts of the far east, but still...

So yeah, good luck to you, your girl and the rest.

I know a lot of people on visa-run and didn't make it through, and I could only laugh at their idiocy or lack of know-how.

- No pun intended -

joshua.w New member

7POSTS

13 years ago

#64

Yea but for the bags they don't look and don't care. I have a fried who has a friend who knows Donald trump but I'm not rich. At any rate bro. Pick your girl up Philippine BI is garbage. No matter their reasons or "profiling"

borilove Contributor

136POSTS

13 years ago

#65

BE VERY CAREFUL AS HUMAN TRAFFICERS PROVIDE EVERYTHING UNTIL YOU GO TO THEIR COUNTRY THEN THEY TAKE YOUR PASSPORT BY FORCE,THEN THEY CAN CONTROL YOUR DESTINY.SOME PINAYS ARE VERY NAIVE WHEN DEALING WITH PEOPLE ONLINE.YOU SHOULD ASSURE YOURSELF BEFORE YOU GO.JUST MY WAY OF THINKING.

gonzrule Guest

0POSTS

13 years ago

#66

I agree with you on Phil BI.

Aurélie ViP

22735POSTS

13 years ago

#67

Hello borilove -> Can you please lower your caps lock so as to ease the reading?

Thank you,
Aurélie

gonzrule Guest

0POSTS

13 years ago

#68

Aurélie wrote:
Hello borilove -> Can you please lower your caps lock so as to ease the reading?

Thank you,
Aurélie

EPIC! :-)

borilove Contributor

136POSTS

13 years ago

#69

sorry i forgot

Praans New member

4POSTS

13 years ago

#70

Thailen wrote:

"I will not attempt to explain the idiotic, illogical, groundless and brainless policies of Philippine immigration officials toward their own people. I pity them and in fact, these policies are self-defeating, since they guarantee filipinas will continue to live in poverty and guarantee poverty for their families and children. It's insane!"

I couldn't agree more......

This is really the exact description of our Phil. Immigration Officers, not all, but most of them.

Poor Filipinos.. They couldn't fight right there and then, because maybe they don't have the knowledge , or their minds during that time are preoccupied with the stress of the possibility of being left behind by their flight...

Praans New member

4POSTS

13 years ago

#71

joshua.w wrote:
What? Don't you know that the immigration officer has no idea how many bags the traveler has. Are you a BI agent? You check your bags just before going thru customs. And exactly what does a tourist look like to you? Flowery shirts and sandals? Camera around their neck? Get real man. And how many women with any amount of money would not carry more then one suitcase for a one month stay somewhere. I think half of it is jealousy that the ones leaving for work will be making 10x more money than the dopey immigration officer there drunk with power who turns them down to leave. It's your own fault that people leave to work. Doesn't matter if they go firstly on a tourist visa. Any way doesn't matter. Mine won't be back to the Philippines until her USA visa is ready in September. But good luck for the rest of you guys. And don't listen to that guy. It's way more then profiling. Go pick your girl up. Or she will almost always miss her flight and waste your money

I envy you man, for not being under the power of these mostly , if not all, silly, immigration officers of our own country...

It is just so hard to travel going out of the Philippines. To think that this country is just leaning on the remittances of OFW's. (Overseas Filipino Workers).

We'll just accept our fate... Or we'll fight soon if we can...

Praans New member

4POSTS

13 years ago

#72

philippinegovernmentunderscrutiny.blogspot.ca/2013/04/corruption-at-bureau-of-immigration.htm

to my foreign friends, kindly read if you have time.

angelstirera Contributor

130POSTS

13 years ago

#73

I went to Thailand for few weeks. I was never questioned and I also went there alone. My passport is new and no stamp on it. I was just asked on my job and purpose. I just dont understand somehow how this happened. I feel sorry if this is real.

borilove Contributor

136POSTS

13 years ago

#74

that page doesnt exist,i wonder who took it down?

gonzrule Guest

0POSTS

13 years ago

#75

Well, I understand the toughness of the Immigration Dept. regarding Pinoys leaving the country. A lot of our people have left the country for Dubai, Singapore, Thailand (even the USA and Canada) only to become illegal residents there. That kind of doing not only tarnishes the country's image, but also affects policy making regarding immigration and overseas employment.

Although sometimes I think they go over the top, but with appropriate documents handy, I don't think there should be any problem at all.

qeris Member

10POSTS

13 years ago

#76

yeah we have problems with drug mules/ Filipinas being caught or accused of being mules but I dind't know Thailand was strict. Maybe get the assistance of a travel agency so that everything's assured? I've been to Thailand only once and as a Philippine passport holder we had no problems.

DonInFlorida wrote:
Unfortunately, it has been my experience that it is very difficult for a filipina to get a tourist visa anywhere (and almost impossible for a tourist visa to the US). I did everything "correctly" in trying to help a filipina friend to get a tourist visa to the US.....when she was turned down, I wrote to the Consul General in Manila and even to my Senators in Washington, DC, who really did try to help me. But nothing worked, and I finally gave up after spending a year and many hundreds of dollars in the process. This is discrimination, but nothing can be done about it.

If it was her first trip abroad and it was to be the US, yes there's a high chance of denial. There's a backlog of Filipinos awaiting visa, and for the visa type that involves family petitions, the backlog is about 24 years. It was on the newspaper just last week. For tourist or other types of visas it's hard too. Years ago, I knew someone who was going to represent the Philippines in a chess tournament in the U.S. and he was denied a visa! Then there are lots of horror stories of wives with Pinoy husbands working in the States but being denied a visa! Good thing you can always try again and for a friend of my sister she got a visa after trying again.

jeriza Member

2POSTS

13 years ago

#77

i am a filipina and i want to travel to malaysia.ipoh specially my fiance is turkish and had already been there for a month for his job and ask me to come over and stay with him in the hotel for a month, what are the things i needed to show when i am in philippine immigration which i heard that is very strict to tourist visa holder/// please help me. I would love to hear from you, tnx

jeriza Member

2POSTS

13 years ago

#78

i have to go there coz we are panning to get marry in malaysia too.

tushant Member

1POSTS

12 years ago

#79

it was my GF bad experience first time by philippine immigration as she was working bfore in dubai n then she left n went back in philippines. Now she is having tourist visa to come back in dubai n also referce letter of her mother who is working in dubai but then also two times she was sent abck from immigration airport and two times she rebook her flight

can any one suggest me for this what can be done so that she can come on that visa

gonzrule Guest

0POSTS

12 years ago

#80

Well, first of all she is going to Dubai on a tourist visa and everybody knows almost 99% of Pinoys going there are looking for a job. If the immigration officer asked what her purpose was and she wasn't candid enough to say that she's gonna look for a job, then the immigration officer would have a reason to doubt that she was flying out for tourism.

She can tell the immigration officers that she intends to look for a job, as she had previously had one before in Dubai, and she's gonna try her luck once again to get a new job. ABSURD, isn't it? But that's the way it is. After all, her mother is there to support her.

If her sponsor is her direct family relative such as a mother, father or a sibling, she shouldn't have problem going through. Family is always there to support each other, and the immigration officers allow that 'loop hole'. If it is a cousin, an aunt or a friend who sponsored the visa, then I would rather give up on that endeavor and try getting a job offer first and getting things done the 'proper way'.

PM me if you have some more questions, I'll tell you things I can't discuss openly in public.