Transferring from 13a visa to? after divorce

10POSTS

15 years ago

I'm currently living here on a 13a visa but am divorcing soon therefore my 13a will become invalid.
I'm planning to operate a business here and think that my best visa would be a SRRV where I would have to make a deposit of $20,000, is it correct that with this visa I am required to pay an annual fee of $500.

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pinaymentor ViP

160POSTS

15 years ago

The amount of deposit which will be deposited to your bank account that will earn interest will depend on your age and if you have any pension coming in. Let me know your age and if you have any pension. The thing with SRRV, your money has to come from US. Let me ask how they can accommodate your request once you've told me your age and if you have any pension at all.

Sincerely,
Pinaymentor

madass150 Member

10POSTS

15 years ago

I'm over 50, no pension, I believe I have to deposit $20,000.
My income is from a business I operate here in Philippines but the income comes from outside the Philippines.

Mau1968 Member

2POSTS

15 years ago

No need for new visa because 13a is an immigrant visa divorce will not change your visa status.
I know because of my recent divorce my ex wife did her best to get my visa canceled but could not get it done.

madass150 Member

10POSTS

15 years ago

thats interesting, was she trying to do this while you were married or after divorce.
I was under the impression that while you are married she is your sponsor. If she withdraws that sponsorship then you have a problem. Or after divorce the visa becomes invalid coz you are no longer married which is one of the requirements for that visa.

tchitz Member

3POSTS

15 years ago

Madass150, you did not say how long you were under 13a visa and whether, you have gone through the filing for the conversion of probationary period to permanent resident visa after one year of probationary period while residing in the Philippines. That is the key element there. If you have, then you are essentially a permanent resident, and its benefits are:

Benefits
- Can obtain employment in the Philippines
- Can lease real property
- Can own personal property
- Can qualify for Filipino citizenship after five years of residence in the country

Check this out:
philippine-portal.com/visas/non-quota-permanent-resident-visa-13a.html
May I qualify what I said here is merely my own opinion and am not an expert in Philippine visa matters.

madass150 Member

10POSTS

15 years ago

I've had my 13a for nearly 3 years. Everyone I talk to believes like I do that once divorced then the 13a becomes invalid?

tchitz Member

3POSTS

15 years ago

Your first year of 13a visa is probationary. You can apply to have your probationary condition removed after you have successfully completed your first year of stay in the Philippines and still together with your spouse. Once the probationary condition has been removed, you become a permanent resident of the Philippines. A divorce or annulment after the probationary condition has been removed does not relieve you of your permanent resident status. If you never applied to have your probationary condition removed and got a divorced, then your 13a visa is invalidated or will naturally expire in one year of obtaining your 13a visa. This is similar to what they have in the U.S.A. when one sponsors his/her spouse, the green card is probationary for 2 years, and the green card holder will have to apply to have the probationary condition removed after two years.

madass150 Member

10POSTS

15 years ago

I downgraded my 13a to a tourist visa and then applied for a Quota visa (only 50per year issued per country ) I now have that visa. its a 13 Permanent Immigrant visa. its good for 5 years, and I only pay P310 once per year.

jgrant8165 New member

8POSTS

15 years ago

#10

http://fast-track-annulment.blogspot.com

Not sure if that can lead you anywhere.

bama14 Member

2POSTS

12 years ago

#11

Hello Madass150. I am currently in the process of divorcing. I have a 13a visa now. My question to you is, how did you downgrade from 13a to tourist? What are BI's requirements for you to downgrade? Appreciate any information you can provide. thanks

madass150 Member

10POSTS

12 years ago

#12

I would suggest you visit a BOI office and ask them coz things can have different processing and get diferent advice at different depts. Its no drama but get the advice first hand, from the BOI
is your plan to stay on a tourist visa? or apply for SRRV or?

bama14 Member

2POSTS

12 years ago

#13

Thanks for the advice. I will proceed to the BI main office in Manila in the next couple of weeks to try and downgrade. Divorce is in the very near future (my guess within 6 months). I would like to go ahead and take care of it now as opposed to later. Downgrading to tourist visa is not a problem for me. At some point in the future, a year or so down the road, I will probably apply for SRRV, as I plan on coming back and living here not long after the divorce is final. Did you downgrade in Manila? Was it relatively easy? Were you able to do it in one day? Do you remember what documents they needed from you to complete the downgrade? Thanks again for your response.

madass150 Member

10POSTS

12 years ago

#14

I think you can only do it in Manila, BOI may have a website, some departments are getting a bit organised, some have Facebook.

Hybrid New member

7POSTS

12 years ago

#15

Mau1968 wrote:
No need for new visa because 13a is an immigrant visa divorce will not change your visa status.
I know because of my recent divorce my ex wife did her best to get my visa canceled but could not get it done.

Is it foolproof and the wife will be able to do absolutely nothing?

Hybrid New member

7POSTS

12 years ago

#16

tchitz wrote:
Your first year of 13a visa is probationary. You can apply to have your probationary condition removed after you have successfully completed your first year of stay in the Philippines and still together with your spouse. Once the probationary condition has been removed, you become a permanent resident of the Philippines. A divorce or annulment after the probationary condition has been removed does not relieve you of your permanent resident status. If you never applied to have your probationary condition removed and got a divorced, then your 13a visa is invalidated or will naturally expire in one year of obtaining your 13a visa. This is similar to what they have in the U.S.A. when one sponsors his/her spouse, the green card is probationary for 2 years, and the green card holder will have to apply to have the probationary condition removed after two years.

Is the wife's presence required to to get rid of probationary condition? Or the spouse can proceed with the process independently?

Hybrid New member

7POSTS

12 years ago

#17

I have a friend married/separated to/from a Filipina, and stuck in the marriage for the visa. Is it possible to proceed with the removal of the probationary condition without the wife's knowledge/presence, then be free to file for divorce/annulment after?

madass150 Member

10POSTS

12 years ago

#18

I just read this in another forum
"Hi All,
can anyone help?, my friend has a 13a visa expires in sept, he is married to a philippina but she ripped him off bigtime!!.He has just been to imagration in manila to renew it, but was told his wife has to be with him!.

How can he get a visa to stay here, can he just buy extentions after the 13a has expired?"
"Hi ,
and thank you to everyone for their help, he went to Manila and was told his wife would have to be with him, as she was his sponser!, but when he explained what had happened the said they would be able to give him a permenant visa, but it would cost p35,000 suprise suprise!!!, so thats what he did and all's fine now."

johnwboyd Member

2POSTS

12 years ago

#19

Anyone know what the ICR is in the ACR I-Card Renewal Requirements for #4 photocopy of ICR?

johnwboyd Member

2POSTS

12 years ago

#20

I called them and they said the ICR has to do with the paper I-Card so it's not applicable.

istvan555 Active member

28POSTS

12 years ago

#21

I am not sure if this will help,but i am a holder of 13a visa.It expired on jan 9 this year.I was very reluctant to renew it,as my sponsor/filipina wife has died.I did applied to have it renew it eventually.I was told i need to change my civil status,from married,to widowed.After paying nearly 13k as fees,and penalties i have been granted a new 13a card

skiandugh Member

11POSTS

10 years ago

#22

My late wife died 2010 and I was told I could stay as I have a Filipino daughter, I was re-issued with a new Icard in 2012 and for some reason they put married on it.I remarried in 2014 and now Immigration are saying that I should have been downgraded to tourist when my wife passed and they are planning on a fine back dating to 2010. Its their fault and why issue a new Icard when they were told I was a widower....

philipperv Contributor

184POSTS

10 years ago

#23

I was estranged from my previous Filipina wife even before I applied for my 13A in Los Angeles in 1999. They not ONCE asked to meet, see, or otherwise talk to her. If fact, I had no problems until leaving with my girlfriend (now current wife) for Cambodia around 2.5 years ago when a BID officer realized that I wasn't actually "co-habitating" with the woman whose name is listed on my 13A paperwork. I then offered to voluntarily surrender my i-card but the supervisor on duty declined to take it.

My advice to the OP is to just hold on to his 13A but, since his original post is over 5 years ago, I am sure that he went ahead and let BID suck more money out of him needlessly.

madass150 Member

10POSTS

10 years ago

#24

I'm the original poster, I changed from 13a to 13 after downgrading to tourist first, I just renewed my 13 after 5 years

philipperv Contributor

184POSTS

10 years ago

#25

Glad to hear.

Munchie Serial expat

273POSTS

7 years ago

#26

I went to BI Manila, March 5th 2019 and told them my divorce is final. They ripped that permanent 13a visa off me in a flash it takes about a week and you have to go back for implenentation and stamping of tourist visa. Cost 3250p. Im going back thursday to do the implenentation and stamping and at this point don't know if i will be finded. Apparently you have to report the change of status the minute one of the couples steps away from the relationship. Divorce has nothing to do with it.

Munchie Serial expat

273POSTS

7 years ago

#27

As for requirements. A letter of request, should be done by the troll attorneys bext to BI main. 820p. Fill out a form. Copy of original marriage certificate front and back. Receipt for fee payment (3520p)
Copy of ACR 1 front and back. Copy of 13a visa implemention, copy of passport Bio page, copy of last entry stamp into the country.. Copy of current passport bio page if you are on a renewed passport since original 13a stamp. I had my australian divorce order, it was Red Ribboned by Melbourne ph consulate and DFA at Pasay City, they asked me for copies of all pages. If you are not divorced yet, i dont know, maybe an affidavit for this and that. A side note, as this process was taking place, i also had my divorce orders into Manila Civil Registry legal department for registration.

philipperv Contributor

184POSTS

7 years ago

#28

Good to know. Thanks.

Alanboy_76 Member

1POSTS

6 years ago

#29

Hello if the man is divorce and he dont have his final divorce decree what he will do?

TeeJay4103 Serial expat

637POSTS

6 years ago

#30

Alanboy,

Deosits and eligibility are based on age and income as outlined on the PRA website. Link below.
https://pra.gov.ph/

If you opt for a SRRV, I would strongly suggest using and authorized PRA representative as I did. They are NOT fixers and charge nothing extra to walk you through the entire process.

The $1400 dollar processing fee is the same for all catagories. The yearly renewal for most is $360 dollars, with the exception of the SRRV extended courtesy (mine) for which I pay a yearly renewal fee of $10. I just paid $30 for three years.

The qualifications for mine were met using my DD214 military discharge papers, coupled with my proof of income.

Regards,

Munchie Serial expat

273POSTS

6 years ago

#31

Alanboy_76 wrote:
Hello if the man is divorce and he dont have his final divorce decree what he will do?

Got my final divorce papers in July 2018, didn't tell BI until March 2019. I just had to pay for catch up tourist visa's. If you are on friendly terms (or not) with your ex...never report the divorce to them...wish I hadn't..Let her be the one to take back the 13A

GuestPoster170 Guest

0POSTS

6 years ago

#32

I disagree. A friend of mine did not report his divorce to BI for 3 or 4 years... he had to pay a huge fine... so report to BI asap ..

Munchie Serial expat

273POSTS

6 years ago

#33

geolefrench wrote:
I disagree. A friend of mine did not report his divorce to BI for 3 or 4 years... he had to pay a huge fine... so report to BI asap ..

Said to be a fine..but really it is only a payment for back payment of tourist visa from the divorce date onwards...Been there and done it..

Peter922 Member

1POSTS

2 years ago

#34

@Munchie Did they ask you anything about when was the actual date of seperation (not the final divorce date)? Any other problems? I am in the same situation.