The Philippines Announces 9 Steps Foreigners Must Take to Obtain Resident Visa by Marriage
- The Philippine Bureau of Immigration has published the official process for foreigners seeking a permanent resident visa through marriage to a Filipino citizen
- The 9-step process covers everything from document submission and fee payment to biometric data capture and ACR I-Card collection
- Special biometric rules apply depending on the applicant's age, with children aged ten and below required to have data captured at every extension
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The Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) has published the official nine-step process that foreign nationals must complete to obtain a permanent resident visa (PRV) through marriage to a Filipino citizen.
The procedure begins with securing the Consolidated General Application Form (CGAF), which is available either at the Public Information and Assistance Unit (PIAU) at the BI Ground Floor Main Office or through the bureau's official online portal.
Source: UGC
Steps for Philippine Resident Visa by Marriage
Once the form is obtained, applicants must follow the steps below:
1. Secure the CGAF from the PIAU at the BI Main Office or from the official BI website.
2. Submit documents for pre-screening to the Central Receiving Unit (CRU) or to a frontline officer or staff at another immigration office authorised to process the transaction.
3. Pay the required fees.
4. Submit a copy of the official receipt.
5. Attend a hearing, with the schedule and venue indicated on the official receipt, which also covers image and fingerprint capturing.
6. For visa extension applications, biometric data previously captured during visa conversion will be used to print the renewed ACR I-Card. However, applicants aged ten and below must have their image and fingerprints captured at every extension. Those aged eleven and above are required to do so once every five years.
7. Check the BI website to confirm whether the visa application has been approved.
8. If approved, submit the passport for visa implementation.
9. Claim the ACR I-Card once it has been approved.
What to know before starting the process
The Alien Certificate of Registration Identity Card (ACR I-Card) is a key document issued to foreign nationals residing in the Philippines and serves as official proof of legal residency status.
The biometric requirements stand out as a particularly important detail. While most adult applicants will only need to have their image and fingerprints captured once every five years during the extension process, younger children face more frequent requirements, with those aged ten and below required to undergo biometric capture at every visa extension.
Foreign nationals planning to apply are advised to visit the BI's permanent resident visa page directly to access the CGAF and review any updates to the documentary requirements before beginning their application.
In a similar report, Legit.ng published that the Philippines announced seven countries whose visa holders can enter visa-free for 30 days.
Qatar permanent residence: Application process for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Qatar announced the online process for foreigners applying for permanent residence, including the technical requirements and steps applicants must follow.
Applicants need an activated smart ID card and a card reader before they can apply. They must also wait for official text messages between stages, so what happens after the first application is submitted?
Source: Legit.ng
