My wife is a native philippina and I want love the philippines.
So I'm enterestested in visiting the philippines often and
possible buying a home there.

But my recent visits have all been based on a tourist visa
allowing only about 1 month stays for me.

I've seen references, here and there, indicating that since
my wife is a native philippina that I should be able to stay
longer?

And is it possible for me to get a citizenship so I can travel
to-and-fro as I please without any time frame requirements.
Maybe duel-citizenship status?

Does anybody have in experience with this?

Thx

you can stay in the Philippines longer than 21 days, you just have to go to immigration and get the 59 day extension. You can do this for a year but at least once a year you have to leave for one day. Your wife can get you a spousal visa and you won't have to leave. I suggest you look at the Filipino government link or ask some members of the expats groups.

As a non-citizen you can not own property in the Philippines but if your wife is a citizen you won't have any problems.

I suggest you join some of the expats groups. I can give you a couple to look at. They can really give you some insight about living in the Philippines.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Expats-in-Cagayan-de-Oro/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Philippine_L...sland_Paradise/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Retiring-To-Philippines/

I am sure there is more to this than what your saying, I am very interested on doing the same thing. I want to some day buy land and spend lots of time in the Philippines without having to get a visitors visa everytime.

After further research I've found something called a Balikbayan visa.
This visa allows the spouse of a philippines citizen to stay up to 1 year.

The requirement is that I must arrive at the airport with my wife--
a philippine's citizen and at the immigration post in the airport
We must show our marriage license.

While we are enterested in my dual citizenship the Balikbayan seems
a good fix for the intrim.

Does anybody else have any informaiton on the balibayan who have
used it for spouse purposes? And can describe any difficulties or
personal usages of it?

FYI: you can search the internet for "Philippine Balikbayan Visa"
here is one site providing some information about this type of
visa: http://www.gov.ph/forum/thread.asp?rootID=109943&catID=9

Still I would like to here from anybody who has availed to this
type of visa and there description of details to the process?


Thanx!!!

beleive that has to do with former Filipino Citizen. think your wife would have to be a US Citizen for that to be an option.
think there is a Special Retirement Visa. beleive it requires a time deposit with the Philippine Govt. perhaps someone has more info on the SRV.

No, you cant become a citizen of the Philippines. The Philippines doesnt give out citizenship to foreigners like the US does. you can live there for up to one year at a time. you cant own property there only your wife. you can work there but you are limited by the Balikbayan Visa time limit of one year. then you have to leave the Philippines for a weekend and then come back. That is what the americans who are married and live there do. there is a program for can buy into but the prices are incredibly high. It is a retirement visa fro foreigners who want to retire there. it is so expensive no one does it. to start with you have to put $50,000 to $70,000 Us dollars in an account and leave it. Any kids you bring cost $15000 each. plus there are fees of about $5000 to get it started and keep it going each year. oh yeah, i forgot they also charge a 20% fee to convert the $50,000 to $70,000 US into peso. yes thats right 20%. They call it a withholding tax. the whole thing is a joke, thats why no one does it. all this money and it only allows you to buy 3 hectare lot or a condo unit. and it allows you to belong to a golf club. and then even if you own the condo or land etc, you cant sell it , trade it, transfer it etc without their permission.

here is a link to the requirements for the retirement visa...

retirement program


maybe in the future they will develop a system to allow foreigners to become real citizens.
Chris

An alien married to a Filipino citizen may apply for permanent residency under Section 13 (a) of the Philippine Immigration Act. As far as I remember, permanent residency of the alien spouse will be probationary for two years. The Filipino spouse will then file a petition for amendment from probationary to permanent resident.

Links below:

http://immigration.gov.ph/cms/index.php?op...2&Itemid=52
http://immigration.gov.ph/cms/index.php?op...0&Itemid=52

I still recommend you join a couple of those expats groups. Those people are living in the Philippines so can give you some really good advise on just about everything.

yes, but being temporary or probationary resident and permanent resident still does not entitle you to own land, own a business etc. its not Citizenship like a filipino with all the rights and priveliges that a nautral citizen has. Unlike naturalization in USA once you are a citizen you have the same rights as natural born citizens. and you can own business and own land and vote etc.

Chris

Agreed. However, it is still possible for foreigners to own land and businesses by setting up a corporation which is at least 51% Filipino and 49% foreign (but controlled by the alien). Usually, the Filipino partner does not contribute anything financially, just the use of his or her name. But the alien must have a very good lawyer to cover all the bases so that the corporation/business/land do not end up with the Filipino if things go wrong.

Get an American Lawyer with great knowledge of Filipino law.........................

Used to live there, saw some strange things happen when it came to money and land.

My husband (USC) lived in PI for almost 9 yrs. And I am not USC. Once a year we both travelled to H.K, Thailand or US. and when we came back we asked for balikbayan visa. And they stamp for 1 yr.