Visiting Fiance after visa, before entry

[Bri & Zai 0]

Question for you VJers who might have been through this before!

Quick background - I'm planning on spending a few months with my fiance in the Philippines (learning tagalog and getting to know all of her friends and family better!) after she's approved for her k1 visa before we fly back to the US to start our life here.

I know there is a 59 day tourist visa which I can get before hand and extend while there. Can I enter on a 1 way ticket or do I need a return ticket? My current plan is to enter on a 1 way ticket and after 4-5 months (in phil's and traveling around asia) we'll fly back together on 1 way tickets. Is this possible? If not, our anticipated flights to the US will be well after 59 days, so would return tickets even help?

Thanks for your help... just trying to get my arms around this so I dont run into any issues! Oh and I've called the Philippines consulate here in NYC to ask these questions.. left a few messages and haven't heard back.

[Caryh 5,206]

You need an exiting ticket to enter the Philippines on a tourist Visa. It does not need to be a return ticket, but you need to show you're going to leave the country again. Some get a forward ticket to another close country with a cheap flight and throw it away. Typical entry with no visa is 21 days, its supposed to change to 28 days shortly if it hasn't already. You can extend that when you enter, then extend again and again. The thing to be careful of is when her visa expires. Many have assumed they have more time than they do and let it expire before leaving. I'm not sure how you plan to qualify on income to adjust status after taking half a year off, but if you've got a workable plan, more power to you. Enjoy your trip!

[RandR333 9]

Get a one-way ticket to someplace like Malaysia, dated within 21 days or 59 days if you get the visa in the US - I used Air Asia and paid @$35. You don't have to use the ticket but you have to show you have a ticket out of the country - Philippine immigration will want to know that, as well as the airline you are arriving on.

The extension at the 59 day mark will cost about $150, you will be applying for an ACR-I card at the time which is part of that. Then at the 4 month mark, another @$75, I think. Payable in pesos. If the last day of any of your extensions falls on a holiday or weekend, you need to apply earlier or get fined.

Good luck!

[rlogan 2,036]

I stayed three months doing the same thing. Great idea! It was cheaper to buy a round-trip with the ability to change the date for a small fee. There's exchangeable tickets you can get too that you pay more for, and flight insurance too, which does the same thing.

Geez, you can extend the visa and extend again, and extend again - I went to Cebu and it was very quick, done in no more than an hour there. We built a small house. Another guy on Visajourney did that too. Talk about cheap and a great experience with the extended family coming in to work on it together.

Can I ask where they live?

[Hank_ 9,173]

Question for you VJers who might have been through this before!

Quick background - I'm planning on spending a few months with my fiance in the Philippines (learning tagalog and getting to know all of her friends and family better!) after she's approved for her k1 visa before we fly back to the US to start our life here.

I know there is a 59 day tourist visa which I can get before hand and extend while there. Can I enter on a 1 way ticket or do I need a return ticket? My current plan is to enter on a 1 way ticket and after 4-5 months (in phil's and traveling around asia) we'll fly back together on 1 way tickets. Is this possible? If not, our anticipated flights to the US will be well after 59 days, so would return tickets even help?

Thanks for your help... just trying to get my arms around this so I dont run into any issues! Oh and I've called the Philippines consulate here in NYC to ask these questions.. left a few messages and haven't heard back.

You need a round trip ticket, they want to see a copy of itinerary with a return flight. Not even sure the airline will sell you a ticket without a return flight without some sort of extended visa in hand.

I am hanging out for two months. I extended my visa today at DOI today, here they only extend 38 days at a time, even thought I had teh FA2 completed for 59 days they tossed it and handed me another form and said I can only extend 38 days at a time. I know if you apply to the PI embassy in the States they do it different.

Edited March 29, 2012 by Hank_Amy

[thekfc 26]

You can do either of the following:

1) Buy a flexible/unrestricted (economy Flex) round trip ticket. The ticket is good for one year and there is no re-booking fee or cancellation fee but it is more expensive than the other ticket types.

2) Buy an economy standard round trip ticket with a return day beyond the time you plan on staying in the Philippines. And when you are ready to return, then pay the $50 or $100 re-booking fee to change the date. You can do the re-booking the same time you buy her ticket and then choose your seats so you both can sit together.

The above are for the Asian based airlines. When I fly long haul to Asia I only fly via Asian based airlines - I am based in NYC and either fly via Cathay Pacific, JAL, Singapore Airlines or Asiana to Asia. I mostly use American Airlines for domestic flights & British Airways to Europe.

As for the visa, you can either enter the PI with the 21 days visa and extend it by 38 day for 59 day and keep on extending it. Or get the 59 days visa while here in NYC and keep extending it while in the PI.

But since you are in the NYC area you don't you take a trip to the Consulate General of the Philippines office in NYC (they are at 556 5th Ave @46th St). You can get the 59 days visa there and the may also be able to answer any questions that you may have.

The Consulate in NYC takes a long time to answer messages as they serve not just New York but also Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. That is a lot of places/ground that they have to cover so it would be better to talk to them in person.

[Bri & Zai 0]

Thanks everyone for the responses! Much appreciated. - FYI she just got approved at the consulate!!!

@rlogan - Near Legaspi in Bicol

[X Factor 1,110]

Thanks everyone for the responses! Much appreciated. - FYI she just got approved at the consulate!!!

@rlogan - Near Legaspi in Bicol

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