Mutually possible current destination country to meet in?

[Oregontripper 0]

US citizen to travel from the US, Philippine citizen to travel from the Philippines to a 3rd country to meet in.  Both have valid passports and fully vaccinated.

 

 

Ideas?

 

Wait?

 

Try Manila?

 

 

As always, your collective wisdom is appreciated. 

[top_secret 2,126]

Thailand is now allowing vaccinated travelers from both the US and Philippines without quarantine to a number of areas and nationwide if they first spend 7 days in a "sandbox" area.  There are still testing requirements and a few restrictions.  You cant just show up at the airport just yet.  But is seem like conditions you can work with and not loose a week or two in quarantine trying to vacation.  With Thailand more or less coming back on line for tourism it seems the obvious first choice for third country meetings in the region.  For those who are vaccinated anyways.

[Oregontripper 0]

Thanks.  We will look into it. 

 

 

Good to see there is still a supportive community here at the Philippines regional forum. Good luck everyone!

 

 

Many thanks.

 

 

Love to hear about more specific details we need to consider to accomplish a meeting.  Need basic time together, possibly a week, rather than a destination vacation.

[top_secret 2,126]

The most difficult part of course would be getting her out of the Philippines.

[Oregontripper 0]

Not allowed to exit and then return currently for non-essential travel? Thailand requires a tourist visa or what?

[top_secret 2,126]

2 hours ago, Oregontripper said:

Not allowed to exit and then return currently for non-essential travel? Thailand requires a tourist visa or what?

 

Filipinas are rather routinely prevented from leaving by Philippine Immigration for a very large and murky list of arbitrary reasons such as previous travel history or lack thereof, financial, social and educational standing, general demeanor,  luck with what Immigration Officer they got that day, etc.  It's hardly a sure thing at all for a Filipina going to the airport and getting on a plane as a tourist.  Philippine Exit Immigration can be quite challenging.

[D&D&Dk1 9]

1 hour ago, top_secret said:

 

Filipinas are rather routinely prevented from leaving by Philippine Immigration for a very large and murky list of arbitrary reasons such as previous travel history or lack thereof, financial, social and educational standing, general demeanor,  luck with what Immigration Officer they got that day, etc.  It's hardly a sure thing at all for a Filipina going to the airport and getting on a plane as a tourist.  Philippine Exit Immigration can be quite challenging.

 

Prior to broad based Philippines government covid restrictions it was fairly easy for a filipina to travel abroad. CFO wasn't required most of the time. I traveled with my fiancee and our child abroad quite a few times. These days they are making it much harder to leave as well as travel to the Philippines. 

 

The whole CFO thing was meant to cut down on human trafficking but the reality is if you look at the statistics most human trafficking in the Philippines is done through the multitude of shady placement agencies run behind the scenes by powerful people.

 

[Oregontripper 0]

So, Plan B, a one - way itinerary to Mexico City, that might cause suspicion? LOL

 

 

 

Appreciate the inputs.

 

[Commish10 427]

10 hours ago, D&D&Dk1 said:

 

Prior to broad based Philippines government covid restrictions it was fairly easy for a filipina to travel abroad. CFO wasn't required most of the time. I traveled with my fiancee and our child abroad quite a few times. These days they are making it much harder to leave as well as travel to the Philippines. 

 

The whole CFO thing was meant to cut down on human trafficking but the reality is if you look at the statistics most human trafficking in the Philippines is done through the multitude of shady placement agencies run behind the scenes by powerful people.

 

You travelled with her. Filipinos traveling alone is much different, and as TopSecret said without travel history and other arbitraty requirements, they make it extremely difficult to leave. 

[Commish10 427]

14 minutes ago, Oregontripper said:

So, Plan B, a one - way itinerary to Mexico City, that might cause suspicion? LOL

 

 

 

Appreciate the inputs.

 

Mexico generally does not let Filipinos in. There have been some posts here of Filipinos not being admitted and turned around. 

[Just Paul 4,591]

19 minutes ago, Oregontripper said:

Plan B, a one - way itinerary to Mexico City

Filipinos need a visa unless they have a multiple entry visa from Japan, US or enter via cruise ship.  

We weren't able to get visa for Mary (spousal) and her sisters (as tourists) at the consulate in Manila.  We were easy able to get Mary's permanent spousal visa in Hong Kong in one day, 5 minutes and $35 later.

 

Singapore is opening for the fully vaccinated, but leaving Philippines is still problematic.

[Adventine 3,187]

22 minutes ago, Oregontripper said:

So, Plan B, a one - way itinerary to Mexico City, that might cause suspicion? LOL

 

 

 

Appreciate the inputs.

 

 

A one way ticket is an almost guaranteed way to get her denied boarding.

 

There have been some good suggestions here. Other suggestions include Costa Rica and Maldives.

 

Her chances of passing exit immigration improve significantly if she brings documented proof of a good travel history, a stable job, and significant assets.

[Oregontripper 0]

Thanks folks.

 

Might just be a time for patience - per usual - and await freedom to visit the Philippines,  our preference anyways.

 

 

Additionally, being locked up in a Manila hotel is of little interest... Fingers crossed.

 

Good Luck to all.

 

[top_secret 2,126]

14 hours ago, D&D&Dk1 said:

Prior to broad based Philippines government covid restrictions it was fairly easy for a filipina to travel abroad. CFO wasn't required most of the time. I traveled with my fiancee and our child abroad quite a few times. These days they are making it much harder to leave as well as travel to the Philippines. 

 

While there is certainly an ongoing overall tightening of restrictions on outbound travel, probably another major factor is that previously it was more common for couples wanting to go overseas for tourism to leave the Philippines together rather than the Filipino traveling alone and meeting  a foreigner overseas.  For years it was common advice that if you want to travel overseas with your Filipina girlfriend, it would be best to fly into the Philippines and escort her out.  Particularly on a first overseas trip, that would almost certainly generate a secondary interview, but with one live foreigner in their possession, they would mostly pass those interviews.  Now with the inbound travel restrictions and lots of separated couples, there are allot more girls trying to depart overseas alone then there used to be. 

[top_secret 2,126]

5 hours ago, Commish10 said:

Mexico generally does not let Filipinos in. There have been some posts here of Filipinos not being admitted and turned around. 

Yea,  don't try Mexico.  That was a big mistake.  Most Filipinas couldn't even get a visa.  But my wife did have a valid visa for Mexico, we attempted a couple of weeks vacation in Cancun, she got deported on arrival without being given a reason and a shocking level of hostility from Mexican Immigration, threatened and pressured into signing some Spanish language deportation order she couldn't even read, left me standing there waiting for her without any news where she disappeared, so we regrouped, went to Brazil which was very friendly to Filipino passports and had an awesome vacation in Rio De Janeiro instead of Cancun.  Wont be trying Mexico again.  That was a big mistake.  In Latin America, her Filipino Passport was been very welcomed in Costa Rica, Peru, and Brazil.  She was previously granted a Chile visa and very welcomed there.  I was quite impressed by Chile.  Panama accepted her Multiple Entry Japan Visa and was quite friendly.  We haven't been but Colombia is a great visa free option for Filipino passports too.