Enter on Tourist Visa or Balikbayan Visa

[Lover_Boy 12]

Headed to Philippines next month to spend some time with my wife and gonna fetch her back to USA.  I was thinking about having her fly to either Japan or Korea and meet up there for a week or so and tour the country and then we fly back to Philippines together so I can enter the Philippines with her, and get a 1 year free entry (Balikbayan Visa Stamp).  It will be much better than entering alone on a Tourist Visa into Philippines, and having to get a visa extension each month for me which is a pain, I will stay about 3 to 6 months and when I am ready will we catch a flight back to USA.

 

Which country Japan or Korea speaks the most English?  I have been to both airports many times, but never spent anytime inside either country.

 

Thanks

[Chancy 6,233]

*** Moved from Tourist Visas forum to the Philippine regional forum -- topic is not about US visa process ***

 

15 minutes ago, Lover_Boy said:

Headed to Philippines next month to spend some time with my wife and gonna fetch her back to USA.

 

Does your wife have a green card?  If not, does she have a tourist visa to either Japan or Korea?

 

[top_secret 2,061]

1 hour ago, Lover_Boy said:

Which country Japan or Korea speaks the most English?  I have been to both airports many times, but never spent anytime inside either country.

 

Not so much English in either country.  Make sure you are familiar with Google Lens visual translating.  It works well in Japanese or Korean and is a HUGE help.  Google maps works amazingly perfect on Japanese trains and subways which is a huge help getting around.  Korea not so much.  In general I would say Japan has a bit more to see that's reasonably accessible by western tourists.  Pre-rona they had built up a huge tourism infrastructure there.  I wouldn't put Korea down in any way because it's a great place to visit too, but if I had to choose, it would be Japan.

 

As Chancy mentioned Filipinos need a tourist visa for either country, but such visas are attainable by Filipinos and either country would typically be an almost automatic approval for a Filipina traveling with a US spouse.  There is no interviews or in person appearances required and both countries process tourist visas through accredited travel agents in the Philippines, but you would still need to plan ahead since it could take a few weeks to get a visa. 

[Just Paul 4,591]

Malaysia and Hong Kong don't require visas for Filipinos with direct flights. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_Philippine_citizens

 

[SalishSea 16,770]

1 hour ago, Lover_Boy said:

Headed to Philippines next month to spend some time with my wife and gonna fetch her back to USA.  I was thinking about having her fly to either Japan or Korea and meet up there for a week or so and tour the country and then we fly back to Philippines together so I can enter the Philippines with her, and get a 1 year free entry (Balikbayan Visa Stamp).  It will be much better than entering alone on a Tourist Visa into Philippines, and having to get a visa extension each month for me which is a pain, I will stay about 3 to 6 months and when I am ready will we catch a flight back to USA.

 

Which country Japan or Korea speaks the most English?  I have been to both airports many times, but never spent anytime inside either country.

 

Thanks

Fetch her back to the US how?   Does she have a spousal visa already?

[Carpe Vinum 2,310]

I am currently here on the BB visa as we are staying six weeks. They didn't even ask for any docs or proof. Her passport is still in her maiden name. I think it might be because I am quite charming or maybe it is because of the big "M" for married stamped on my forehead 😉 

[Lover_Boy 12]

On 5/23/2023 at 12:38 PM, Chancy said:

*** Moved from Tourist Visas forum to the Philippine regional forum -- topic is not about US visa process ***

 

 

Does your wife have a green card?  If not, does she have a tourist visa to either Japan or Korea?

 

Nope, Not needed for her as far as I know.

 

 

[Chancy 6,233]

5 minutes ago, Lover_Boy said:

Nope, Not needed for her as far as I know.

 

What travel document will your wife present to be able to board the plane to Japan or Korea?  If all she has is her Philippine passport, and no US green card nor Japan/Korea tourist visa, she won't even be allowed to check in to her flight to enter Japan or Korea.  Transiting is fine without a visa, but she will not be able to exit the airport to explore either of those countries.

 

[Lover_Boy 12]

14 hours ago, Chancy said:

 

What travel document will your wife present to be able to board the plane to Japan or Korea?  If all she has is her Philippine passport, and no US green card nor Japan/Korea tourist visa, she won't even be allowed to check in to her flight to enter Japan or Korea.  Transiting is fine without a visa, but she will not be able to exit the airport to explore either of those countries.

 

Really?

 

Why is that?

 

She will present her US Passport, I see  no issues

[Lover_Boy 12]

On 5/23/2023 at 2:22 PM, SalishSea said:

Fetch her back to the US how?   Does she have a spousal visa already?

She has both a US and Philippines Passport, The best of both worlds. I get to enter the Philippines for up to year for free with here with me, and I think no exit clearance is needed, which is nice

 

She can come and go as she pleases from USA, Life is Grand..........

[Talako 756]

18 hours ago, Lover_Boy said:

She will present her US Passport, I see  no issues

A detail that should should have been in your first post for clarity. 

[Lover_Boy 12]

1 hour ago, Talako said:

A detail that should should have been in your first post for clarity. 

The question was about what country speaks the most English

 

My post wasn't posted in the Philippines section, it was posted somewhere else and moved here, FYI

[carmel34 3,529]

On 5/23/2023 at 1:22 PM, Lover_Boy said:

Which country Japan or Korea speaks the most English?

S. Korea is #36, Japan #80, based on this ranking of English proficiency in non-English speaking countries world-wide, so it looks like S. Korea "speaks the most English."  Netherlands is #1 and Singapore #2, for context.

 

https://www.ef.com/wwen/epi/

Edited May 26, 2023 by carmel34

[Talako 756]

4 hours ago, Lover_Boy said:

The question was about what country speaks the most English

 

My post wasn't posted in the Philippines section, it was posted somewhere else and moved here, FYI

True, but, look how it went off course so quickly.

 

People are helpful here, and they saw issues in your intro paragraph.  So, the thread went as it did.

[Lover_Boy 12]

1 hour ago, Talako said:

True, but, look how it went off course so quickly.

 

People are helpful here, and they saw issues in your intro paragraph.  So, the thread went as it did.

Fair Enough