Immigration officers, how to deal

[pUlLaH]

ask ko lang ano ba mailagay na occupation sa embarkation card kung unemployed (still reviewing for the board exam) but [textspeak!] money im using for my trip came from my savings and kasama ko din [textspeak!] minor brother ko..hindi din namin first time mag-travel nag-BKK na kmi but sa Terminal 2 nain un tpos ngaun sa SG sa Terminal 3 (cebupac)...Thank you...

[mama squeak!]

^You can put student. Pag tinanong ka ng IO then you can explain your situation.

By the way, please edit your textspeak. Thanks!   

[khyerein]

Sisses ask ko lang pano malalaman if my travel ban? Kasi before nagwork ako dubai e may mga debts ako d nabayaran don. Possible kaya n maban din ako dito?

[jackyjames_09]

sisses, ano po ba yung kadalasan na tinatanong ng mga IO lalo na't pag first time lalabas ng country?
_bigla akong natakot!_ tsk!

[coldsiren]

^^ usually ang tinatanong ay kung anong gagawin mo dun sa pupuntahan mo?

[jackyjames_09]

oh ok  see.. Salamat sis!
yung bestfriend ko kasi dati, She was goin to Singapore, kaso sinita daw siyang bigla nung IO <from Cebu Pacific>. Bata pa daw siya <20 y/0 bata pa nga pero di na minor>, ano ba daw gagawin niya sa Singapore, kung siya daw yung mom ng bestfriend ko di daw niyang papayagang umalis siya mag-isa.. Ayun! Di siya natuloy nasayang lang yung binayarang flight di na din niya inasikaso sa sobrang badtrip niya.

[coldsiren]

^^ back read ka din kasi madami pa dyan na tanong. like ano work mo, san ka nag work, how much money do you have, etc.

[michi247]

^^kahit siguro ako mababadtrip niyan, grabe naman ang IO na yun. 20 yrs old na yun, kaya na niya sarili niya. nung first time namin magtravel, 15yrs old lang ko and kasama ko kapatid ko na 18 and 19yrs old, nakalusot kami 3, wala nga kami alam sa mga IO at wala din ako maalala na tinanung sa min.

kaya kinakabahan pa rin ako pag magtravel abroad, kasi takot din ako na hindi matuloy ang trip dahil sa IO.

[esor]

usually madaming tanong kapag solo travel ka lang, be confident & honest lang sa tanong ng IO, dress properly, I think wala naman magiging aberya
I remember nung nag SG ako (solo travel), talagang dun ako sa office ng IO kinausap

[jackyjames_09]

solo travel and first time ko pa kaya sana makahanap ako ng makakasama ko kinakabahan talaga ako sa mga IO na yan. I'll just wear shades na lang din siguro para di halatang kinakabahan or naiirita na ako sa kanila hehe Naisipan ko ngang umuwi muna ang fiance ko hehe to pick me up stay for 5days or 1weeks then gora na kami. Kaso di na practical, mahal ang fare.. pa-importante naman ako masyado hehe <but sana nga heehe>
I've read alot of blogs too sabi din dun dapat daw lagi lang naka-SMILE!;)
Thank you sa mga reply sisses;)

[phurple0515]

^ sis, you need to remove your shades if you are infront of the immigration officer.  no need na kabahan kasi pag kakabahan ka, of course baka iba pa isipin ng IO.  Wala ka naman dapat ikaba kung aalis ka for travel and you have enough proof that you can actually finance your stay abroad.

[jackyjames_09]

^Oh..oh sis! thank you;)
do i need to show them pa ba that I have enough money?? like my bank statement?
*my fiance will also support me there.

[coldsiren]

^^hindi naman sila naghahanap ng bank statements. but they could ask how much money do you have while they're interviewing you. even if you'll be supported by your fiance, you should still bring an emergency money for your sake. yun pakita mo sa kanila, if they ask you about how much money do you have. tapos sabihin mo din na susuportahan ka ng fiance mo that's why you're not bringing a lot of money.
are you going to visit your fiance? since your fiance would be supporting your trip it would be best to know things like the job of your fiance, company that he works for, how long has he been working there etc kasi baka itanung nila syo yan. dapat alam mo din yung address ng titirahan mo especially if it's not a hotel kasi isusulat yan sa forms na binibigay sa IO.

[phurple0515]

^ tama.  the time na i arrived dito sa KL for work, meron ako kasabay na Pinay sa kabilang IO, at tinatanong siya magkano pera niya.  Sabi ng Pinay, yong fiance din ang magsusupport sa kanya.  Hinahanapan pa rin siya ng pera at kung asan yong fiance.  sabi ng pinay, nasa labas daw inaantay siya.  Tapos ang pinakita lang ata na pera nasa 3thou pesos lang ata, basta wala pang $100 USD.  sabi ng IO sa kanya, dapat at me pera siya sarili to support her stay.

Nong pumunta rin si hubby (then bf pa lang) dito for Xmas, I have to send him the complete list and copy of my status here as a documented worker (copy of my employment visa & passport, invitation letter stating that I will finance his stay din, etc).  E me work si hubby non sa Pinas so he showed his company ID then also his pocket money at mga cards na dala.  So nothing much to ask yong IO sa kanya.  Kahit sister ko, sinabihan ko to bring complete documentation when she visited me here.

usually if you will be staying with someone abroad, tama si sis coldsiren.  need mo to know all the details of your sponsor, kahit phone no. at address, kasi they might actually check on them if they are also documented sa country na yon. 

[jackyjames_09]

Thank you so much sis @phurple0515 and sis @coldsiren! SALAMAT PO TALAGA!
Yup, memorize ko naman po address and phone niya kahit ng mom niya hehe..
Another question sis.. <Sensya po daming tanong>
Do i need to withdraw some of my penny or my ATM card is enough? If i really need cash as show money, ok na po ba kahit 15-30k pesos?
Cheers!!;)
TIA sisses!

[coldsiren]

^^ maganda yang memorize mo, pero isulat mo na din in case makalimutan mo. when i went to the for the US for the 1st time i was travelling alone. it was not my 1st international trip but it was my 1st time to travel alone. i made sure that i had printed copies of the address, phone numbers of my relatives in the US. kasi baka tanungin ako ng IO sa US about my relatives kahit na di ko sila dadalawin. i went to the US to visit my mom and sister. my mom sponsored my trip. the IO in the US asked me how long would my stay be and where would i stay. hinanda ko na din yung return ticket ko in case hingin nila w/c happened twice. 1st time nung dumating ako sa US hinanap yung return ticket ko, 2nd time nung nag galing kami ng mexico para bumalik sa US. nung 2nd time kasama ko na yung mom and sister ko. the IO was filipino and he was asking questions about my address in the philippines and US. may dala akong 2k dollars kasi 6 weeks ako sa US at natakot ako mag airport to airport. sponsored ng mom ko yung trip ko pero nagdala pa din ako ng pera para may ipakita sa kanila.

yes you need to widraw your money from your atm. saka dapat yung atm mo pwede sa international transactions, icheck mo na lang yung atm mo kasi di lahat ng atm pwede magamit sa ibang bansa.
10k pesos lang ang pwede mo ilabas at ipasok sa pilipinas. maximum amount na pwedeng dalhin ay 10k US dollars. when i travel outside the country i always bring US dollars kasi mas madali ipapalit yun. yung pesos na dala ko ay yung usual na pera ko sa wallet. hiwalay yung wallet ko for pesos and dollars. minsan kahit pwede ipalit yung pesos lugi ka sa exchange rate. san ka ba pupunta? ilang days ka dun? dipende rin kasi kung gaano ka katagal dun at san ka pupunta sa amount ng show money mo.

[jackyjames_09]

Big help ka talaga sis @coldsiren;) THANK YOU PO! Sige po, magpapa-print na din ako ng copy of my fiance's infos to avoid mistakes na din sa pagsagot/pagsulat ko sa form ng IOs.
I'm going to Brisbane, Australia then i'll stay for 3 months po. BPI po atm ko International naman po.
Sis, let's say 10k pesos [textspeak!] show money ko sa IOs natin dito sa Pinas. Pagdating ko ng Aussie Airport, obligado po ba akong ipapalit yung 10k ko to Australian dollars?

[coldsiren]

^^ tanong mo muna sa fiance mo kung pwede ipapalit yung pesos sa australian dollars. kasi di lahat ng country pwede mo ipalit yung pesos. di ka naman obligado ipapalit yung pesos mo dun sa australia. 

there's a tv show on cable called Border Security - Australia's Front Line, real story yung pinapakita nila. as in walang actors, yung mga tao sa airport at dumadating na passengers yung pinapakita sa tv. madami dun sa travelers nahohold pag suspicious sila sa motive nung traveller especially kung konti lang yung pera nya. meron dyan once isang asian (korean yata) girl nahold sa interview room kasi wala or konti yung dala nyang money. reason nya sponsored ng bf nyang korean yung trip nya. they tried to contact her bf but he was out of reach because he was at the airport. nung di daw lumabas yung girl, umuwi yung guy at saka sya naka usap at naka pag verify na talagang sponsored nya yung trip nung girl. since foreigner yung guy they also had to check his visa.  eventually she was able to enter australia.
meron pa akong napanuod na isang episode, mga late teens to early 20s yung european guy. konti lang dala nyang money pero sponsored ng father nya na based sa europe yung trip nya. sabi nya his father would send him money every 3 weeks. they called his father to verify his story. naniwala naman yung nag iinterview kaya naka pasok sya sa australia. 

[jackyjames_09]

Ah.. i see.. mahigpit pala talaga ano sis?
I'm hoping talaga na may makilala din akong Filipina na makakasabay ko pagpunta. Hirap kasi, parang mangangapa ako ng systems sa airport and siyempre iba na din yung may company ka ng kababayan mo.
Thank you sis for sharing!!

[coldsiren]

^^ wag kang mukang takot or kinakabahan sa kanila kasi baka lalo kang maiterogate pag muka kang suspicious.
dalhin mo lahat ng contact numbers ng fiance mo at mother nya. para madali silang macontact if ever someone calls them up when you arrive.
ingat ka lang sa makukuha mong company kasi baka drug courier yan. kung mukang konti yung ichecheck in mo at may maki usap na pagsamahin na lang yung baggage nyo, wag ka pumayag kasi delikado. gusto mo man magtiwala at tumulong sa kababayan natin, kailangan mong mag ingat kasi mahirap na yung makulong sa ibang bansa.
good luck on your trip.