Immigration Officers: How to Deal (Thread 2)

[nikki]

I stopped working since 2014 and so far had only 1 international travel (HK) last March. I wasn't asked anything by the IO. I travelled with my hubby, 2 babies and 1 yaya. Our next planned travel is SG this coming September and our every other year US vacation this December. I don't see any reason why I should be offloaded for not being able to present a company ID. But it does make me a bit paranoid haha

[regv]

Hi guys,

I just want to ask kung ano experience nyo sa immigration dito sa Pinas and sa Narita Airport. I was approved SE visa today and I'm planning to go to Tokyo sa August 8 hanggang August 22. 9th anniversary namin ng bf ko who works there and first time ko na mag travel abroad. I have funds naman pero balak ko kasi mag stay sa apartment ng bf ko. Medyo worried ako kung kelangan ko i disclose na sa kanya ako mag stay kasi wala akong mga docs to present except photos and our convos.

Need your advice badly. Salamat po.

[gj1206]

regv What's an SE visa? Sorry ha, I don't know what it is kase! Normally, embassies ask where you are planning to stay for the duration of your visit in their country when you apply for a visa kase. Anyway, maybe you can get your bf to write a letter stating that he is inviting you to stay at his place with the dates of your stay, and his contact info (mobile number, email, address) if they want to contact him, and let him sign and scan it. Don't know if they need/want a notarised photocopy of his ID. This is what I used as supporting documents when I applied for an Australian tourist visa when I visited my bf/husband, but I didn't have to present it at immigration. Could be helpful for you though?

[kachich]

^not regv but SE is Single Entry visa

^^regv, you already have a visa so it shouldnt be a big worry when leaving out of the country. Just put in the location of where you'll be staying in the immigration form. Hindi naman mahigpit kasi dapat na 'clear' ka na during the visa application process.

[conp_]

Hi guys,

We'll be travelling next week to Vietnam and Cambodia for a tour. I just learned from a friend's friend who owns a travel agency na madami daw nao-offload this year. Here's my issue:

My younger sister is into MLM. As such, she won't be able to show a COE and ITR. Dapat daw sa Occupation field sa immigration form, ilagay daw na "unemployed" kasi technically, she isn't employed naman daw. 'Wag din daw sabihin na businesswoman, kasi hahanapan ng mga docs that she wouldn't be able to provide kasi she doesn't own the business naman. Ang sabihin daw is unemployed but primary source of income is from the MLM business.

Now the thing is she won't be able to provide a bank statement to prove that she can well support her travel. Ang suggestion ng friend ko, sabihin namin na iccost-share namin ng kapatid ko yung travel niya. Now the issue is, we also don't have a bank statement to provide. In my case, dahil kanina ko lang nalaman na sobrang higpit na daw sa BIR, I won't have ample time to have the bank statement processed (my bank will be able to provide the bank statement after 3-4 banking days, so hindi na abot). The only doc I can provide is a cert of employment indicating my salary.

Will there be a chance that my sister will be further investigated? Offloaded?

Will the COE suffice as a proof of financial capacity?

I'm kind of wary because this is the first time we'll be travelling overseas together and we're so excited about this trip. Now nasstress kami sa possibility na maoffload yung kapatid ko

[bagaholic_chewy]

^ i personally would not suggest putting "unemployed" sa immigration form. Medyo red flag yun for more questions. Pwede pa sigurong "self-employed" or "entrepreneur" or something. Wala ba sya any proof of earnings sa MLM nya? But this is just me. I couldn't say for sure.

Regarding bank certificate, 1 day lang usually yun, pwede mo request sa morning makukuha na ng hapon (well, based on our experience sa BDO). Or if you have online banking, baka pwede ka mag-print ng statement from there?

[pinklilac]

^^ hi sis. Ako 4 times lumabas ng Pinas on a tourist visa at unemployed din ako pero palagi naman maayos akong nakakabyahe.

Sabihin na langlang sa Immigration officer na treat mo yun sa sister mo.
pero sana lang medyo malaki ang salary na ipapakita mo para ma prove na afford mo talaga sagutin expenses ng kapatid mo.

Btw sa BPI same day makakuha ng bank cert.

Baka mas detailed ang bank statement kaya matagal? 
IMO Ok na ang bank cert kase naka lagay naman doon magkano pera mo sa bank..
goodluck sis

[kachich]

conp_ : How old is your sister? Will she pass as a student? I went out of the country unemployed but put in 'student' in the occupation field. This was 3 months after I graduated (went to Singapore--this I was alone and Hong Kong).

It shouldnt be a big worry unless wala naman masamang motibo, besides, Vietnam and Cambodia are visa-free countries for us, so dapat wala masyadong questions.

[stormy]

@izabelle, No sis hindi naman mahigpit basta maayos ang dokumento. Ang nakita ko lang na mahigpit yung papuntang SG kasi hindi nya anak yun kasama nya. May papeles naman sya from DSWD pero may kasama kasi na yaya so ang daming tanong at hiningi na papeles. Nakapambahay ang dating at medyo gusgusin sobrang tagal kaya pinalipat kami sa window para sa foreign passport holder. Maraming beses na rin na kaming dalawa lang ng daughter ko sumusunod lang kami sa husband ko hindi naman mahigpit, mga normal na tanong lang.

[str8poopin]

HI! i will be traveling to US next week via PAL and im unemployed ano po kaya pwede ilagay sa employment status sa departure card? my parents will shoulder my ticket and im gonna visit them since ako nalang mag isa dito sa pinas. this is my 3rd time going to us, yung first is student ako 2010 the yung second right after my graduation 2012. i hope you can help me with this matter, thank you! 

[esor]

^you can put STUDENT, yung ibang IO naman hidin naghahanap ng ID.
And kung may previous travel ka naman , hindi ka na suspicious sa kanila.

I always travel with my younger sister, na naka online job sya. Every tarvel namin, she put lagi sa departure card na "STUDENT". Di naman sya hinahanapan ng ID, pero natatanong lang ng "absent ka nyan?" ganun lang. 

[xtine]

^^You can put unemployed and before starting your new work or looking for a new one, you want to have a vacation in the US. 

[str8poopin]

@esor: haha! ano age ng sister mo? baka magduda sa akin 26 na ako student padin. thanks

@xtine: thanks sa input and sana talaga walang maging problem! yung 2 previous travels ko hindi naman ako hinanapan ng docs tatak agad.

[esor]

^sis str8poopin, she's 28 na
we went to Bali last month, student pa din nilagay nya, hindi sya hinanapan ng ID. tinanong lang sa kanya is kung absent sya, then tinanong sa kanya kung kelan pupunta ng Korea, kasi nakita yung multiple visa nya. Medyo echosera nga si ate, kasi nag ask pa kung sino pinupuntahan sa Korea, napansin kasi na yearly yung travel namin dun. ang weird lang 

[str8poopin]

@esor: talaga, good to know na ok pala yan ganyan. haha thanks sa info i hope na walang maging problem

[missreese]

Noob question... Pinoy po ba yung immigration officer kahit san bansa ka pupunta?
Dito ba sila based, i mean bago ka tumapak ng airplane or pagdating mo na dun sa bansang pupuntahan mo?

[ohcmon]

^ May Pinoy IO dito sa Pinas bago ka umalis regardless of destination, tapos may foreign IO din pagdating mo abroad.

[mama squeak!]

^^Kung nandito ka sa Pilipinas, mga Pinoy ang IO (both departure and arrival). So kung paalis ka ng Pilipinas papunta sa ibang bansa mga Pinoy IO sa departure ang dadaanan mo. Tapos kunyari papuntang kang Hongkong, pagdating mo dun mga HKG nationals naman na IO ang dadaanan mo sa arrival.

Kung paalis ka na ng HKG, dadaan ka ulit sa departure immigration na ang mga IO mga HKG nationals. Then pagdating dito sa Pilipinas, mga Pinoy IO naman sa arrival ang magpa-process sa yo.

In short kung saan man bansa ka ang mga IO nila ay yung mga nationals/citizens nila. 

[honeybunny]

how strict yung mga IO going to Japan? do i still need to show them my COE, bank cert, etc? or since i submitted them na upon visa application, hindi na nila hahanapin yun?

it will be my first time out of the country so medyo anxious ako

[kachich]

^ no need to show coe/bank cert etc., these should have been verified by the embassy when you applied for a visa. If you have, bring your Office ID.