Immigration Officers: How to Deal (Thread 2)

[simang]

^Thank you sis, sige take note ko yan. Allowed ba na sabay sabay kami lahat? me, husband, baby, and yaya? First out of the country travel din namin to as a family, so i'm not sure. Akala ko isa isa talaga  iniinterview.

[chicafabulosa]

Yes IO here in Manila normally allow yung group. Sa SG lang one by one

[simang]

^thanks sis, very helpful

[izabelle]

Last November 16, first time namin mag Out of the country. I prepared all documents na pwede hingin sa amin, as in ang dami kong dala haha! Based sa lahat ng nabasa ko na pwede hingin ng IO.

So nung turn na namin ng husband and daughter ko, walang hiningi LOL, ngumiti pa sa amin then tatak sa passport, gora na.

Same sa HK, smile lang then tinanong lang anak ko, What is your name?

[Rory_Lorelie_Gilmore]

^Happens most of the time pag may kasamang kid, or kung as a family kayo. 

[izabelle]

^ Napansin ko din yon. Yung mga nauna kasi sa amin puro nag iisa, ang tagal ng interview sa IO. Yung sister ko and her bf kasunod namin, tinanong lang naman sila magkaano ano sila and kelan balik nila.

Pero meron sa ibang lane, nag iisa lang din pero parang wala din tinanong sa kanila. Case to case basis din siguro.

[minnie99]

NAIA T1 last September, was leaving for a long while (4 months) to study! Wala naman tinanong sa akin. It was my first time in T1 din in a loooooooooooong time, so good na okay naman ang experience ko din. Hehe.

[cute_1022]

I just wanna share my "Scary" IO experience last July when I went to Malaysia. I used to be an OFW from Dubai, but I already resigned last Dec. 2016 and now I'm working here at my brother's company.  Nung pumunta ako ng Dubai for work last 2014, I went out as a tourist with a tourist visa (like what most Filipinos would do). Then nakahanap ako ng work doon and got my employment visa. It's because of that na na-hold ako sa immigration last July for almost an hour kase they were thinking na baka gagawin ko ulit.

So for those like me who used to be an OFW and you plan on going out of the country, be prepared with the interrogations. Be ready with your company ID, hotel bookings and return ticke., Nkaka-frustrate lang kase prang I was treated like a criminal just because I used to be an OFW. To think nakatulong ako somehow sa country for being an OFW! Some questions are just below the belt and mejo personal na.

Before I was an OFW, palagi na akong nagtatravel, most of the time im alone and I never have to go through hell sa immigration. But simula nung nag OFW ako, talagang pinag-iinitan na ako. I just went to Taiwan last month and same thing happened - I was interrogated for long. But at least prepared na ako this time so mejo hindi na ako kabado.

[angeljolie]

^IO dito sa Pinas yan?

[Rory_Lorelie_Gilmore]

^^ totoo yan, mas mahigpit minsan sa ex-OFW, lalo na if di pa nag acquire ng OEC and nagpa enlist sa OWWA, pagbalik Pinas or bago bumalik ng Pinas. I for one, nakaexperience na din ng horror interrogation from our IO. 7 yrs nako OFW btw, and I also travel outside the country for leisure. Kaya nung maayos na lahat papel ko ako naman ang wagas maka poker face sakanila. LOL

Bottom line is, di ko maintindihan bakit ganon ang attitude ng mga IO, masyadong distant na minsan rude na AT DI NA MAKATAO, di mo malaman kung bakit ka kailangan i-interrogate ng ganong manner, bastos, nangaatake ng personal, bakit kailangan poker face at parang galit sila sa mundo, gawin sana nila yon sa mga may kaso wag sa civilian na gusto lang lumabas at probably maghanap ng trabaho para ibuhay sa pamilya. I get it na ang essence is gusto lang tayo ingatan, mahirap nga naman lumabas at magtrabaho ng undocumented sa ibang bansa, MALAKING HASSLE pag sa ibang bansa tayo napahamak, pero worst case scenario naman pag nagkagulo, tatakbo tayo sa Embassy ng kung saan mang bansa tayo andon with our passports on hand, so agad agad maidentify tayo na Pinoy.

And mas weird pa is minsan naman super luwag nila LALO NA PAG NAKITANG WELL OFF KA, so ano ba talaga SOP? Ilang beses na sila nareklamo sa mga ugali nila. Masyadong mga high and mighty, at andaming bastos lalo na noon matatanda pa usually mga IO.

[xtine]

^For me, when I went out as an ex OFW to Mexico via US, nagulat ako na walang tinanong sa akin.  I went back to MNL (still an ex OFW), then went out of the country again after few months, same behaviour pa rin.  It pays talaga pag merong travel history, maganda magdamit, confident at hindi mukhang kabado at first timer. 

Even if they will give me the sungit and the condescending look, I would still smile and answer them politely as it is part of their job to act such a way para manindak ng potential undocumented workers or human traffickers.  Ganun din ang behaviour sa ibang countries like US, they will not be friendly to you unless you pass their scrutinization.

Likewise, no need to feel mad and angry if they are feeling almighty and high, just let them be.  No need para dibdibin.  As long as we are not hiding anything, just answer them ng isang tanong, isang sagot, then just say thank you and walk away. 

[minatay91]

^ agree, I always think to myself that they are required to be mean and intimidating. I never forgot the face of that one IO who asked me, "So what the hell are you doing in the Philippines?" and kept asking if I will work there daw.

Bottomline, when I got home sa hotel mga 3 hours later, they added me sa FB. odiba bongga haahahah

[cute_1022]

^IO dito sa Pinas yan?

YUP, IO sa Pinas, in Cebu.

They told me na dapat balik daw talaga ako cos I am daw on their "watch list" . Hello? Criminal ba ako? I think he is just trying to scare me for saying that. Kase di ako bumalik on the date na dineclare ko sa return ticket. I ended up extending my trip so kinabahan ako pauwi baka i-interogate ako. But hindi naman ako ininterogate pag-uwi ko. wala ngang sinabi.

[cute_1022]

I understand they are just doing their job, pero as an avid traveller, it's very frustrating kase di mo alam kung kelan ka maho-hold or what. Kase hindi consistent. Minsan mabait, minsan masungit.  Even if you are telling the truth, di maiwasan na kabahan ka lalo na nung na-invite ako sa room for interrogation. I was shaking all over but I'm still trying to be confident and courteous when answering the questions. They even asked for my credit cards and ATM cards and photocopied them and it's the first for me, kaya nakaka pag tataka.

God forbid, di pa naman ako na offload. Di lang talaga maiwasan na kabahan ako everytime dadaan ako sa imig dito sa pinas kase di mo alam kung ano ang mood ng IO.

 

[Rory_Lorelie_Gilmore]

Pero yung IO satin lalo na noon nung mga matatanda pa ang nakaupo ang babastos (around 5-7 yrs ago), madami-dami na din naman ako napuntahan, pero di naman ganyan IO usually, dito nga Arabo pa, never ko nafeel na na harass ako whatsoever, iba naman yung nagtatanong lang kasi with respect pa din sa tao and alam mong SOP lang ang ginagawa, I know they are wired to be poker faced, and sort of manindak at to scrutinize mga lalabas satin, but not to the point na nangiinsulto na ng pagkatao. Haha, and yes, depende sa "mood" ata ang pag interrogate, baka kung pagod na sila magtatanong, stop muna, coffee break tapos attack uli, haha! I know kailangan well documented ka, marunong magdala ng sarili and makipagusap ng maayos, you should look presentable, it helps kung financially eh stable ka din, at kung well travelled plus points pa. Pero sorry forever stained na ata tingin ko sa mga IO natin, maski pa once or twice ko lang naexperience yan sa over 15 x ko paglabas pasok ng Pinas. Dahil sa Pinas ko lang yan naranasan.

You cant blame people na na-trauma/frustrated na sa IOs natin kasi di naman biro mag-travel, ang gastos at ang effort ha, kung i-hold ka like me, na umabot pa sa Supervisor noon, tapos nagchichismisan lang yung mga Visor nila in front of me, at ma-late ka sa flight mo maski pa gano kaaga ka andon, di naman nila ishoulder yung ticket mo kung di ka umabot sa flight mo worse kung may naka-book ka ding hotel and tour etc. Plus yung hassle, yung takot mo and all, the way we carry ourselves mahirap i-impose sa lahat ng tao, meron talagang mabilis kabahan or nerbyosa/nerbyoso maski pa di ka naman guilty haha! At merong calm at composed no matter what happens.

Mahirap magsalita kung di mo pa first hand naexperience. 

^yan ang issue, consistency! Where's the thin line between the mood of the IO sa pag scrutinize at ng SOP per law or kung ano man nag govern ng procedure nila?!

[mysterioza_me]

Nakakakaba naman mga experience ninyo. First time ko mag-out of the country sa March parang natakot naman ako. I remember an officemate na first timer din, muntik ng di umabot sa flight niya dahil sa tagal ng interrogation,napagkamalan pa na mag-sex worker. We should go at the airport siguro ng sobrang aga. Ilang hours kaya before our flight?

[Rory_Lorelie_Gilmore]

^Sis family kayo diba lalabas with Kids, safe ka haha, especially if you're the mom of the kids.

[mysterioza_me]

^Yes sis family kami and kasama son ko. Hay, it is very comforting to know na safe kami pero i will bring na rin some docs like COE, company id, passbook, atm, my son?s id, school records etc para sure.

[Rory_Lorelie_Gilmore]

^Yes, para sure! 

[Apple1230]

first time i left the country i brought some docs like COE, id, proof of income, etc. pero photocopy lang lahat takot kasi ako to bring original docs just in case ma misplace or mawala photocopy lang ang nawala not the original ones.

one time nag abroad kame i'm with my sister and nephew. same surname kameng lahat pero yung nephew ko walang kasamang parents 7yrs. old siya at that time. brought docs niya nung nasa immigration kame sabay sabay kameng 3 hindi naman kame tinanong. tinignan lang passport namin then ok na. did not even looked at our itinerary.