BY JUN RAMIREZ
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said foreigners who have Filipino spouses and dependents can only enter the Philippines if they have the appropriate visas.
“It is clear from the latest updates from the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Resolution 60 that foreigners, including spouses of Philippine citizens, allowed to enter country must have the proper visas prior their arrival in the country,” BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said in a statement.
He said the same requirement applies to children of Philippine citizens and children with special needs, regardless of age, as well as to foreign parents of Filipino and children with special needs, also regardless of age.
“Foreign spouses of Filipinos must now secure entry visas from our consulates abroad before traveling to the Philippines,” Morente stated.
BI port operation chief Grifton Medina disclosed that pursuant to the said IATF-EID resolution, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued a Foreign Service Circular 36 – 2020, last August 3, exempting the said foreigners from the suspension of visa issuance by Philippine Consulates.
Medina, however, clarified that the visa requirement applies only to foreign spouses, dependents and parents of Filipinos who do not have existing visas.
“Those aliens who already hold valid permanent and temporary resident visas which they acquired by reason of marriage to Filipinos under Section 13(a) of the Philippine Immigration Act can enter the country anytime,” Medina said. (Jun Ramirez)