Hi Martin Brownson, thank you for mentioning my name..... happy to help fellow members for free.

Will you be traveling outside PH a lot? If not, I'd go for the 13a spouse visa. That way you don't have to lock up a lot of money in a low-yield account. Edit: just saw the comment saying you're not married. FYI, if the spouse is a foreigner, you need them to start the divorce. If the spouse is Filipino, have her do the annulment. Also be aware that technically, since she's married, being with her in PH is illegal. It rarely becomes an issue unless the spouse or some authority wants to make it one, but best to be aware.

Just go to PRA. It's easy to do yourself. You're welcome.

About the negative comments: a post is only negative until the moderators get to it. About 90% of the really offensive comments come from first-time visitors, not members. They make one comment and get banned. Pointless comments get deleted, and members who are insulting — like the one who suggested a woman eat her cats instead of bringing them to the Philippines — get suspended. We just aren't reading comments 24/7. The group isn't all US vets. They have their own jargon around health care and retirement. I skip their posts and let the moderator who's a US vet handle them. I'm American, but I listen to Radio X and BBC Radio 6. I've called in to LBC's legal hour. I've even gotten up to speed on UK and Aussie pension law. Good luck on your adventure, and FLAG OFFENSIVE COMMENTS. The moderators will jump on them quickly. DJ, the other moderator, will probably comment and tell you to do your SRRV yourself. Aaron will reply too. He's great, except he won't join the moderator team. Yeah, Aaron, I'm calling you out, buddy...

D.j. DuLong In June 2020, with the travel bans in full swing, I left for my annual six-week US/VA/family trip. I stayed in constant contact with PRA, and in the end I was only delayed another six weeks coming back while PRA got authorization for SRRV holders to enter the country. It would have been three weeks less, but I'd rebooked my return flight just before my letter came. I was one of the first 52 allowed back. The Korean Air travel desk didn't know what to do with me, but after I nearly missed my Manila flight they let me board as long as I took responsibility if I was refused entry. Once I arrived, BI at NAIA was a piece of cake.

Some tips: - Deal with director-level PRA staff whenever possible. They're the decision makers. PRA-accredited agencies and marketers aren't decision makers — they're commissioned salespeople. - Don't pay the non-refundable application fee or make the deposit until every requirement has been "pre-approved." - Don't take "no" for an answer unless it comes from PRA director level or higher. - For some applicants, the Embassy or Consulate notary service can be used instead of apostilling your documents. - Ask about an "Affidavit of Undertaking," which lets you get the SRRV before your documents are actually certified through the Embassy or Consulate notary — especially if you live in an area where the Embassy or Consulate holds periodic "outreach" events. - If you decide to use a marketer, pick one who works openly with full disclosure — ideally someone with an informative website and YouTube channel who answers questions publicly as much as possible, not only by phone and DM. - There's a lot of misleading information on this topic. Many SRRV holders only know what their agent wanted them to know. Requirements change periodically. - Don't rush into the SRRV. It's not unusual for SRRV holders to change their minds and then struggle to get their deposit back.