Don't go to a lawyer, they'll rip you off. Do it yourself at the immigration office in Intramuros, Manila. I applied a month ago, and it was much better and cheaper.

The paperwork is a bit painful, but the reality is you have to do it yourself whether or not you use an agent. Save the pesos and do it on your own. All in, it cost me around ₱15,000. Get your NBI clearance sorted first, since it takes 30 days. Most documents need to be notarized.

I used JRC Visa Consultancy & Immigration Services. They do all the paperwork and you just show up for the interview with your wife 😁 easy. But if I had more money I'd get a retirement visa. It's one-time, and you don't have to go to the annual report every year.

Why not just keep the balikbayan visa? Take a trip out of the country with your Filipina once a year and you never pay for a visa at all.

Make sure you've got money