Why you should consider applying for your 13a visa overseas
1. If you're moving here with your Filipino spouse, you can apply for the 13a non-quota immigrant visa at a Philippine embassy or consulate before you leave. For many people, that'll be the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco. Doing it there saves you a step you'd otherwise have to deal with after you arrive.
2. The main reason is the probationary period. If you apply here through the Bureau of Immigration (BI), you get a one-year probationary 13a. Near the end of that year, you file more paperwork, pay more fees, and go through another review to convert it to permanent.
3. If you get it from a consulate before you arrive, it's issued as a permanent immigrant visa from the start. You land as a permanent resident — no probationary year and no second conversion.
4. What the 13a gets you:
You can stay indefinitely. No more 30- or 60-day extensions or onward tickets.
You can work here without a separate Alien Employment Permit (AEP).
You get an ACR I-Card, which makes opening a bank account, getting a driver's license, and signing a lease much easier.
5. What the consulate typically asks for (always check the current list with your post — it changes):
Notarized 13a application form and a petition letter from your spouse
Your passport and your spouse's Philippine passport
PSA marriage certificate, or the Report of Marriage if you married in the US
FBI background check apostilled by the US Department of State, or a state police clearance apostilled by your Secretary of State
Medical exam including a chest X-ray and lab results
Proof of financial capacity: bank statements, pay stubs, pension, etc.
6. The process:
1) Gather your documents and get the apostilles.
2) Submit to the consulate — in person or by mail, depending on their current policy.
3) Get your passport back with the visa.
4) Enter the Philippines, then go to the BI for biometrics and your ACR I-Card.
7. One tip: police clearances and medical results usually have a validity window, often six months. Time your doctor visit and background check close to your submission date so nothing expires while you wait.
If you apply from within the Philippines after staying here continuously for over six months, you don't need any medical tests, you don't need proof of finances or bank statements, and you don't need a police or FBI clearance that has to be apostilled. It's actually much easier from inside the Philippines. Yes, the first year is probationary and you have to do it again to go permanent, but overall applying here is much simpler
Thanks. Is it true that “you can stay indefinitely” is conditional? Meaning it's not indefinite in an absolute sense (e.g. it can be revoked if the marriage ends in separation, if you run afoul of local law, or for any other reason that could trigger revocation). I think the first year is probationary. After that, I believe there's some renewal paperwork every five years. Also, is it true you have to pay every time you leave the country? The right to work does seem like a clear upside compared to the entry-level tourist visa. Just curious whether the above is true. If so, it might be helpful to add. Thanks for putting this together.
Or, if you're married, you can enter with your spouse and get the balikbayan visa 😉
Does the same process work at a Philippine embassy in the UK?
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