13a visa vs. SRRV visa which is better?

@jeffdavfla hey Jeff just got here to Davao

woukd you been interested in meeting up

Terry from Texas?

It depends on your situation. SRRV does require a financial deposit and 13a is good option also. I qualify for either but will apply for the 13a visa.

SRRV costs money indeed, but it provides complete independence, including hasslefree travel. I have it for 17y now.

I have friends with the SRRV that left the Philippines, during Covid, and could not get back in with their SRRV ID. I know I could get back in with my 13A.  This is something you need to verify before deciding.  There will be another virus crisis and the Philippines will overreact just like they did with Covid

@Glen Adkins

That is true in part. A flagrant violation of the visa conditions, exposing the slow reaction of the Philippine Retirement Agency.

However this was corrected later by the issuance of a sort of re-entry permit, which was not ofthe approved for POGO related workers.

Yeah, that was a tough time for SRRV holders, almost like discrimination.

Cheers, Steve.

@Glen Adkins Yes, that was a tough one especially since they let 13a come in which made it seem arbitrary. This is something srrv holders cannot forget, especially the ones who were on a trip overseas when the travel ban was imposed.

Ok, the benefits of the SRRV are slight considering you have to deposit $10,000 or more in a Philippine bank, depending on your status, which doesn't pay you Jack !#$# in interest, but they use your money likes it's their own!  I mean for $10,000 you should be getting a lot more benefits.  That being stated, it does allow for unlimited departure and reentry, so if you're not retired and need to travel back and forth between countries for business purposes, or just to visit family and such, then it could be worth it.  Also, you don't have to be married!  A 13a requires marriage to a Filipino national.  So, you couldn't get a 13a if you aren't married.  Also, as stated above, the Philippines Retirement Authority (PRA). treated us like shit!  I was married when I went back to the US in 2019 and was locked out of this country until July 2021, almost two years.  Foreigners with a 13a were let in to be with their spouse.  I didn't matter that I was married also, that was not even considered in reference to the SRRV.  Denying a SRRV holder, in my opinion, was like denying a Filipino citizen access to the Philippines.  Not only that, they had my $10,000 USD and were using it that whole time!  I have recently started to conversion process to 13a, which is a pain in the ass!  The PRA charges you for everything.  It's a ridiculous process, but one I have to go through.  It takes 6 months after the cancellation of the SRRV to receive you money back "6 months" WTF!!!!  If I didn't love my gwapa wife so much and the Philippines didn't have some of the best beaches in the world I would leave this @%$@& place forever!!  That being stated, I hope this helps and have a good day and God bless!!!!

Sorry for what you have been through whacker. Another point that I picked up on many years ago was that if you are in the country for over a year on an SRRV then you have to pay departure taxes, not sure about the EEC. On a visitor visa after 6 months ECC and departure tax.

Putting 10, 20 or 50K US into a hole is up to the individuals choice and sure saves going to immi every 2 months but saves little on the SRRV. I simply plan my immi visits with visiting all the bigger malls and major shopping sprees.

I feel it will be a long time before I go the SRRV route as I don't draw a pension from my super and even when/if I do investing US 10K in a hole smacks of opportunism when weighed up against the few benefits., aside the local boss of the PRA in my area after 20 plus emails is a self opiniated piece of cr@p, If I go this route it will be in Manila.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

There have been many good replies to this post already so I'll simply share my experience.

When we retired here in 2019, my original plan was just to use the BB (Balikbayan privilege) to stay here.  Leaving for at least one day every year seemed like a slam-dunk way to handle things.  Then COVID19 hit.

I decided I'd shoot for the SRRV since it's pretty cheap as a US veteran.  However, I ran into some complications with that whole "apostille" certification process, plus SRRV applications were discontinued for a while during COVID.  I decided that probably wasn't a good way to go so I got my 13A just a few months ago.

In hindsight, I should have gotten the 13A before we moved here as you get to skip the one-year probationary process, but that said it still wasn't difficult.  Just a little time-consuming since we live over two hours from the nearest BI office that can handle 13A.  But it's pretty easy and no "fixers" are needed.

@Lenny Gemar I actually applied for a 13A in the US last year, same as you I wanted to forego the probationary one. I had everything done, the PI embassy called on a Friday and said they'd looked through the package and everything looked fine. Then Monday they called again and said that the authority to issue 13A's had been revoked from all embassy's and consulates. They sent my package back. The about $1k I'd spent for the medical crap was wasted. So came here on a BB visa. Then about 8-9 months later I applied for my SRRV, got that after a month. Now I'm dealing with the apostille issue. It seems to be impossible to get a signed SS Benefits letter. I got an FBI report and a copy of my DD214 from the National Archives, sent them to the State Department. They apostilled the FBI report but not the DD214, they said it did not have a signature. I called the National Archives and they said they don't sign, just the archives stamp. The guy said doesn't your 214 have a signature where you were discharged? I said yes. He said well that is the signature, probably somebody just didn't know what they were doing. The state department sent a letter saying to get it apostilled at the state level. Well of course I can't do that because I can't get it notarized by a notary in that state. And the states that allow online notary do not accept it for apostilles. Government is irritating. So I'm going to the embassy next month (more than a month for a notary appt is ridiculous) to get my SS letter and DD214 notarized. My agent told me she has had the PRA accept those recently. Oh, and the PRA required physical was a walk in the park compared to the 13A physical in the US.

you must have  good PRA assistance

@emvaningen I think you know her.

@pilotdrh That's interesting. I didn't realize that 13A added a physical exam if you applied outside of the PI. I knew the SRRV requires it and I had gotten that done as part of my SRRV preparation, but then they suspended SRRV apps so I got the 13A here. Yes, government bureaucacy is a pain in the you-know-what, no matter what country you're in.