1. What is a passport? Why is it important when traveling?

 A passport is defined as an official document of identity and

nationality issued to a person intending to travel or sojourn in
foreign countries. It is the property of the government of the issuing
authority. It is not a private property of the person to whom it has
been issued.They grant the bearer safe passage and protection in a
foreign land. You typically must present your passport several times
at the airport if you are flying, and at the border if you are travelling
by car.

2. What is a visa? What are the different kinds of visas which the
Philippine government can issue to foreigners?
 A visa is a written endorsement made on a travel document or
passport by a consular official denoting that the visa application has
been properly examined and that the bearer is permitted to proceed
to the country of his destination. The different kinds of Visas which
Philippine government can issue to foreigners are:
- Treaty Trader or Treaty Investor
- Subic Special Investors Visa under R.A. 7227
- Special Economic Zone Visa under R.A. 7916
- Special Clark Economic Zone Visas under Executive Order No. 80
- Cagayan Economic Zone and Free Port Visa under R.A. 7922
- Investor in Tourist-Related Project or Tourist Establishment Under
Executive Order No. 63

3. What are the requirements before a foreigner can be issued a

prearranged employment visa in the Philippines?
 - qualification of the applicant, alien employment permit issued by
the Department of Labor and Employment, in proper cases a
provisional permit to work or special work permit issued by the
Bureau of Immigration, in certain cases absence of derogatory
information against the applicant from any local or international law
enforcement agency, financial capacity of the petitioning company
to support and maintain the applicant during his employment in the
Philippines, a written undertaking that the applicant shall not
participate in any partisan political activity for the duration of his
stay in the Philippines, written undertaking that the applicant shall
use the prearranged employment visa exclusively, certified copies of
the corporate registration papers at the Securities and Exchange,
 Commission; and proof of payment of the income taxes of the alien
and his employer.

4. What is the difference between a Philippine passport and a travel

document issued by the Philippine government?
 Philippine passports are only issued to Filipino citizens, while travel
documents (under Section 13) may be issued to citizens who have
lost their passports overseas, as well as permanent residents who
cannot obtain passports or travel documents from other countries.
In addition, A travel document is a form of identification issued by a
government or international treaty organization that allows for the
movement of individuals across government-regulated boundaries. A
passport is the most common example of a travel document.

5. What would you advise a Filipino who needs to travel soon and has
lost his passport?
 I will tell her/him that You will need to report your passport as lost at
the nearest police station and secure a police report. You will also
need to execute an Affidavit of Loss and present your original PSA
Birth Certificate when you apply for replacement of your passport.

6. What is a fantasy passport? What is a camouflage passport?

 Fantasy Passports are not valid travel documents. They are usually
issued by a private individual or organization, usually purporting to
be from a fictitious or invented country (Fantasy Land) or authority, a
country that once existed but no longer exists, or a self-appointed
political group.
 Camouflage passports are not legitimate travel documents. They are
deceptive as they purport to be legitimate travel documents from
countries which once existed or which have changed their names.
The names of the camouflage passports generally have some basis in
history or geography, if not in international recognition of their
statehood.

7. Enumerate some countries whose citizens need not secure a visa prior
to arrival in the Philippines.
 Hong Kong, British, Macau, Andorra and, Portugese

8. Enumerate some countries whose citizen need to secure visa prior to

arrival in the Philippines.
 Albania, Jordan, Iran, Georgia and, North Korea

9. What is a treaty trader? What is a treaty investor?

 A treaty trader is a foreigner who is entering the Philippines solely to
carry on substantial trade or commerce between the Philippines and
the country of which he is a national pursuant to an existing treaty of
commerce and navigation.
 A treaty investor is a foreigner who seeks admission for the purpose
of developing and directing the operations of an enterprise in the
Philippines where (a) he has invested or is actively in the process of
investing a substantial amount of capital or where (b) his employer
has invested or is actively in the process of investing a substantial
amount of capital, provided that such employer is a foreign person
or organization of the same nationality as the applicant and that the
applicant is an overall supervisor or executive.

10. With what countries does the Philippines have an agreement with
regarding protection and promotion of investments within the
Philippines?
 Australia, Bangladesh, Belgo-Luxemburg, Canada, Chile, China, Czech
Republic, Denmark,Finland and, France

11. What is the Subic Special Investors Visa? What is the Special
Economic Zone Visa? What is the Special Clark Economic Zone Visa?
What is the Cagayan Economic Zone and Free Port Visa?
 Subic Special Investors Visa - entitles the holder to reside in the
Philippines for an indefinite period as long as the required
qualifications and investments are maintained.
 Special Economic Zone Visa - work visa for foreigners who are
sponsored to work in the Philippines by companies registered
 Special Clark Economic Visa - apply to foreigners who shall perform
line functions or assume jobs and responsibilities necessary to
operate the business of a registered enterprise in the Special Clark
Economic Zone
 Cagayan Economic Zone and Free Port Visa - a temporary working
and residency visa, under special laws, issued by the Cagayan
Economic Zone Authority through the Bureau of Immigration in the
Philippines.

12. What kinds of aliens are excluded from entering the Philippines?
 Persons afflicted with a loathsome or dangerous and contagious
disease, as epilepsy;
 Persons who have been convicted of a crime involving moral
turpitude;
 Prostitute, or procurers, or persons coming for any immoral purpose;
 Persons likely to become public charge;
 Paupers, vagrants, and beggars;
 Persons who practice polygamy or who believe in or advocate the
practice of polygamy

13. What is the concept of deportation? How is it enforced in the

Philippines?
 Deportation is the expulsion of a foreigner from the territory of a
State. It contemplates a foreigner who initially gained legal entry,
admission or residence in a country but whose presence therein has
become untenable because of some serious infractions of the
municipal law of such country. It was enforced in the Phillipines by
the Philippines Immigration Act of 1940, Section 37 (a.47). The
power to deport lies with the President of the Philippines or through
its authorized agent (i.e., Commissioner of Immigration). The power
is plenary in nature and is free from any interference on the part of
judicial power. No alien shall be deported without being informed of
the specific grounds for deportation. In our jurisdiction, the power to
deport lies with the President of the Philippines or through its
authorized agent (i.e., Commissioner of Immigration).

14. What are the possible valid reasons for deportation of a foreigner in
the Philippines?
 Foreigners who have committed criminal acts are likewise
blacklisted. This includes prostitutes, human traffickers, drug dealers
and addicts, sex offenders, kidnappers, polygamists, robbers,
murders, arsonists, tax evaders, and anyone who has committed a
crime involving moral turpitude

15. What is the difference between an exclusion proceeding and a

deportation proceeding?
 Exclusion is defined as the authority to deny entry to aliens who are
barred by immigration laws, rules and regulations. The purpose of
exclusion is to ensure that aliens who are allowed entry into the
Philippines do not pose as threats to any of the three major
 categories of exclusion grounds, namely: (1) public safety; (2) public
health; (3) national security. While Deportation is the expulsion of a
foreigner from the territory of a State.

16. What are the grounds for detaining a foreigner in the Philippines?
 The detention shall be for a sufficient period of time to enable the
immigration officers to determine whether:(a) the aliens concerned
belong to any of the excludable classes in Section 29; or(b) the aliens
concerned may apply and qualify for waivers of their exclusion from
the Commissioner of Immigration.

17. What is the rationale of R.A. 9225 or the Dual Citizenship Law?
 naturalized Filipino citizens who became citizens of another country
are deemed to have retained their Philippine citizenship. As a result,
they must file an oath-based petition with the Commissioner of
Immigration for the issuance of an Certificate of Identification
Former natural-born citizens living in other countries may file a
petition with the nearest Philippine Post Office A copy of the birth
certificate authenticated by the National Birth Certificate Authority
Statistics Office is required to be submitted as proof of natural born
citizenship in the United States.

18. What are the exit requirements for foreigners in the Philippines?
 The exit requirements for foreigners in the Philippines are the
following: The (Exit Clearance Certificate) ECC-A is given to foreigners
who have tourist visas extended for more than six months, while
ECC-B is issued to holders of immigrant and nonimmigrant visas with
valid alien certificate registration I-Cards