Immigration advises aliens to make early reporting

MANILA -- The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has urged the foreigners to avoid deadline rush and immediately make their annual report to the agency as prescribed in the law.

BI Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. said the aliens can report to any of the Immigration field and satellite offices nationwide.

The Alien Registration Act of 1950 requires foreigners staying in the Philippines to report to the BI within the first 60 days of every calendar year.

David reiterated that aliens who fail to make the annual report will be meted administrative fines and could face deportation proceedings.

He added that scores of BI employees have been reassigned to special desks on the ground floor of the Immigration building in Intramuros, Manila to service the hundreds of aliens who have been reporting to the bureau since January 2.

David said aliens who are holders of immigrant or non-immigrant visa holders must make the annual report, unless exempt by law.

BI alien registration division (ARD) acting chief Ronaldo Ledema stressed that aliens in the provinces need not go to Manila for their annual report as the latter can be done in any of the more than 40 BI field offices throughout the country.

Ledesma also advised foreigners to avoid fixers by paying directly to the bureau’s cashier office and demand an official receipt.

Aliens making the report should present their ACR identity card (I-Card) and certificate of residence and pay the annual report fee of P300 and P10 legal research fee.

“Old paper-based ACR shall be dishonored until an ACR I-Card is secured. As for aliens who are under 14 years of age or 65 years old and above, it shall be the duty of their parents or legal guardians or representatives to make the report on their behalf,” Ledesma said. (SDR/Sunnex)