BI – Bureau of Immigration – Purpose, Functions and Responsibilities

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will be in charge of and oversee the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, also known as the “Bureau”. Concerning the admission, registration, exclusion, deportation, and repatriation of foreign nationals, the bureau has exclusive jurisdiction to implement and administer immigration and foreign nationals’ registration legislation. It also oversees foreign nationals leaving the Philippines for other countries.

To learn more about the Philippine Bureau of Immigration and its programs and services, keep reading the article.

What is Philippine Bureau of Immigration?

Under the terms of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) is primarily in charge of administering and upholding the country’s immigration, citizenship, and alien admission and registration regulations. It also contributes to the implementation of RA 9208, generally referred to as the Anti-Trafficking In Persons Act of 2003.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is dedicated to delivering top-notch immigration services through the use of updated, inclusive, and resilient border management strategies as well as resolute adherence to all necessary legal and regulatory standards.

Objective

The following are the Philippine Bureau of Immigrations objectives:

• Through solid policy development and efficient use of management methods like automation and modernization, the management pledges to create, implement, and continuously enhance the efficacy of systems and processes.
• Establishing a system of immigration control to secure the borders.
• Provide top-notch immigration assistance while adhering to all relevant laws, rules, and regulations.
• Provide sufficient general administrative and operational support services.
• Implementing a strategic human resource and capacity-building program to ensure the welfare and competence of the workforce.
• Adopting modern technological trends and, to the extent possible, simplifying operations.
• Enhancing collaboration with others in immigration and other government departments as well as stakeholders.

Programs and Services

The Philippine Bureau of Immigration provides a wide range of programs and services to ensure the safety of its citizens and the nation.

Accreditation

• School Accreditation – It is a learning institution to be granted clearance to accept foreign students.
• Accreditation of School Representative / Liaison Officer – A representative of an accredited school must apply for and receive BI accreditation.
• Travel Agency or Office – This is for any office or travel agency that wants to be accredited by BI.
• Travel Agency or Office Liaison Officers – This is for any liaison officers of a travel agency or office to receive BI accreditation.
• Missionary or Non-Profit Organization – This is for any non-profit or missionary group seeking accreditation from the BI.
• Missionary or Non-Profit Organization Representatives or Liaison Officers – This is for any liaison or representative of a missionary or nonprofit organization seeking accreditation from the BI.
• Law Office – This is for any law firm that wants to be accredited by the BI.
• Law Office Representative or Paralegal – This is for any legal office representative or paralegal who wants to be accredited by the BI.
• Consultancy or Corporations – This is for any corporation or consultant seeking BI accreditation.
• Consultancy and Corporations Representative or Liaison Officer – Any representative or liaison officer of a corporation or consultancy who aspires to be accredited by the BI must complete this.

Alien Registration

• Annual Report (A.R.) – Except for those who have a temporary visitor’s visa or a tourist visa, all registered immigrants and ACR I-Card holders must comply with this
• ACR I-CARD Issuance – All foreign nationals with a valid tourist or temporary visitor visa who have been in the Philippines for more than fifty-nine (59) days.
• Voluntary Application for ACR I-CARD – Foreign who willingly apply for an ACR I-Card from abroad.
• Renewal of ACR I-CARD – All foreign nationals who currently hold an ACR I-card whose renewal is based on one of the following:
  • Expiration of the card’s one (1) year term of validity
  • Re-registration of an alien after turning 14
  • Alteration of visa status
  • ACR must be replaced by the Alien Registration Act of 1950, as amended
  • Re-Issuance of ACR I-CARD – All foreign nationals who currently hold an ACR I-card whose renewal is based on one of the following:
  • Amendments (address, name, nationality, civil status, etc.)
  • Damaged card
  • Lost card
  • Rejected card (wrong entries or information printed in the card due to fault or negligence of the applicant)
• ACR I-CARD Waiver – This is an option for foreign nationals who need to leave the Philippines immediately while waiting for the release of their ACR I-Cards.
  • Cancellation of ACR I-CARD – This is for a registered alien who became a Philippine citizen for one of the following reasons:
  • Conferral of citizenship
  • Legally choosing to become a Filipino citizen
  • Marriage to a Filipino citizen for a female alien
  • Naturalization
  • Repatriation and/or retention of lost Philippine citizenship by former Filipino citizens
• Philippine-Born Registrants – This is for a child who was born in the Philippines and whose parents are either legal permanent residents or both.

Amendment / Correction of Admission

This applies to all foreign nationals and Filipinos who have incorrect entry stamps in their passports.

Certification

• Certification for the Not the Same Person – This is for the person attesting that they are not the person named and/or included in the deteriorating database or record.
• ACR I-CARD Certification – A person confirming that they have registered or have not yet registered should fill out this form.
• BI Clearance Certification – This is for a person declaring that they are not on any of the Bureau’s derogatory databases, lists, or records.
• Pending Visa Application Certification – This is for a Bureau applicant who is asking for confirmation that their visa application was received and is currently being processed.
• Certified True Copy Certification – This is for someone who wants to certify that the records are still in existence and attest to the validity of the documents the subject has submitted.
• Travel Records Certification – This is for a person who wants to request a paper with travel-related information.
• Certificate of Non-Registration / Registration – This is for any foreign national who is currently registered in the Philippines or who has not yet done so.

Citizenship

• Re-acquisition of Phil. Citizenship or Application for Retention – This is for former citizens of the Philippines who seek to keep or regain their Philippine citizenship after becoming citizens of another nation through naturalization.
• Inclusion of Dependents Under R.A 9225 – This is for dependent children who are under 18 and are single of the primary applicant for RA. 9225.
• Recognition as Filipino Citizen – This is for a foreign national who wants to be recognized as a Filipino citizen as their father or mother was or were a Filipino citizen at the time of their birth.
• Affirmation of Recognition as Filipino Citizen – This is for a foreign individual who had their Filipino citizenship acknowledged for a while.
• Cancellation of Alien Certificate of Registry (ACR) – This is for foreigners who wants to cancel their ACR.

Downgrading of Visa

Foreign nationals who wish to remain legally in the Philippines must apply for the conversion of their immigration visa to that of a temporary visitor or tourist.

Failed to Stamp – Encoded / Not Encoded

This is for any Filipino or foreign national who entered or left the country and whose passport was encoded in the system rather than stamped by an immigration official.

Indigency

It involves handling requests to have indigent aliens removed.

Interim Extension (Grace Period)

This is for holders of a temporary residence visa (TRV), a probationary immigrant visa, and a student visa who intend to stay over the expiration date of their visa.

Joining / Repatriation

• Joining Filipino Seaman – This is for any Filipino seaman joining the ship.
• Signing Off Filipino Seaman – This is for any Filipino seafarer who is taking off at Manila.
• Joining Foreign Seaman – This is for any foreign seafarer joining the ship.
• Repatriating Foreign Seaman – Any foreign seaman who wants to be sent home should fill out this form.
• Filipino Supernumerary – This is for any supernumerary Filipino.
• Foreign Supernumerary – This is for any supernumerary foreign worker.
• Visa Crewlist Fee – This is for any foreign crewmen of a foreign vessel who lack a seaman’s visa but have good justifications for not being able to obtain the said visa.
• Penalty on Late Filing / Non-Filing of Foreign Seafarer’s Notice of Arrival (Joining Crew) – This is for anyone representing a foreign ship or shipping company who neglected to notify the BI in advance of the ship’s arrival.
• Administrative Fine Imposed on a Foreign Crew Member if Not Properly Documented – This is for any foreign crew members arriving in the Philippines to board a ship without a valid passport or other acceptable form of identification and the necessary visa.
• Penalty for Late Filing / Non-Filing of Notice of Departure – In the event of crew repatriation, this is for any representative of a foreign vessel or shipping company who neglected to file or did so after the deadline.

Re-Stamping of Visa

This is for foreign nationals who have partially implemented visas or whose passports have been lost or damaged.

Re-Stamping of Visa – RA 7919

This is for foreign people who were recently awarded legal residency status in the Philippines through the Social Integration Program, subject to the requirements outlined in Republic Act No. 7919, but whose passports do not yet have their visas completely operational.

Revalidation

This applies to foreign nationals whose visa applications are accepted when they are not physically present in the Philippines.

Special Permits

• Special Study Permit – Foreign nationals who do not meet the requirements for a student visa can still apply for a special study permit.
• Provisional Work Permit – This is given to a foreign national while their application for a pre-arranged job visa is still pending.
• Special Work Permit – Commercial – This is for a foreign national who will work for three to six months in a gainful capacity.
• Special Work Permit – Artists & Athletes – This is for Temporary Visitors who will work for fewer than six (6) months as athletes, artists, entertainers, or performers in their particular fields.

Transfer of Admission Status

This is for foreign nationals with recently issued passports. The lost or canceled passport’s most recent arrival stamp’s admittance status is transferred to the new passport.

Trusted Traveler Program

This is for the citizens of nations that are currently covered by Foreign Service Circulars (FSCs) issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and are therefore permitted to enter the Philippines without a visa and are eligible to enroll in and take part in the program.

Waiver for Exclusion Ground

This is for children under 15 who are not coming with their parents or who are not accompanied by them.

Video: SUSPENDED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW IACAT – BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION DEPARTURE GUIDELINES

The implementation is now on hold regardless of the existence of the new BI Departure Guidelines. For additional information on the update to the BI departing guidelines, see the video below from Your_Lawyer. Remember to stay up to date on the BI departure guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any further questions regarding “Philippine Bureau of Immigration”, see the list of frequently asked questions and answers below.

1. What is the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI)?

Immigration and citizenship rules, as well as those governing alien entry and registration, are enforced and managed by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration.

2. What is the purpose of BI?

The Bureau of Immigration’s purpose is to control and regulate foreign immigration to the Philippines.

3. Where can I apply for BI’s programs and services?

Both foreigners and Filipino citizens may submit applications for BI’s programs and services in person or online through their e-Services website here – https://e-services.immigration.gov.ph/

4. What is the BI’s hotline number?

You can reach BI main office at (632) 8527-3254 / (632) 5309-7662

5. What is BI’s main office address?

BI’s address is at Magallanes Drive, Intramuros, Manila, Philippines 1002.

6. What is BI’s email address?

BI’s email address are eservices@immigration.gov.ph, and xinfo@immigration.gov.ph / immigPH@gmail.com / binoc_immigration@hotmail.ph (for general inquiries).

Summary

The bureau has exclusive control over the administration and enforcement of immigration and foreign national registration legislation, including the admission, registration, exclusion, expulsion, and repatriation of foreign individuals.

The BI has been doing this to keep the nation’s borders under control, as well as to keep track of and figure out how many immigrants are eligible for permanent residency.