BI to launch online visa application

July 19 ----- THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) said the agency was planning to launch an online application for all types of visas and green lanes for frequent travelers. The online visa application will be an expanded feature of the Bureau's online services, which was recently launched. This includes the application for a student visa, working visa, business visa, tourist visa and others.

"We already have the systems in place. It's ready, and we can launch it before the year ends," BI spokesman Dana Sandoval said. On the other hand, Sandoval said the green lanes will be a special lane for frequent travelers with proper documents and an Alien Certificate of Registration Identity (ACRI) card. It is also for Filipino residents holding a long-term visa. "With the green lanes, there will be fewer interviews and faster processing. Our long-term goal is to have these green lanes with no human contact," Sandoval said.

The bureau is eyeing launching the two projects by September or before the year ends. On July 12, the bureau launched its e-services, designed to transform the way clients engage with immigration services. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that with the new platform, immigration procedures would become more efficient and convenient for foreign tourists.

The e-services are an end-to-end process, which means foreign visitors can apply and pay online through the Bureau's different payment portals. The services consist of the most common transactions in immigration: online waiver of exclusion grounds for arriving unaccompanied foreign minors; online emigration clearance certificate; online dual citizenship application; and online application for tourist visa extension. Sandoval said the application for dual citizenship is for Filipinos who have already acquired foreign citizenship and want to re-acquire Philippine citizenship, while the exit clearance is for foreign visitors who have been staying in the country for six months or longer.

Meanwhile, temporary visitors' visa extensions, commonly known as tourist visa extensions, are one of the more common transactions at the bureau for foreign tourists who wish to stay longer in the country. "Visa extension is really one of the highlights of our e-services, given its impact on Philippine tourism. We all know that the Department of Tourism recently launched the country's new slogan, and that's why we are finding ways to make it easy for everyone to love our country more," Tansingco said. "Our e-services allow our visitors to comply with their immigration requirements from the comfort of their own homes, hotels, or even by the beach," he added.

Source: manilatimes.net