What happens when you get blacklisted with the Philippine Bureau of Immigration? Is there still a way to get your name removed from the list? This article aims to explain the causes and consequences of being blacklisted and, most importantly, what you can do to clear your name.
First and foremost, you can get blacklisted in the Philippines for many different reasons such as your age, health status, mental status, and social status. Along with that, violations with the condition of stay, overstaying, and illegal entry could also lead to being blacklisted.
How to Know If You Are Blacklisted
Unfortunately, there isn’t any online database where you can check if your name is included in the blacklist. Most of the time, you will only find out about it once you arrive in the Philippines and the Immigration officer tells you about it.
The only way to confirm if you are blacklisted or not before traveling to the country is to get in touch with the Visa Division via the telephone numbers: 834-4854, 834-3707, and 834-4810. You may also contact the Department of Foreign Affairs, 2330 Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City or check with any Philippine Embassy or Consulate abroad.
Requirements for Filing A Petition To Remove Your Name From Being Blacklisted
Once you discover that your name is included in the blacklist of the Philippine’s Bureau of Immigration, then you should do these things to file a petition for it to be lifted.
You will need to submit a Letter of request addressed to the Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration. Be sure to include a photocopy of your passport. Your letter should contain pertinent information about why you were blacklisted in the first place and why you want that to be lifted.
For the most part, it is advisable to seek legal assistance from a professional lawyer so you can be properly guided along the way.
As for the overall cost of the process, the price varies depending on the reason why you were blacklisted.
If, say, you were blacklisted due to overstaying, then you can expect the figures to be similar to this estimate:
- Application Fee ₱2,000.00
- Service Fee ₱1,000.00
- Legal Research Fee ₱20.00
- Express Fee ₱500.00
- Total ₱3,520.00
For additional information, you can get in touch with the BI Helpdesk Hotline at (632) 524-3824 or (632) 524-3769.