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13A Visa Question : What will visa status be if my Filipina wife predeceases me

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NewfieDrool said:
and you can still retain the 13a?
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3. Special Focus: Widowed Foreign Residents
Scenario Immigration status after Filipino spouse’s death Annual‑report impact
Provisional 13(a) (marriage < 5 yrs) Visa automatically expires on spouse’s death. Must convert (e.g., to TRV, SRRV) or leave. Annual report no longer accepted once visa lapses.
Permanent 13(a) (marriage ≥ 5 yrs and still valid at death) Retains permanent resident status under BI rules (Ops Order JHM‑2013‑001). Must continue the annual report each year.
13(g) (former Filipino spouse) Death does not affect status. Annual report continues.
Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV) holder Spousal status irrelevant; governed by PRA rules. Still reports annually via BI counters at PRA One‑Stop Shop.
Practical tip: When a Filipino spouse dies, the alien‑widow should bring the PSA‑issued death certificate and request the BI to annotate the marital status in its database at the next annual report. This avoids mismatched records that can block future extensions or ACR renewal.
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SkyBluesSeas said:
Helpful info, nice one, from a Filipino law firm, which brings some clarity.
Notice they say communications with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) is key, notifying them soonest, plus using a Visa Specialist or licensed Attorney, seems sensible.

Visa Application Process for Foreign Widowers in the Philippines

www.respicio.ph www.respicio.ph
Visa Application Process for Foreign Widowers in the Philippines
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Yep...it's not as simple as the chart I posted would suggest - the possibility to retain permanent residence exists but it's discretionary and by no means automatic.
 
HK Blues said:
Yep...it's not as simple as the chart I posted would suggest - the possibility to retain permanent residence exists but it's discretionary and by no means automatic.
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Any visa in any country is at the discretion of an immigration officer.
Me and the wifey are the same age and its definitely the option i would try first if she was to before me. I would struggle to qualify for the SRRV, as i couldn't prove an income from abroad, as most of our assets are here in the Philippines. Lived here since i was 30 in case anybody is wondering.
 
magsasaja said:
Any visa in any country is at the discretion of an immigration officer.
Me and the wifey are the same age and its definitely the option i would try first if she was to before me. I would struggle to qualify for the SRRV, as i couldn't prove an income from abroad, as most of our assets are here in the Philippines. Lived here since i was 30 in case anybody is wondering.
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There is a big difference between a catch-all that states that the granting of a Visa is at the discretion of an immigration officer and a Visa which is purely discretionary - the granting of a permanent 13a visa to a widower is purely discretionary.
 
NewfieDrool said:
So it’s luck of the draw to keep it, great info everyone 👍
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The word discretionary has to be interpreted -
The level of discretion the immigration officer at the airport uses when they issue you a 30-day tourist visa is very different to that the BI will use when they consider a request for a widow/widower to retain their 13a. Both are subject to discretion but a whole different level.
 
HK Blues said:
The word discretionary has to be interpreted -
The level of discretion the immigration officer at the airport uses when they issue you a 30-day tourist visa is very different to that the BI will use when they consider a request for a widow/widower to retain their 13a. Both are subject to discretion but a whole different level.
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yep I agree, better make sure other half out lives me hahaha
 
(Edited)
HK Blues said:
There is a big difference between a catch-all that states that the granting of a Visa is at the discretion of an immigration officer and a Visa which is purely discretionary - the granting of a permanent 13a visa to a widower is purely discretionary.
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There is.
My 13a was discretionary, as at the time I didn’t qualify being only in my early thirties and not financially secure. Had a wee chat with commissioner and he approved my application.
Hadn’t actually thought about the 13a at the time as we weren’t married. We did have kids together though and an over religious immigration officer decided that I was no longer allowed to extend my tourist visa. This was in the 90s and times have changed since.
 
danphone67 said:
James Biron is a PRA marketer.
A PRA marketer is allowed to charge fees

I love it when you guys just make these blanket statements with no cites and just expect us to accept what you say because you know all truths lol.

And technically you are correct, for services beyond the SRRV advice and counsel and to a limited degree. However, those charges YOU mentioned? $500? $2500? No way. I have the contract in front of me that I can cite. You can check it yourself on a search engine:

"The MARKETER is discouraged from charging fees from its retiree-applicants other than the SRRV application and annual fees, however, in the event that charging of additional fees (e.g. professional and/or service fees necessary and incidental to defray expenses incurred by the MARKETER) is inevitable,all eenses/charges must be properly documented fir the purpose of transparency."

So the guy is a lawyer and he can charge for lawyer services like getting the overstayer off the hook. But he cannot pay for activities and counsel associated with the SRRV application. He can charge for having someone take you around town or pick ypu up at the aitport and take you to PRA etc. and to the agencies for documentation but for acquisition of the visa: zero.

And I want to repeat that the SRRV application was not stressful to me or my wife or to anybody I know, really, especially if they used Mary Rose. ittedly if the client overstayed throughout the pandemic it would probably be better to use that person than Mary Rose but for normal applications she is highly recommended by many expats including myself and she complies with the above-stated PRA policy.
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I'm sure Mary is fine too. I used James Biron several years ago when he was free and he did a fantastic job. He "knows" the people running that office in Makati and was able to get my Srrv expedited to meet a deadline for me flying out of the country back home. I saw it with my own eyes.

If I had to do it again today, I would pay him for his services. No doubt about it.

It's a blanket recommendation from first hand experience. I think that's what people reading this thread are looking for.

Howard even went to the trouble to post offical proof about the legality of charging so not sure how he's asking anyone to just believe him, but his first hand experience should be enough anyways.
 
I'm not sure why someone here is so intent on impugning someone else's integrity. And the 'my PRA rep is better than your PRA rep' stuff is just childish. I'm sure your rep is the greatest.

As for me, I do not recall being charged anything for SRRV services. The SRRV application was fairly routine. Although the WISE process of funding the Classic with Pension was a little tricky doing it from overseas (here). And the FBI clearance was all new to me too. Getting local police to do it was kind of funny actually! Prisoners in the jail were handing me alcohol spray to get the ink off my fingers, etc.

As for the other matter, I am extremely happy that Mr Biron personally handled my overstay issue. By approaching BI with my personal information, including my immigration status, I was identifying myself to BI as 'subject to immediate deportation' and I was also disclosing my location to BI. I could have been immediately deported. My life (wife & son) is here now, so (permanent) deportation was a potential fiasco.

That's when having a bright, knowledgeable, helpful immigration expert with a solid legal background and a stellar reputation, who is on very good with various BI staffers and officials comes in handy. To plead my case. Could I have done it successfully without local help? I seriously doubt it.
 
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HK Blues
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