The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said it is expecting a significant increase in foreign tourists by the end of the year as the bureau is set to launch an online application for all types of visas and green lanes for frequent travelers.
According to BI tourist visa section chief Raymond Remigio, they predicted more than 91,000 tourist visa extensions during the first half of 2023.
“This is a significant increase from July to December of last year when we only saw around 77,000 extensions. Our aggressive information campaign and our efforts to make applications easier for the transacting public has definitely contributed to this rise,” he said.
Commissioner Norman Tansingco said they project a 20-percent increase in tourist visa extensions in the next six months.
“We fully support the Department of Tourism’s drive to invite tourists to visit and stay longer in the Philippines. The recent launch of our online visa extension is a significant step to make it easy for foreign nationals to comply with BI policies and prevent them from overstaying,” Tansingco said.
“Whether they choose to apply for extensions on-site or on-line, it will definitely be easy and convenient for them,” he added.
Remigio also reported that on-site tourist visa extensions can now be processed while you wait.
“With our streamlined operations, and with the management introducing online options, foreign nationals will definitely feel the change and improvements of our Bureau,” Remigio said.
“Commissioner Tansingco’s thrust is to modernize the BI’s operations, in line with the President’s vision of using technologies for the efficient delivery of public service,” he added.