The Bureau of Immigration on Thursday reminded foreigners to report to the agency starting this January for the yearly annual report.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the annual report of aliens was in compliance with the Alien Registration Act of 1950, which requires all aliens with immigrant and non-immigrant visas to report to the bureau within the first 60 days of every calendar year. The 2021 annual report period of aliens will be held on Jan. 1 up to March 1.
Morente, however, urged foreigners to immediately register with Immigration’s online appointment system at http://e-services.immigration.gov.ph so they would be given their schedules on when they were to make their annual report.
“As with all other transactions, we will not allow the entry of walk-in foreigners who wish to make their annual report. They have to obtain their schedule via our online appointment system,” Morente said.
“Eight hundred slots for the AR are reserved per day, while Saturdays are reserved for those availing the services of accredited entities, as well as remote AR for bulk applicants.”
Remote AR, according to Morente, may be requested by embassies or foreign groups, and may be considered if the number of reportees exceeds 10 individuals.
He said that under the law, foreigners who are holders of immigrant and non-immigrant visas and were issued alien certificates of registration identity card (ACR I-Card) were required to make the annual report.
“Failure to do so may result in fines, visa cancelation, deportation or imprisonment,” Morente said.
He said aside from the agency’s main office in Intramuros, Manila, aliens may also report to the nearest participating field, satellite or extension offices.
Lawyer Jose Carlitos Licas, the agency’s alien registration chief, says foreigners who are out of the country during the 60-day period can still make the report within 30 days from the date of their return to the country, as long as their re-entry permits are still valid.
Aliens must present their original ACR I-Card and valid passport and pay a P300 annual report fee and P10 legal research fee.
For aliens below the age of 14, Licas said, their parent or guardian could make the report for them. Senior citizens and people with disability were exempted from personal appearance, he added, and may file through a representative with a Special Power of Attorney.