Dear Philippines Immigration,
I am writing to you as a last resort, in regards with what seems to be stressful and complicated matter. I’m a in relationship with a filipina. Me and my girlfriend are desperate to see each other for months, yet we decided to take all precautions and start arranging for her visit to Russia one and half years before actual departure.
I was expecting things to be hard to accomplish in regards with the documents required for her to visit me in my home country. I am financially capable to provide for her stay. I have successfully sent her invitation letter and she already has Russian Private Visa valid for 90 days in year 2017.
We are both well educated persons, we both did our extensive research, we have read online PDF documents, websites and everything related to departure requirements imposed by the Philippines Immigration.
To go further into details, I found that the departure requirements are of particular problem for us. I’m a man of logic and I want to strictly follow the rules and avoid stress for my girlfriend and finally stop worrying about possibility of a denied departure.
My understanding to departure rules here, is that besides Visa and return ticket to Philippines, my girlfriend needs two primary things:
– affidavit of support authenticated with Philippines Embassy in Moscow
– CFO certificate
My girlfriend is not financially capable to travel so she needs that affidavit of support as stated. However, it is bound with requirement of “relationship within the 4th civil degree of consanguinity or affinity”. It is impossible to be satisfied by a boyfriend. So by these official requirements anyone who is simply in love and not yet married cannot meet in a country other then the Philippines? How does it not break their constitutional right for movement…
We are trying to avoid denied departure and we are willing to provide all the documents possible and it seems even one year is not enough to fight this system. However, until this date and for months of working on Visa and the departure documents, we did not get clear answers on what is particular document set that will guarantee that she will not be denied entry on board of the plane. We have read numerous stories online and almost certain that she will be denied boarding based on those. My girlfriend has contacted immigration officers by email. The standard answer is pretty much any document can be requested and it seems that immigration power is not bound by any actual rules.
I don’t understand why. We only want to know what are exact documents we need for our case (boyfriend and girlfriend), because we want to be certain that all our efforts are not in vain. If the Philippines officials can confirm that affidavit of support must indicate “therein the relationship within the 4th civil degree of consanguinity or affinity” then are we clear on that Philippines government authorizes relationships on their territory only?
I am not a rich man, yet I am financially capable to support my girlfriend’s tickets and stay. However, I cannot afford loosing large amount of money that would be spent on roundtrip tickets to Russia, neither I can let down my girlfriend and have her waste her Visa arrangement expenses. Altogether that is a really big amount of money and that is money that, if lost, and had to be spent again, would devastate a future international family financially.
How and how again can we provide that affidavit of support? How and how again can we guarantee constitutional right for movement of a filipina… A movement that is planned almost 2 years ahead!
Updates
- Minor Edited (changed recipient to “Philippines Embassy”, etc.) and sent to Philippines Embassy in Moscow on Apr 11, [email protected]
- Sent to Philippines Immigration officials on Apr 12, [email protected], [email protected] and Philippines Moscow Embassy political division at [email protected]
- PM to Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/officialbureauofimmigration/?fref=ts
- Commented the same on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/officialbureauofimmigration/?fref=ts
Bureau of Immigration input on Facebook
You may find some screenshots in case you have same questions with us. The basic answer is: we have to bring whatever proof of our relationship to the airport. And it is a matter of luck and there is absolutely no guarantee because things depend on a single immigration officer.
Input of Philippines embassy in Moscow
I had a call with Philippines Embassy in Moscow in regards with our concerns. I’ve been told that I really need to compose affidavit of support and authenticate it with local department of foreign affairs (Russian authorities) and bring it for authentication to Philippines Embassy in Moscow. Authentication costs to be expected are $25 plus travel and lodging expenses for Moscow. The key points of the document is that it should state that my girlfriend will not break immigration laws and will not work in Russia.