BI Requirements for Family Members Who Want to Visit OFW Abroad
To avoid being offloaded, Filipinos who want to visit their loved ones working abroad should have the required documents ready before going to the airport, a visiting Bureau of Immigration (BI) official said.
Lawyer Floro C. Balato Jr., acting chief of the BI Port Operations Division, said family members of OFWs who want to visit him or her abroad should have four documents on hand.
“Kayo po as OFW, mayroon ho kayong karapatan na magsponsor ng kapamilya na bisitahin kayo dito. For example, yung mga anak niyo or yung mga kapatid niyo,” Balato said in an anti-human trafficking forum at the Philippine Consulate General.
He said the required documents included a valid passport, visa (if required), overseas employment certificate (OEC) or E-receipt, and a birth/marriage certificate certified by the National Statistics Office (NSO).
“Hindi naman kailangan yung visa (sa Hong Kong) so hindi na required,” he said.
Balato said another requirement was OEC or E-receipt to show that the person they are visiting is legally working abroad.
“Yan ho yung benefit ng registered workers na katulad ninyo. Pagregistered kayo, ipapadala niyo lang yan (the OEC or E-receipt) sa Pilipinas at yan ang ipapakita nila sa immigration officers,” he said.
If the children of OFWs are visiting, immigration officers in the Philippines would also ask for the children’s birth certificate.
“Kasi tatanungin ng officer kung talagang nandito kayo. Makikita naman ho namin yan at yung proof na alam niyo yan kaya ihanda niyo na rin yung birth certificate,” Balato said.
“Ang kailangan valid passport ng mga anak or kapatid kung gusto niyong ipasyal sila sa Disneyland,” said Balato.
“Kasi minsan sinasabi ng ating mga kabbaayan na ‘Anak ko yan’ pero yung probelma, iba yung apelido dun sa passport (niya) at dun sa passport ng anak niya,” he added.