MANILA, Philippines — Soon, Filipinos going abroad will have to comply with new, tighter travel standards and provide additional documentation.
Starting on September 3, the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) will put into effect its updated regulations for the departure of Filipinos going overseas.
According to a recent announcement from the IACAT, the 58th Regular Council Meeting saw a revision of the departure procedures to combat the grave menace of human trafficking.
The Revised Guidelines were created, according to IACAT, not to infringe upon the fundamental right to travel, but rather to serve as a protective measures for fellow citizens from the dire perils of human trafficking.
IACAT ardently anticipates that the implementation of these earnest developed Guidelines, along with an improved information-dissemination regime, will result in a discernible decrease in, if not complete eradication of, human trafficking.
Based on the revised guidelines, basic travel documents now consist of the following:
Passport, valid at least six months from the date of departure;
Appropriate valid visa, whenever required;
Boarding pass;
Confirmed return or roundtrip ticket, when necessary
In addition to the inspection of basic travel documents, the immigration office (IO) may then require the traveler to answer clarificatory questions as well as ask passengers for the following supporting documents:
For Tourists:
1. Self-funded Travels
Confirmed return or roundtrip ticket;
Proof of hotel booking/accommodation;
Financial capacity or source of income consistent with the passenger’s declared purpose of travel;
And proof of employment and other equivalent documents.
For sponsored travels:
2. If the sponsor abroad is a relative within the first (1st) civil degree of the passenger
Original Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-issued birth certificate/report of birth or marriage certificate/report of marriage as proof of first (1st) civil degree relationship;
Confirmed return or roundtrip ticket; and
Copies of the following documents of sponsor, such as: Valid passport; Valid work visa/permit, residence permit or any equivalent document; Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC), E-receipt, or OFW Clearance, for OFW sponsors.
2.2. If the sponsor abroad is a relative up to the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, unless otherwise limited by the Philippine Embassy or Consulate exercising jurisdiction
Based on the revised guidelines, basic travel documents now consist of the following:
Passport, valid at least six months from the date of departure;
Appropriate valid visa, whenever required;
Boarding pass;
Confirmed return or roundtrip ticket, when necessary
In addition to the inspection of basic travel documents, the immigration office (IO) may then require the traveler to answer clarificatory questions as well as ask passengers for the following supporting documents:
For Tourists:
1. Self-funded Travels
Confirmed return or roundtrip ticket;
Proof of hotel booking/accommodation;
Financial capacity or source of income consistent with the passenger’s declared purpose of travel;
And proof of employment and other equivalent documents.
For sponsored travels:
2. If the sponsor abroad is a relative within the first (1st) civil degree of the passenger
Original Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-issued birth certificate/report of birth or marriage certificate/report of marriage as proof of first (1st) civil degree relationship;
Confirmed return or roundtrip ticket; and
Copies of the following documents of sponsor, such as: Valid passport; Valid work visa/permit, residence permit or any equivalent document; Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC), E-receipt, or OFW Clearance, for OFW sponsors.
2.2. If the sponsor abroad is a relative up to the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, unless otherwise limited by the Philippine Embassy or Consulate exercising jurisdiction
Original Affidavit of Support and Guarantee (AOSG) and is:
-duly notarized by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate/Honorary Consulate authorized to perform notarization services; or
-if the AOSG is notarized by a local notary public in the country of destination, the AOSG must be duly authenticated by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate/Honorary Consulate (for non-Apostille countries) or apostilled by the apostille authority in the country of destination (for Apostille countries).
Confirmed return or roundtrip ticket; and Original PSA-issued birth certificate/report of birth or marriage certificate/report of marriage showing the exact relationship between the passenger and the sponsor.
2.3. If the sponsor abroad is a non-relative or a legal/juridical entity
Original Affidavit of Support and Guarantee (AOSG) and is:
-duly notarized by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate/Honorary Consulate authorized to perform notarization services;
-or if the AOSG is notarized by a local notary public in the country of destination, the AOSG must be duly authenticated by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate/Honorary Consulate (for non-Apostille countries) or apostilled by the apostille authority in the country of destination (for Apostille countries)
Substantial proof of relationship;
Confirmed return or roundtrip ticket; and
if a legal/juridical entity, registration papers of the sponsor.
2.4. If traveling with a local sponsor
Duly notarized affidavit executed by the local sponsor
Substantial proof of relationship11:
Copy of the sponsor’s return ticket consistent with that of the passenger
For Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)
1. OFWs Departing for the First Time
OEC, E-receipt, or OFW Clearance duly issued by the Department of Migrant Workers (MW) as appearing in the Border Control Information System (BCIS);
Valid and appropriate employment visa or work permit or any equivalent document;
Employment contract, as necessary; and
Visa Usage Undertaking13 or Manpower Request specifying visa usage approved or verified by the Migrant Workers Office (MWO), if applicable.
2. Balik-Manggagawa
Valid and appropriate employment visa/work permit or any equivalent document;
OFW Clearance, OEC issued on-site by the MWO or by the DMW or Migrant Workers Airport Assistance Center (MWAAC), or Online BM OEC Exemption or manually issued OEC:
And Proof of employment, as necessary.
3. Direct-Hire
OEC, E-receipt, or valid OFW Clearance; and
Proper and valid work visa/work permit or any equivalent document.
4. OFWs Requiring Special Travel Exit Clearance in lieu of OEC
Locally employed seafarers (conduction crew) who will be manning a Philippine Registered Ship’s conduction from a foreign port to the Philippines;
Seafarers who will undergo orientation and other analogous circumstances as a requirement before their employment, as the prospective foreign employer prescribes. The foreign employer must be accredited by a licensed local manning agency; and
Emergency change crew for Philippine registered vessels docked in international ports.
5. OFWs traveling to other countries during their vacation in the Philippines
If the OFW will travel to other country/ies for tourism, but will return to the Philippines before proceeding to his/her jobsite, the OFW shall undergo the usual immigration inspection for tourist travelers under this Guidelines.
If the OFW will travel to other country/ies for tourism, but will proceed directly to his/her job site, a valid OEC will be required.
6. Endorsement to the DMW-MWAAC
The IO shall promptly endorse a passenger to the DMW-MWAAC for validation of employment documents, updating of employment records, issuance of clearance, or other appropriate action, when confronted with the following: the OEC of the OFW or MWO-registered worker is invalid, expired, used, or did not reflect in the BCISl; or the OFW has incomplete or questionable documents.
In cases of endorsement to the DMW-MWAAC, the IO shall provide the passenger with a validation request form. Upon validation by the DMW-MWAAC, the passenger shall be directed back to the I0 for the completion of the immigration inspection.
Inspection
The primary IO will then defer the departure of a passenger if he or she presents fraudulent, falsified or tampered travel or supporting documents, or refuses to undergo primary inspection.
The IO will refer the following passengers for secondary inspection:
Those who failed to establish their purpose of travel during primary inspection
Those with inconsistent or insufficient travel or supporting documents
Those unable to show proof of financial capacity to travel and are accompanied by a foreign national who is not a relative by consanguinity or affinity up to the fourth civil degree
Those traveling, with or without a visa, to countries under Alert Level 3 or 4 and those with relevant deployment bans
Those who previously stayed abroad for over six months as a tourist or previously misrepresented any travel information and are intending to travel again for the same purpose
Those with active deferred-departure records
Those identified and reported by the IACAT Anti-Trafficking Task Force or other government agencies as a potentially trafficked or illegally recruited person or a suspected trafficker or illegal recruiter
During the inspection, IACAT explained that the secondary IO shall consider “the totality of the circumstances of the passenger which includes, but is not limited to, the purpose of travel, country/ies of destination, duration of stay, travel history, age, financial capacity or source of income consistent with the passenger’s declared purpose of travel, and educational background.”
The secondary IO will defer the departure of the passenger upon a finding of any of the following grounds:
Refusal to undergo secondary inspection
Doubtful purpose of travel
Inconsistent or insufficient travel or supporting documents
Misrepresentation or withholding of material information about the travel
Presentation of fraudulent, falsified, or tampered travel or supporting documents
Non-compliance with previous deferred-departure requirements
Passenger is a potentially trafficked or illegally recruited person, or a suspected trafficker or illegal recruiter
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