Foreign Nationals Holding ACR I-Cards Must File Their Annual Report by March 1

The situation

Foreign nationals holding a valid Alien Certificate of Registration Identity Card (ACR I-Card) and under a long-term work visa in the Philippines must appear at a Bureau of Immigration (BI) office by March 1, 2019 to file their Annual Report (AR). They can also authorize their Fragomen immigration professional to file the AR on their behalf, which would waive the foreign national’s personal appearance.

A closer look

• Documentary requirements. Foreign nationals or their representative must present the following documents at a BI office:
  • Original ACR I-Card;
  • Valid passport;
  • Official receipt evidencing payment of the PHP 310 annual report fee;
  • Printed confirmation number issued via the online system (for foreign nationals who have not done so in the past); and
  • If filing through a representative, a Special Power of Attorney with a valid government-issued identification card of the legal representative (an additional fee of PHP 500 will be charged if a representative appears on the foreign national’s behalf).
• Pending ACR I-Card applications. Foreign nationals with pending ACR I-Card applications should contact their immigration professional as they may also be required to comply with the AR requirement.

Impact

• Immediate action required. To avoid penalties, affected foreign nationals should comply with the filing requirement as soon as possible. Employers and foreign nationals should notify their Fragomen immigration professional immediately if they require assistance.
• Consequences for late filing.  Foreign nationals who are unable to comply with the AR requirement by the deadline will be subject to a fine of PHP 200 per month of delay, up to PHP 2,000 per year. Noncomplying foreign nationals would also need to file a Motion for Reconsideration, which necessitates an additional fee of PHP 510.
• Penalties for noncompliance. Foreign nationals who do not comply with the AR requirement will be penalized by fines and/or imprisonment at the discretion of the Commissioner of Immigration.

Background

The BI requires foreign nationals to file an AR in order to track their stay and status changes, if applicable, in the Philippines.

Foreign national reporting requirements are also a feature of immigration systems in Thailand, where foreign nationals must report their presence after 90 consecutive days of stay; and in Iraq, where employers must submit a monthly list of all foreign workers to the government.

We worked closely with Follosco, Morallos & Herce in Manila to prepare this alert. It is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].