DOJ, Immigration to tighten visa upon arrival policy
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Immigration will implement stricter rules on the visa upon arrival (VUA) policy, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Saturday.
“The DOJ and the BI are tightening up the rules on the issuance of visa upon arrival (VUA),” Guevarra said in a message to reporters.
Guevarra noted that they would “limit the maximum permissible period to 30 days, blacklist overstaying aliens, ensure non-convertibility to work visas, and impose sanctions on travel agencies breaking the rules.”
Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete previously disclosed that the BI was already reviewing the system and identified some of its loopholes.
According to Perete, one of the loopholes is that the time covered by the VUA — initially valid for three months — can be subjected to an extension of another three months.
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