BI reminds aliens of Feb. 29 deadline

Show up or be deported.

This was the ultimatum issued by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) yesterday to all foreign nationals residing in the country as it reminded them of the Feb. 29 deadline to report to the agency to prove their presence here.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said the annual reporting of foreigners, which started last Jan. 2, is mandatory under Section 10 of the Alien Registration Act and applies to all aliens who are holders of immigrant or non-immigrant visas.

Libanan explained that under the law, all foreigners living in the country are required to report to the BI within the first 60 days of every calendar year.

“Any foreigner who fails to make the annual report can either be fined or be subjected to deportation proceedings for violating the country’s alien registration laws. They would be considered improperly document aliens,” he said.

Libanan said foreigners should bring with them their I-Cards as well as the official receipt of the annual report fee they paid the previous year.

The I-Card replaced the paper-based alien certificate of registration (ACR), which foreigners used to present to the BI when making their annual report.

Libanan said an annual report fee of P300 and P10 legal research fee shall be paid by each foreigner to the BI cashier.

As for aliens who are minors, Libanan said it is the duty of their parents or guardians to make the annual report on their behalf.

BI spokesman Floro Balato advised foreigners to go directly to the cashier’s office and pay their fees so they would not to be victimized by unscrupulous fixers.

Balato said a waiting area at the lobby of the BI’s main office has been designated to accommodate foreigners paying the annual fees.

He said the BI earned more than P16.9 million from 53,030 foreigners who paid the annual fees, including penalties.  – Edu Punay