The 13(a) Non- Immigrant Visa by Marriage, also known as Conversion to Non-Quota by Marriage, is granted to a foreign national on the basis of his valid marriage to a Philippine citizen. Under the Foreign Service Circular No.21-10, Section 13(a) of the Commonwealth Act No. 613 or Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 (PIA), this visa is available to citizens of a country which grants permanent residence and immigration privileges to Philippine citizens.
The Philippines may issue a permanent residence visa (specifically the 13(a) Non-Quota Immigrant Visa) to the qualified non-Filipino spouse of a Filipino citizen. The 13(a) visa is issued only to nationals of these countries:
| Algeria | Argentina | Australia | Belgium | Belize |
| Bolivia | Botswana | Bosnia & Herzegovina | Brazil | Canada |
| Cape Verde | Chile | Colombia | Costa Rica | Croatia |
| Cuba | Czech Republic | Denmark | Ecuador | Egypt* |
| El Salvador | Estonia | Finland | Fiji | France |
| Gabon | Germany | Greece | Guatemala | Honduras |
| Hong Kong SAR | Indonesia | Iraq | Ireland | Iceland |
| Israel | Italy | Japan | Korea South | Latvia |
| Lesotho | Libya* | Lithuania | Luxembourg | Macau SAR |
| Malaysia | Malta* | Marshall Islands | Mexico | Micronesia |
| Monaco | Montenegro | The Netherlands | New Zealand | Nicaragua |
| Nigeria | Northern Mariana Island | Norway | Oman* | Papua New Guinea |
| Paraguay | Peru | Russia | Saudi Arabia* | Senegal |
| Serbia | Singapore | Slovak Republic | Slovenia | South Africa |
| Spain | Suriname | Sweden | Switzerland | Thailand |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Tunisia | Turkey | United Kingdom | Uruguay |
| USA | Venezuela |
*Egypt, Libya, Oman, Saudi Arabia – the visa applicant must be a male and married to a female Philippine citizen
*Malta – provided that the marriage took place before 24 April 2001 or the couple has been married for at least 5 years
Note that the 13(a) visa is not issued to nationals NOT included in the preceding list.
This visa will allow the Applicant to stay in the Philippines indefinitely provided the conditions of the visa are maintained, i.e. a valid marriage with a Filipino citizen, among others. While waiting for the visa approval, the Applicant can stay in the Philippines under a tourist visa and extend the status as applicable.
To qualify for the 13a visa, the foreign national must create a joint letter request addressed to the Commissioner from the applicant and the petitioning Filipino spouse. Additional requirements include having a duly accomplished CGAF (BI Form 2014-00-001 Rev 0), the applicant’s Marriage Certificate or Marriage Contract, the applicant’s Birth Certificate or a certified true copy of BI-issued Identification Certificate as a Filipino citizen of the Filipino spouse, a photocopy of the Filipino spouse’s valid government-issued ID (i.e. Passport, SSS/GSIS ID/PRC ID, Driver’s License, TIN, or Voter’s ID), a photocopy of passport bio-page and latest admission with valid authorized stay, a valid Police Clearance from country of origin or residence, if the applicant has stayed in the Philippines for less than six (6) month – a valid National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Clearance or, a National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) Clearance if the applicant has stayed in the Philippines for six (6) months or more from the date of latest arrival, and lastly a BI Clearance Certificate.
Foreign nationals can obtain 13a Non-Quota Immigrant Visa/Marriage Visa in the Philippines in three methods:
- Personal filing with the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (if residing in the Philippines)
- Hire an accredited agency to process on behalf
- Personal filing with the Philippine Embassy or Consulate of their country of origin/residence
Need further information and assistance regarding the application? Talk to our Visa team at Duran & Duran-Schulze Law to know more about the requirements and process. Call us at 632-8478-5826 or send an email to info@duranschulze.com for more information.
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