Immigration downgrades Patricia Fox’s missionary visa to tourist

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has downgraded the visa of Sister Patricia Anne Fox from missionary to tourist, valid for 59 days or until Nov. 3. 

In a statement, BI spokesperson Dana Krizia Sandoval said the bureau denied yesterday the extension of Fox’s missionary visa that expired last Sept. 5. The 72-year-old Australian nun has been given a temporary visitor’s visa that would be valid for 59 days.

Sandoval said the “downgrading reverted Fox’s status to a temporary visitor, and she is given 59 days from the day her missionary visa expired, which was Sept. 5.

Sandoval said it is still too early to tell if her visa can be extended.

“We have to wait for the decision on her appeal to the DOJ (Department of Justice) first,” said Sandoval. 

Fox has been working as a missionary in the country for 27 years as provincial superior of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion.

The nun is also the subject of a separate deportation order from the BI, which she appealed before the DOJ. 

Sandoval said that the BI “still needs to wait for the decision before acting on her deportation,” and added that they have granted Fox the temporary visitor’s visa, without prejudice to the resolution of her appeal before the DOJ on her deportation. 

Sol Taule, lawyer of Fox, said that they would exhaust all possible legal remedies so the nun would be allowed to stay in the country.

“We are still waiting for the decision of the DOJ regarding the deportation case. We can still appeal that to the Office of the President, Supreme Court, should the decision be adverse to us,” Taule added.

Fox was arrested last April 16 on the grounds that she allegedly participated in political partisan activities, which is a violation of the conditions of her stay in the country.