BI calls on aliens to register

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) warned all foreigners residing in the country to report to the bureau on or before March 1 in compliance with government’s alien registration requirement to avoid deportation.

Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez said aliens who would fail to personally register with the bureau will be immediately deported for being improperly documented under Sec.10 of the Alien Registration Act of 1950, which applies to all foreigners who are holders of immigrant or non-immigrant visas.

Fernandez said the foreigners must report to the BI within the first 60 days of each year, or from Jan. 2 to March 1.

"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," the BI chief added.

Danilo Almeda, chief of the BI alien registration unit, said foreigners should bring their alien certificates of registration (ACRs) or I-Card as well as the official receipt of the annual report fee they paid the previous year in appearing before the agency.

Almeda said the aliens will also pay an annual fee of P300 and P10 legal research fee.

Meanwhile, BI technical assistant Manuel Ferdinand Arbas said aliens residing in the provinces need not go to Manila since they can report to the nearest immigration field office located in urban centers in the provinces.

A tamper-proof and credit card-size document, the I-Card is replacing the paper-based ACR.

In case no I-Card machine is available in the local BI office, Arbas has advised applicants to pay the report fee and just keep their official receipts since it could still be encoded later in his I-Card upon traveling to Manila. – Edu Punay