TIPS TO PASS PHILIPPINE IMMIGRATION

Last May me and my friends decided to have a trip at Macau, it is our first time to travel abroad so we expected that it would not be easy for us to pass the Immigration officer. We try to do some research and also ask some friends who has an experience travelling abroad, ill try to recall all of them on this post so that I can also help others who will travelling abroad.

Documents needed to travel abroad:

1. Valid Passport at least 6 months

2. Valid Original visa for port of entry if it is required

3. A return ticket

Others:

4. Hotel booking 

5. Company ID

6. Vacation leave letter

7. Payslip

8. Atm receipt

9. Credit card (if you purchase your ticket thru credit card)

So this is the conversation between me and my friends to the Immigration officers 

IO: Saan kayo pupunta?

us: Macau po.

IO: Akin na passport at ticket.

IO: First time nyo?

us: Opo

IO: May work ba kayo?

us: Meron po

IO: Patingin ng Company ID

After we gave our ID he said " Pasok  kayo sa holding area kasi mga first time nyo lumabas ng bansa, my ifill up lang kayo tapos iinterviewhin lang"

They give us form and we try to answer all of them, name, address, name of company, how much is your pocket money, etc. after that, each of us has own immigration officer that will ask a question.

IO: Patingin lahat ng documents mo.

IO: May work kaba? anung work mu?

Me: Meron po, Auditor sa may Makati

IO: Ilang taon kana dyan? Nasan Id mo?

Me: ( I gave my Id) 6 months palang po

IO: Regular kana? 

Me: Hindi pa po ako nag sasign ng bagong kontrata, pero regular na po ako

IO to another IO: Paki check nga Hotel booking nila kung totoo.

Me: (Oooopppsss Patay na!) Hindi kasi totoo hotel booking namin, we book our hotel thru online pero after confirmation in our email we print and then we cancelled.

IO: saan dati mung work?

Me: sa Quezon City po

IO: anung work? Magkano sahod mu? ilang taon ka dun?

Me: accounting po, **,000 per month po 4 years ako dun.

IO: sino ksama mo mag tour? kaano ano mu?

Me: blah blah blah....

IO: magkano dala mung pera?

Me: 40,000 po

IO: may credit card ka? 

Me: meron po

IO: anung bank? Patingin? Magkano credit limit? Eto ba pinangbili mu ng ticket at Hotel boking nyo?

Me: hindi po kasi hindi kasya limit ko kaya sa officemate po ako nag pa swipe, eto po photocopy ng ID at credit card nya

IO: Okay

Another IO: ma'am cancelled hotel booking nila!

Me: huh?

IO: huh? so pano yan? cancelled naman pala hotel booking nyo? okay na sana, lahat ok na eh... blah blah blah....

Me: Hala hindi ko po alam

IO: So hindi namin kayo pwdeng palabasin. blah blah blah....

Me: Hala pano po yun eh ok naman po nung nag pa book kami

IO: Same date yung pagbili mu nung ticket at hotel? (tiningnan nya) oo nga sabay, baka naman nawalan na ng laman kaya ganyan.

Me: Baka nga po

They also check our ticket to cebu pacific baka hindi rin daw pumasok, after nun sabi ng taga cebu pacific eh Ok naman, walang problema.

My IO ask the other IO na nag iinterview sa mga friends ko and they said na okay narin sana sila. The other IO said na Ok na yan, my pera naman sila mag pa book nalang kayo pag dating nyo dun. Ganun nalang!

Me: Okay po, ganun nalang, so okay na po?

IO: Oo, punta na ulit kayo sa counter patatakan nyo na.

So it takes as almost 30 minutes para tatakan passport namin.

So this are my tips:

1. Be honest- mistake namin malapit na kami hindi palabasin dahil cancelled hotel booking namin, we didn't book our hotel because my friend kami sa macau pero hindi namin sinabi kasi sigurado hahaba ang tanung, baka kelangan pa ng invitation letter, address at kung ano ano pa. 

2. Don't be afraid- Isang tanung isang sagot ka lang para hindi madugtungan tanung sayo baka kung my masabi kapa eh mas hahaba pa tanung.

3. Being too defensive-Kung may iba kang purpose sa pag tour wag ka masyadong defensive pag tinatanung ka.

4. Be nice- yung nag interview sakin na IO yun yata yung pinaka head nila, mataray sya, pananalita palang pero kahit  ganun sya at sobrang paikot ikot lang tanung nya eh hindi ko pinahalata na inis na ako, I try to be nice parin kasi pag galit galitan ka rin eh mas lalo ka nilang hindi tatakan.

5. Dress properly- they said na dapat daw disente damit wag mag suot ng mga naka mini skirt at yung mga mababa neckline na damit at mag lipstick ng red. Haha! Okay pero it's better parin na mag ayos ng konti, wag namang over dress and wag din naman under dress, yung tama lang.

Hopefully this article can help sa mga mag tour, I know the feeling na first time lalabas ng bansa na excited but kinakabahan dahil sa immigration, pero don't worry if complete naman documents mu and honest ka, surely makakapag tour ka, Goodluck and have a safe trip!!