QuestionsQuestions (BI OPERATION ORDER NO. SBM-14-007)
It is grounded on the Bureau of Immigration’s mandate under Commonwealth Act No. 613, as amended (Philippine Immigration Act of 1940), and is aligned with the State policy under Republic Act No. 9485 (Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007) to streamline procedures, eliminate red tape, and avert graft by establishing clear timelines for visa conversion/extension and ACR I-Card processing.
It aims to improve procedures and establish specific timelines to expedite and facilitate processing of applications for visa conversion/extension and the issuance/renewal of the ACR I-Card.
If all supporting documents are complete and in order, CRU must transmit application folders received from all offices to the proper receiving office before end of office hours of the same day.
Visa conversion/extension folders are transmitted to the Legal Division (LD)/BSI Hearing Officer, while ACR I-Card issuance/renewal folders are transmitted to the Alien Registration Division (ARD).
It advises the applicant to directly proceed to the ARD for biometric capturing on the date indicated in the notice.
The Hearing Officer must (1) conduct the hearing, (2) direct the applicant to proceed immediately to the ARD for biometrics capturing, and (3) if warranted, within five (5) working days after the actual hearing or submission of additional documents, prepare and transmit the recommended Order to the LD/BSI Chief.
They must contain: (1) a recommended APPROVAL/DISAPPROVAL by the Hearing Officer and Head of concerned office, (2) an APPROVED/DISAPPROVED action as the final action by the Board of Commissioners (BOC), and (3) the date when the signature of the concerned signatory was affixed.
Within five (5) working days after the actual hearing or submission of additional documents, if warranted, prepare and transmit the recommended Order and the application folder to the respective Chief of the LD and BSI for appropriate action.
Within three (3) working days from receipt, the LD/BSI Chief must review, evaluate, and indicate the desired action (APPROVAL or DISAPPROVAL). Orders reviewed and evaluated within a particular working day must be transmitted, together with the application folder, to the Office of the Executive Director (OED) before end of office hours of that same day.
Within the next working day from receipt, the OED must transmit the Orders and corresponding application folders to the designated reviewing Associate Commissioner.
Within three (3) working days from receipt, the Associate Commissioner must complete the review and return the same to the OED. Any deficiency observed must be noted in a separate sheet with recommended action addressed to the BOC.
After BOC deliberation, OED must post or cause posting in the BI website the action taken (approved or disapproved). This posting serves as due notice to the applicants.
OED prepares the BOC agenda, including all Orders received from designated reviewing Associate Commissioners not later than 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon of the day prior to the scheduled BOC meeting. Orders received after that time/day are included in the succeeding week agenda without exception.
BOC deliberates and acts on Orders included in the agenda. After the BOC meeting, OED must transmit approved visa/ACR I-Card agenda details and period of validity to ARD within two (2) working days, and also post BOC action on the BI website.
ARD must, within three (3) working days from receipt of the agenda, complete the printing of ACR I-Cards for approved applications and transmit the printed cards to OED.
OED implements the approved visa in the applicant’s passport upon presentment and simultaneously releases the ACR I-Card. Within three (3) working days after implementation, OED must transmit the entire records to VCD for post-audit. VCD must complete post-audit within three (3) months from transmittal.
OED must initiate the forfeiture/cancellation of approved visas and ACR I-Cards not implemented within thirty (30) working days from posting of the action taken in the BI website.
The Order states it shall take effect immediately upon approval. Practically, it means the timelines and procedures apply right away from the date of approval, subject to actual operationalization by BI offices.