Okay. Before I begin narrating my adventures and new life here in the United States, let me talk a bit about myself.
I'm from Philippines and like many Filipinos, I never had the chance to travel abroad. Sounds deprecating, but I am really a bumpkin not only in here, but also in the Philippines. To explain further, I came from Iloilo City in Visayas region and when I went to Manila and Cebu for my medical examination in SLEC, interview and CFO, which I will tell you more in my future posts, I experienced the so-called culture shock! Believe me, even though those places are parts of the country, you will feel, see and experience the difference. Each region has its own culture and dialect. So the saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" is applicable.
Now, let's get down to business!
Adventures from Port of Exit to Port of Entry (Part I)
First, let's talk about Port of Exit and Port of Entry. Port of Exit is that point where you depart from the country. You will go through the immigration before you can proceed to your gate and board the plane. Lines in NAIA 1 Immigration counters are quite long, but no worries. they move fast. just prepare all the documents, so there will be no hassle. They will ask for your passport and maybe other documents, ask you some questions and take your picture (biometric). Once all is done, you're ready to go! Oh, my Port of Exit was Manila.
Second, the Port of Entry. The Port of Entry is the point where you enter the country. Usually, the international airport where you will land first. My Port of Entry was San Francisco. Right after the plane landed in there, I was directed to the Customs and Border Protection room where the custom officer took my yellow packet and opened it. Once you are done with the customs, you are good to go! Mine was not over yet because I had one last flight to Atlanta where my husband was waiting for me >.< Everything went smoothly despite encountering some problems which I will tell you guys later. Again, once you are done with the CBP, everything will go smoothly from there on.
Terminal Fee
It's important that you take note of some mandatory fees at the airport such as terminal fee and travel tax. Most airline tickets already include your airport terminal fee and you can check your ticket or call the airline company just to make sure. In my case, I asked my husband to call Delta Airlines about my travel tax and terminal fee. They said my NAIA terminal fee was already included in my ticket, but not the travel tax. To those travelling outside for the first time, the terminal fee for international departure is PHP 750 ($17). As far as I know, you don't have to pay for it anymore because as I said before, it should already be included in your ticket. However, since I had connecting flights (Iloilo-Manila-San Francisco-Atlanta), the terminal fee for my domestic departure (ILO-MNL) was not included. I paid PHP 200 for my domestic terminal fee. I don't really know why my domestic one wasn't included, so I strongly advise that you call your airline company where you or someone purchased the ticket for you to make sure or just bring extra cash in Philippine currency.
Travel Tax
It's mandatory that you pay the travel tax (PHP 1,620). For more details, just go to this link : http://www.philippineembassy-usa.org/about-the-philippines-dc/ . I paid mine in Iloilo Aiport at their TIEZA counter. There are signs you can follow if you don't know your ways in the airport. TIEZA is where you pay your travel tax. You CAN'T leave the country without it. There are exceptions, of course. Simply follow this link to read in full details : http://www.philippine-embassy.de/bln/images/ConsularSection/OtherServices/pdf/5dFAQ.Travel.Tax.pdf.
I presented my passport and my VISA (also in my passport and my VISA is IR-1). The clerk told me I don't have to pay for it next time I exit the Philippines as long as I don't stay in the country for more than a year. But since it was the first time and I hadn't entered the States yet, it was a must. Anyway, IR-1 made me a permanent resident of the United States the moment I entered my port of entry (San Francisco). Again, I am now a permanent resident of America and if I go to the Philippines as is, as long as I don't exceed a year, I don't have to pay for it anymore. For clarification, you can find that on the link posted above.
Documents Required At TIEZA Counter :
- Original Passport
- Plane Ticket
- Travel Documents
You may be wondering what travel documents are, but it really depends on your case. Mine were the yellow packet (NEVER OPEN IT OR EVEN TRY TO) sent to me by the US Embassy and my US VISA.
That's all for now, guys ^_^ I love procrastinating, so I'm going to play some LoL games for now. See you in my next post. I hope this is of any help to you ^_^
