DAVAO CITY — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has blacklisted 21 Chinese nationals who overstayed in the country after availing of the government’s Visa Upon Arrival (VUA) program.
In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente issued the blacklist order after the Bureau directed the aliens to immediately leave the country after they have updated their stay and paid the required fees, fines and penalties.
“As a consequence of their being placed in our blacklist, these Chinese nationals are now barred from re-entering the Philippines for violating the conditions of their stay,” Morente said.
He added that the aliens overstayed their visa without valid justification, and in violation of the terms and conditions under which they were admitted as grantees of the VUA program, a landed visa scheme that the government launched three years ago to attract more Chinese tourists into the country.It was learned that the 21 blacklisted Chinese nationals arrived in the country on separate dates last December and January after applications for the VUA program were approved by the BI.
The scheme allows a VUA grantee the privilege to enter and stay in the country for 30 days without the need to obtain an entry visa from a Philippine consulate in his port of origin. VUA recipients apply for the scheme through tour operators accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT).
A Department of Justice (DOJ) circular issued last January 8 that amended VUA’s guidelines strictly prohibit VUA recipients from extending their stay beyond 30 days unless by reason of force majeure or medical emergency.
It will be recalled that the BI suspended the implementation of the VUA in late January this year at the height of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan and other places in China. The scheme remains suspended as the government continues to restrict the entry of all foreign tourists due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
