06/07/2019
A friendly reminder.
10 Things to Remember to Avoid Being Offloaded.
1. Prepare your documents
In a website of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), it says that at a minimum a traveler intending to go abroad shall be required to present the following for primary inspections:
• Passport valid for at least six months
• Visa when required on the country destination
• Round Trip Ticket
• Work Contract and OEC from POEA if you are an OFW
• If going as a tourist, hotel booking confirmation, and receipts
• If on a guided tour, copy of your itinerary and be ready for the places you will be visiting
• If traveling with a minor, travel permit from DSWD
• Forage and affinity verification, bring your authenticated Marriage Certificate and Birth Certificate
In spite of this, the BI will also assess the age, educational attainment and financial capability of the traveler.
2. Never lie to the Immigration Office and speak confidently
• When being interviewed by a BI, provide consistent, clear and confident answers
• Answer questions in a respectful and confident manner
• Listen carefully and provide an honest answer while maintaining your composure.
3. Dress decently
Wear clothes that say you are a respectable traveler even you are free to dress as you pleased. For the first time traveler especially for women, choose clothing that is not too revealing or too casual. Showing too much skin might trigger an impression of a s*x worker which is a red flag among immigration officers.
4. Preparation for solo travelers
Be especially prepared if you're young, female, single, or a recent graduate and traveling solo. Make sure to bring all necessary documents with you.
Immigration Officer is more particular on the female solo traveler, so expect to be bombarded with questions. Remember, your safety and security are the utmost concern.
5. Know your trip's purpose and be firm in it
If your purpose is pure and true, you should be able to pass the interview and be allowed to board faster than you expected.
But remember, aside from your answer, Immigration Officer also observes your body language. They are trained in their job so they will know if your lying base on your composure.
6. Be sure you can afford your trip and prove it!
• Bring a copy of your financial statements, certificate of employment, proof of salary, credit cards, and other proofs of residency.
• If you are unemployed, you must prepare to prove or show how you will be paying for your trip.
• If you travel is sponsored, then you must possess an affidavit of support and guarantee. This includes a letter of invitation authenticated by the Philippine consulate or embassy in your destination country.
7. For a sponsored traveler, know the basic information about your sponsor
If your friend or relatives are sponsoring your trip, make sure you can provide documents pertaining to their information. Documents that have their complete names, addresses, and contact information
8. Clearances and other permits
• If you are a government worker and your travel is related to your work, you must bring your clearance or travel permit. Failure to present a travel clearance could prevent you from boarding your flight.
• Private employees must have sufficient documents to prove they are employed and have been granted leave by their employers.
9. Review your travel history.
Review your old passport and recall your most recent trips. If you are first time travelers, remember to be consistent in your reason for going out of the country.
Your experience of being offloaded in the past could land you in the hot seat. Remember why you were denied the last time and how the issue was resolved.
10. Watch your attitude
Be polite in your answer all the time and avoid getting into argument with the Immigration Officer.
Remember these are just tips that can help travelers better prepare for their flight. But there are things we cannot control. After all, being offloaded is not the worst thing might happen to you. There's much worse, being a victim of human trafficking, abusive employer, being stranded or jailed in a foreign country with no help is much worse than being offloaded.
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