Earnings from visa extension fees drop in 2020: BI

MANILA – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Friday reported a significant drop in the fees collected from visa extension applications in 2020.

Citing latest data, Commissioner Jaime Morente said the PHP1.3-billion earnings from visa extension fees last year is more than 40 percent lower than the total collection of almost PHP2.2 billion from 2019, due to entry restrictions on foreign tourists because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

“Despite the low numbers for 2020, we remain hopeful that the tourism industry can bounce back this year,” Morente said.

Collection from visa extension fees is one of the major sources of revenue for the BI and has always been considered indicative of the Philippines’ growing reputation as a major tourist destination in southeast Asia.

He added that a rise in visa extension fee collection would mean more foreign tourists are opting to prolong their stay in the country, thus contributing to the development of the economy.

The BI chief also reported a 45-percent drop in the number of applications for tourist visa extension last year.

Data from the Bureau’s Tourist Visa Section (TVS) revealed that a total of 240,276 applications for extension of stay of tourists, which is 44.67-percent lower than the 434,251 applications it received in 2019.

He said the sharp decline in numbers was expected, considering that entry to the country of aliens remain restricted, following travel bans set due to the pandemic which started in March last year.

“International travel restrictions remain in place even as we anticipate a gradual lifting of these restrictions this year as the vaccines against Covid-19 begin to arrive,” Morente said.

“We hope that the tourism industry will finally rebound at least by the second or third quarter of 2021 and the Philippines will once again open its doors to foreign visitors,” he added.

Applications for extension of stay may be filed at the BI main office in Manila or in any of its authorized field, extension, and satellite offices throughout the country.