(Eagle News) — The Bureau of Immigration on Tuesday, Aug. 4, announced it would scale down its operations as Metro Manila reverts to a modified enhanced community quarantine.
In a statement, the bureau said it will maintain a skeleton workforce at its main office while the MECQ is in effect.
This means it will have to temporarily suspend its online appointment system for foreign clients at the agency’s main office in Intramuros, Manila starting today, except for those who are scheduled and are intending to leave the Philippines during the MECQ period.
He said the system will continue to reserve slots for departing aliens who need to secure their Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC), re-entry permit and update their extension fees.
Outbound foreigners should, however, present their confirmed flight bookings or plane tickets prior to entering the bureau’s premises.
Affected clients with confirmed appointments from August 3 to 18 may reapply for new schedules to transact at the bureau after the MECQ is lifted, Morente said.
Apart from the online appointment system for foreign clients with exceptions, the following transactions at the main office are suspended:
– implementation of applications for visa conversion or extension approved by the Bureau’s Board of Commissioners (BOC).
The bureau said departing aliens under tourist visas who overstayed in the country for not more than six months can pay their visa extension fees at the airport.
