Rep. Tulfo: 30K unqualified Chinese nationals issued retiree, investor visas

Around 30,000 Chinese nationals were issued either retiree or investor visa in the Philippines even if they are not qualified for it, House Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS party-list Representative Erwin Tulfo bared Tuesday.

Tulfo made the announcement in light of his call for a House investigation into the issuance of such visas to unqualified foreigners. 

“Based on the Immigration Bureau records given to us, of the 78,000 foreigners issued retiree visas, 30,000 are Chinese. What is puzzling here is that they are yet to reach retirement age but they are on retiree visa. They are just aged 35 to 50 [years old],” Tulfo told reporters after filing House Resolution 1771.

“The age limit was raised to 50 just a couple of years ago, but still, there are those [foreigners] with investors' visas when they have no millions of investment here to begin with. They are just employees of POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators). How the hell did it happen?” he added.

According to Tulfo, the inquiry would grill officials from Philippine Retirement Association, Board of Investments, and even the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), as it would also tackle “current statistics and the processes of delayed registration of births, especially for those who have a history of or are currently running for or holding public office, to ensure the authenticity of personal records and to prevent deception of the general public.”

“The Speaker (Martin Romualdez) gave us instructions to look into this. Imagine, a retiree is at least 50, 60 plus. But 35, 40? You are at the peak of your strength. Why will you retire,” Tulfo said.

Tulfo said there are also instances of foreigners stopping their deporation by taking advantage of legal loopholes.  

“We should probe this so we can deport whom we need to deport. Otherwise, that is a problem for us,” he added.

A Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV) and Special Investor's Resident Visa (SIRV) give several privileges to foreign nationals, including indefinite stay in the country for purposes of employment, investment, and retirement, Tulfo said in House Resolution 1771.

“While intended for legitimate purposes for the economic development of the country, the SRRV and SIRV may be prone to abuse, especially by Chinese nationals, who wish to avail of exemptions from immigration requirements and certain taxes and fees, entitling them to work, study, invest, and freely transact with the Philippine government,” the resolution said.

“It is imperative to assess the foregoing governmental processes in place that allow foreign nationals, especially Chinese citizens, to enter the country, stay indefinitely herein, and even maintain employment in the Philippines,” it added. —KBK, GMA Integrated News