Foreigners in the Philippines who are holding Temporary Visitor’s Visas (TVV) can now get an extension of up to 36 months.

Department of Justice secretary Leila de Lima has just approved the new TVV policies recommended by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) which covers the following new rules regarding visa extensions:

• Visa-required foreigners holding a TVV may extend their stay for up to 24 months (2 years)
• Non visa-required foreigners holding a TVV may extend their stay for up to 36 months (3 years)
• Foreigners who wish to get this extension must apply for it every two months until they exhaust their allowable extensions
• Foreigners in the BI’s derogatory list can get the extension applicable to them. Foreigners who are in the derogatory list because they have overstayed in the country do not have the same privileges

The amendment to TVV rules was made to help boost tourism in the country. Last year, the BI also extended visa-free entry of tourists from 21 to 30 days. The government aims to boost the number of foreign tourists to 10 million by 2016.