ANNUAL REPORT. Bureau of Immigration personnel man an annual report venue inside a mall in this undated photo. The BI on Monday (March 11, 2024) said Chinese nationals topped the list of foreigners who signed up for this year's annual report. (Photo courtesy of BI)
MANILA – Chinese nationals topped the list of foreigners who registered during this year's annual report of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), an official said Monday.
BI alien registration chief Jose Carlitos Licas, in a statement, said a total of 49,556 Chinese nationals have registered during the annual report period from Jan. 1 to March 1.
This is followed by Indians (26,123); Vietnamese (11,671); Americans (10,912) and Taiwanese (7,800).
Also in the bureau's top 10 list are South Koreans (6,448); Indonesians (6,019); Japanese (5,214); British (3,392) and Malaysians (2,804).
Licas noted that 80 percent of the aliens were walk-ins or reported in-person at the BI field, extension and satellite office as well as selected shopping malls in Metro Manila and elsewhere which served as venues for this year’s annual report.
For the first time in BI's history, this year’s annual report allowed nearly 8,000 aliens to report virtually and pay their fees online, Licas added.
The government earned almost PHP16 million from this year’s annual report, compared to last year’s collection of PHP11 million.
Under the Alien Registration Act of 1950, BI-registered foreigners are required to make the annual report within the first 60 days of every calendar year.
On Sunday, the BI reported that a total of 153,651 foreigners, who are holders of immigrant and non-immigrant visas in the country, took part in this year’s annual report.
Commissioner Norman Tansingco added that this year’s figures were higher by 13 percent than the 136,065 aliens who reported for their annual report in 2023.
He said the increase is an indication that more aliens are applying for residency in the Philippines.
Aliens registered with the BI as immigrants and non-immigrants are required to make the annual report. Foreign tourists or temporary visitors are exempted from the annual report.
Immigrants are permanent residents in the Philippines while non-immigrants refer to temporary residents such as foreign workers, expatriates and students. (PNA)
