The 13A visa for Americans married to Filipinos

If you're married to a Filipino citizen, the 13A is the most direct path to living in the Philippines for good: one year on probation, then permanent residence.

The short version

The 13A is a non-quota immigrant visa by marriage under Section 13(a) of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940. It's for the spouse, or an unmarried child under 21, of a Philippine citizen [3].
The US is on the Bureau of Immigration's list of countries whose nationals can apply, so Americans qualify [3].
You start with a probationary 13A for one year, then apply to convert it to permanent [3].
Filing for the probationary visa costs PHP 8,620 (about USD 135) for the principal, plus USD 50 for the ACR I-Card. The permanent amendment costs PHP 6,710 (about USD 105) plus USD 50 [1][3].
You must be in the Philippines when you file. The Bureau's 2026 charter puts processing at about 37 working days, including a hearing [3].

USD conversions use the European Central Bank cross rate of October 30, 2026 (USD 1 = PHP 63.68).

Who qualifies

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) describes the 13A as a visa "granted to the wife or husband or the unmarried child under twenty-one years of age of a Philippine citizen" who is accompanying or following to join that citizen [3]. In practice, that means:

The foreign spouse of a Filipino citizen, in a valid marriage.
Unmarried children under 21, who can be included as dependents with proof of filiation [1][3].
Nationals of countries on the BI's reciprocity list. The 2026 charter lists dozens of countries, and the USA is on it [3].

The Filipino spouse is the petitioner. They sign the application form with you and supply their PSA birth certificate and a valid government ID [3]. If your spouse became a US citizen and hasn't reacquired Philippine citizenship under Republic Act 9225, sort that out first, because the petitioner has to be a Philippine citizen. A former Filipino can look at other routes, like the 13G for returning former natural-born citizens.

Same-sex marriages aren't recognized in the Philippines, so a 13A based on one isn't available. A US expat lawyer or a Philippine immigration lawyer can check your options.

Stage one: the probationary 13A

Most Americans arrive visa-free as temporary visitors and then convert to a probationary 13A at the BI in the Philippines. You have to be inside the country, and your passport needs at least 20 days of valid authorized stay left when your fees are assessed [3]. Watch that date. If your visitor stay is close to running out, extend it first.

Documents for the probationary 13A

The BI checklist (Form V-I-002) asks for these, in this order, in a legal-size (8.5 x 14 in.) folder [2]:

A joint letter request to the Commissioner, signed by you and your Filipino spouse.
The Consolidated General Application Form (CGAF), filled out in capital letters, in two original copies (one is for the ACR I-Card).
Your marriage certificate. If you married in the Philippines, get it from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). If you married in the US, it needs an apostille or authentication, with an English translation if needed [2][3].
Your spouse's birth certificate from the PSA, or a BI Identification Certificate proving Filipino citizenship.
A photocopy of your passport bio page and latest admission stamp.
An NBI clearance if you're filing six months or more after you first arrived [2].
A BI Clearance Certificate (BICC).
A Bureau of Quarantine medical clearance, but only for nationals of certain listed countries [2]. That list is in a BI operations order. Ask at the counter whether it applies to you.

The charter also asks for a photocopy of your spouse's valid government ID [3]. All Philippine civil registry documents must be PSA originals, all affidavits must be notarized, and anyone filing for you needs a BI accreditation ID or an original special power of attorney [2].

The process, step by step

The BI's page lays out the same steps for the main office in Intramuros, Manila and other authorized offices [1]:

Get the CGAF from the BI website or the Public Information and Assistance Unit.
Submit your folder for pre-screening at the Central Receiving Unit.
Get your Order of Payment Slip and pay the fees.
Hand in a copy of your official receipt.
Attend the hearing. The date and place are printed on your official receipt.
Go to the Alien Registration Division for photos and fingerprints, and submit your ACR I-Card application.
Check the BI website to see if your visa is approved.
If it is, submit your passport for visa implementation.
Claim your ACR I-Card.

The charter's breakdown: about 25 working days for the hearing officer to draft an order, then 10 working days for the Board of Commissioners to approve or deny it, for a total of about 37 working days [3]. That's the official target, not a promise. Build in slack before any trip home for Thanksgiving.

Stage two: converting to permanent

After the probationary year, you apply for an Amendment to Section 13(A) Non-Quota Immigrant Visa (Permanent). It's open to holders of a valid probationary 13A, and again you must be inside the Philippines when you file [3]. File well before your probationary visa expires. The charter doesn't give a filing window, so ask the BI Legal Division for the current one.

The 2026 charter lists these documents for the principal [3]:

A new CGAF, signed by you and your spouse
A photocopy of your passport, with at least 20 days of valid authorized stay
An NBI clearance if it's been six months or more since you first arrived
A BICC

The hearing officer can ask for more, and in practice that often means proof your marriage is still going strong. Bring recent photos together, a joint lease or bills, or your kids' birth certificates. Then come biometrics, the hearing, the Board's decision and a new ACR I-Card [3].

What it costs

Step	Fee	About in USD
Probationary 13A, principal	PHP 8,620	USD 135 [1][3]
Dependent spouse	PHP 8,620	USD 135 [3]
Dependent child (two age-based categories)	PHP 7,870 or PHP 8,370	USD 124 or 131 [3]
ACR I-Card (each stage)	USD 50	USD 50 [1][3]
Permanent 13A amendment	PHP 6,710	USD 105 [3]

The ACR I-Card fee is charged in dollars at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas rate on the day you're assessed [3]. The BI website says its fees are "updated as of 06 March 2014" [1], but the 2026 charter shows the same probationary amounts. Add the NBI clearance, PSA documents, photos and apostilles, and a ballpark total is a few hundred dollars per stage. That's cheap next to a US green card for your spouse.

If you got the 13A from a consulate

You can also apply for the 13A at a Philippine embassy or consulate in the US before you fly. Then you register at the BI after arrival for your ACR I-Card. The charter lists that registration at USD 50 plus about PHP 3,670 (about USD 58) in registration, certificate, head tax and express fees [3].

Life on a 13A

Work. The BI describes permanent residence as access to "live, work, and retire" in the Philippines [3]. Check with your employer whether your field has its own licensing rules.
The annual report. As a registered foreign national, you report to the BI within the first 60 days of every year. The fee is PHP 310 (about USD 5), and late filers pay a monthly fine [4].
Leaving and coming back. Before a trip abroad, you need an emigration clearance certificate and a re-entry permit [3].
US obligations. Your US tax return, FBAR filings for Philippine accounts over USD 10,000 combined, and Social Security rules follow you to Manila [5]. If your Filipino spouse doesn't have a Social Security number, a US expat tax preparer can check your filing status options.

If your kids were born in the Philippines, register them with the US Embassy for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) and a US passport. Ask our community group for Americans in the Philippines which BI offices outside Intramuros are quickest right now. That kind of tip changes month to month.

The 13A visa: how Americans married to Filipinos get permanent residence