Guidelines and Policies for All Persons Entering and/or Doing Business with the Bureau

February 11, 2013

BI MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. RADJR-2013-003

GUIDELINES AND POLICIES FOR ALL PERSONS ENTERING AND/OR DOING BUSINESS WITH THE BUREAU

WHEREAS, Section 3 of Commonwealth Act No. 613 (Philippine Immigration Act of 1940), as amended, empowers and authorizes the Commissioner of Immigration to issue, subject to the approval of the Department Head, such rules and regulations he deems necessary for the implementation of all immigration laws and on all matters within the BI's jurisdiction, including those relating to the accreditation and regulation of all law offices, travel agencies and other accredited entities transacting with the various offices of the Bureau;

WHEREAS, all liaison officers and paralegals of law offices, travel agencies and other accredited private entities (collectively referred hereinafter as APE) have been briefed on the procedures and policies in the Bureau, one of which is the prohibition of loafing in the waiting area;

WHEREAS, it has been observed that there are liaison officers and paralegals who use the Bureau premises as an extension of their offices where they fill up application forms, collate documents and even hold meeting with their clients;

WHEREAS, some liaison officers and paralegals with no obvious business transaction have likewise been observed to linger in the area in the hope of obtaining potential clients thereby further compounding the problem of congestion in the Bureau premises;

WHEREAS, some unauthorized personnel posing as agents of APE have entered the Bureau premises to do illegal activities to include theft among others; AIDcTE

WHEREAS, some persons within the Bureau premises have been found not to be wearing any identification card and some have entered the Bureau premises without authority;

NOW THEREFORE, based on the foregoing premises, the following is hereby ordered:

SECTION 1. General Policy. — Due to the multitude of personnel and transactions in the Bureau as well as the limited office space of existing Bureau premises, the Bureau shall regulate the entry and stay of persons within the Bureau premises.

a) NO IDENTIFICATION CARD, NO ENTRY POLICY: Personnel entering and staying within the Bureau premises shall wear the proper and valid identification cards — officials BI identification card for all employees, valid BI accreditation card for personnel of APE, and official visitor's identification card for all others.

b)  NO TRANSACTION, NO ENTRY POLICY: Only personnel of APE who shall have "official transactions" with the Bureau on a particular day shall be allowed entry to the Bureau. Official transactions shall mean, among others, documents such as properly accomplished application forms, passport, claim stub indicating the due date, official receipt indicating schedule of hearing, etc.

c) NO PERSONAL FOLLOW UP POLICY: Inquiries as to the status of any other transaction with the Bureau shall be made by telephone, email, social media, or directly with the office concerned.

SECTION 2. Obligations and Prohibited Activities of APE. — All personnel of the APE have the following obligations for doing business within the Bureau premises:

a) Present their valid BI Accreditation IDs to the desk specifically designated by the Civil Security Unit (CSU) prior to entry. ETIcHa

b) Pin, wear, or otherwise display their valid BI Accreditation ID at all times while inside the BI premises.

c) Perform transactions on behalf of their clients only at windows specifically designated by the Bureau.

d) Not to fill up application forms, collate documents, or perform any transactions with their clients within the Bureau premises.

e) Not wait, loaf, or loiter within the Bureau premises, especially at the waiting area/lounges.

SECTION 3. Role of Civil Security Unit (CSU). —

a) Require the presentation of valid identification cards for all personnel entering the Bureau premises, that is, (1) official BI identification card for all employees, (2) valid BI accreditation card for personnel of APE, and (3) official visitor's identification card for all others. Former employees who have no "official transactions" in the Bureau as defined in this Order shall be issued visitor's identification card.

b) Strictly enforce the one year prohibition on former employees from transaction with the Bureau.

c) Record the entry of personnel of APE and other visitors of the Bureau.

d) Strictly prevent the entry of unauthorized personnel.

e) Report, caution, arrest and/or expel any person found to be in violation of this Order such as but not limited to (1) those not wearing any identification card, (2) those transacting with the Bureau without any accreditation, (3) those using an expired or fraudulently acquired ID.

SECTION 4. Role of Accreditation Unit. —

a) Accept, process and recommend for appropriate action to the Associate Commissioner-in-Charge of the Accreditation Unit, all applications for Accreditation. aESIDH

b) Issue Accreditation Identification Cards, signed by the Associate Commissioner-in-Charge of the Accreditation Unit, to all APE. The color and the design of the accreditation identification card shall be changed every accreditation renewal and application cycle and shall be exclusively determined by the Accreditation Unit.

c) Receive, evaluate and hand out appropriate penalties to arring APE.

SECTION 5. Role of the Student Desk. —

d) Accept, process and recommend for appropriate action to the Commissioner, all application for accreditation of school representatives.

e) Issue Accreditation Identification Cards, signed by the Commissioner, to all school representatives.

f) Receive, evaluate and hand out appropriate penalties to erring school representatives.

SECTION 6. Duty of All Bureau Employees. — All Bureau employees are enjoined to do the following acts to help prevent the unauthorized entry and stay of persons in the Bureau premises:

a. Caution all personnel who are not wearing any identification card, including employees, former employees, and visitors.

b. Remind all personnel within their respective offices to wear their official identification cards at all times while inside the Bureau premises.

SECTION 6. n  Supersession Clause. — All circulars, memoranda, orders and other issuances inconsistent with this Order are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 7. Effectivity. — This Order shall take effect on 1 March 2013. llcd

SO ORDERED.

 

(SGD.) RICARDO A. DAVID, JR.CommissionerBureau of Immigration

n Note from the Publisher: Copied verbatim from the official copy. Duplication of Section 6.