The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said more than 153,000 foreign nationals took part in this year’s annual report by aliens who are holders of immigrant and non-immigrant visas in country.
In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco disclosed that a total of 153,651 foreigners participated in the 2024 Annual Report which started on Jan. 1 and ended March 1.
Tansingco said this year’s reportees was higher by 13 percent than the 136,065 aliens who reported for their annual report in 2023.
The BI chief described the increase as significant, saying it is a positive sign that more and more aliens are applying for residency in the Philippines, unlike during the COVID-19 pandemic when only few aliens visited the country.
He explained that only aliens registered with the BI as immigrants and non-immigrants are required to make the annual report, and not foreign tourists or temporary visitors.
Immigrants are permanent residents in the Philippines while non-immigrants refer to temporary residents such as foreign workers or expatriates and students.
Lawyer Jose Carlitos Licas, BI alien registration chief, said that 49,556 Chinese nationals topped the list of this year’s reportees, followed by 26,123 Indians, 11,671 Vietnamese, 10,912 Americans, and 7,800 Taiwanese.
Also in the top 10 list are 6,448 South Koreans, 6,019 Indonesians, 5,214 Japanese, 3,392 Britons, and 2,804 Malaysians.
Licas also bared 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 were venues for this year’s annual report.
Also, for the first time in BI history, this year’s annual report allowed nearly 8,000 aliens to report virtually and pay their fees online, Licas added.
It was learned that the government earned almost P16 million from this year’s annual report, compared to last year’s collection of P11 million.
Under the alien registration act of 1950, BI-registered foreign nationals are required to make the annual report within the first 60 days of every calendar year.
