I just had to create this salient blog to ensure you don’t waste thousands of dollars on airline tickets that more than likely won’t be re-booked or refunded, if your partner can’t or ‘on most cases are delayed from securing a CFO on time’ for that flight you just booked.
Your so excited because you just got a visa grant for your friend, relative, finance or partner from the Department of Home Affairs from Australia and you rushed out to buy the cheapest possible tickets you could find (because you know, the cost of living has gone through the roof), so they can come over straight away, correct?
Big, big, big mistake.
Let me run you down a quick history lesson regarding Commission on Filipinos Overseas.
Established on 16 June 1980 through Batas Pambansa 79, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) is an agency of the Philippine Government under the Office of the President tasked to promote and uphold the interests, rights and welfare of overseas Filipinos and strengthen their ties with the Motherland.
Now, here are some very concerning developments that this Philippine Authority was set up to prevent from happening.
The following items directly below, I have ‘cheery picked’, so you get a clear idea where this branch of government gets its authority from and why they are very meticulous in implementing these requirements and in my own personal view, rightly so.
EXECUTIVE ORDER
14 23-Mar-2000 Executive Order No. 220 Creating and Executive Council to suppress trafficking in persons, particularly women and children
MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR
22 15-Jun-2015 Memorandum Circular No. 036 Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking Revised Guidelines on Departure Formalities of International-Bound Passengers
REPUBLIC ACT
28 21-Jul-2016 Republic Act No. 10906 Providing stronger measures against unlawful practices, businesses, and schemes of matching and offering Filipinos to foreign nationals for purposes of marriage or common law partnership, repealing for the purpose R.A. no. 6955
32 6-Feb-2013 Republic Act No. 10364 Establishing the Necessary Institutional Mechanisms for the Protection and Support of Trafficked Persons, Providing Penalties for Its Violations and for Other Purposes
36 26-May-2003 Republic Act No. 9208 Known as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, instituting Policies to Eliminate Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children, Establishing the Necessary Institutional Mechanisms for the Protection and Support of Trafficked Persons, Providing Penalties for Its Violations, and for Other Purposes
38 22-Nov-1996 Republic Act No. 8239 The Philippine Passport Act of 1996, a provision of which mandates all Filipinos going abroad as fiancé(e)s, spouses or other partners of foreign nationals to attend the CFO’s guidance and counseling session in order to secure the Guidance and Counseling Certificate (GCC) and the CFO sticker
40 13-Jun-1990 Republic Act No. 6955 Declaring unlawful the practice of matching Filipino women for marriage to foreign nationals on a mail- order basis and other similar practices, including the advertisement, publication, printing or distribution of brochures, fliers and other propaganda materials in furtherance thereof and providing penalty therefore
My message to all my clients is very simple, SLOW DOWN.
There is a particular way in presenting yourself to the CFO so that they can make a respectful, meaningful and correct decision about your intentions of traveling to Australia and make sure the Authority is satisfied you are protected in the unlikely event that you run into any awkward situations when you do arrive in Australia and how best to seek assistance whilst in Australia in the vent that it does happen.
Very simple, right?
Well, no.
Again, it is the way you initially approach and ‘submit compelling and comprehensive additional information to CFO’ on top of the other information you have already submitted to the Department of Home Affairs, for your visa grant for Australia.
Don’t forget, this system of getting certified is a) on-line, with b) limited spaces available on a daily basis and c) currently the process is slow, at the best of times.
- Oh, by the way, Travel Insurance (with COVID protection), airlines seem to be requesting from international Filipino travellers to Australia. We haven’t found any official government website it’s a mandatorily requiring other than: You are not required to have travel insurance to visit Australia, but it is strongly encouraged. Australia’s government travel authority says, “If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel.”
https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/before-you-go/the-basics/insurance
Whatever that really means is a complete mystery to me and I can’t get anyone to show me information regarding this other than to say, once you show it at the check-in counter, you seem to have the ‘green-light’ to finally board the flight.
Amazing, right?
Perhaps it’s financially beneficial and a good idea to contact us if you are having any issues with securing a CFO and getting your head around the travel insurance issue as well, so we may be able to assist you further, provided you are a genuine applicant.
