How to Get a Philippine Passport and U.S. Visa for Your Baby

If you have a baby and you’re planning to take her for a vacation outside the country, whether or not it’s soon, the perfect time to get a passport is now! The same goes for getting a visa, and in my case, a US tourist visa (B2).

We all know how long the lines can be when it comes to applying for these kinds of stuff. The main reason for doing it this soon is to avoid the inconvenience of going through a mile-long line and skip the usual long process with just one weapon… your BABY!

This post will help you with the simple process of getting a passport and applying for a US visa for your adorable little one. But before going any further, please take note that I am NEITHER an expert nor an employee of any involved organizations. The information is only based on my personal experience and references. So don’t blame me for unfortunate events! =)

I.              GETTING A PASSPORT

If your baby has a passport already, see part II.

My baby was 4 months old when I decided to get her a passport. I already have mine so it’s just for her that I was getting the passport for. I had to allot 1 weekday because Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is closed on weekends. 

Good thing about applying for a baby less than 1 year old is that you don’t have to set an appointment or confirm a schedule. You can just walk in and there are special lanes for infants.
 

So first thing to do is check the availability of all the required documents because some, like the infant’s birth certificate, are not readily available. Sometimes it even takes time to be uploaded at Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). 

You may check the complete list of requirements at the DFA website, www.dfa.gov.ph. Below are the applicable ones in my case.

•  Accomplished passport application form. Download it from the Department of Foreign Affairs website (http://www.dfa.gov.ph/download)
•  Personal appearance of either parent
• Valid passports of parents 
• Original Birth Certificate of minor in Security Paper issued by PSA. Order it online at www.nsohelpline.ph/order-now. Fee is PHP 350 per document inclusive of processing and delivery fees.

Once you have these, proceed to the DFA office. In my case, it's DFA - SM Megamall.

 1. First window  - pre-screening: 2 minutes
2. Second window – submission of documents and payment: 5 minutes

         Fees (Manila):

         Express Processing (10 working days): PHP 1,200

         Normal Processing (30 working days): PHP 950 
3. Third window – photo capturing. This is so cute. My baby could not sit at the time so they had her photo taken while lying on a blue cloth. 6 minutes
4. Fourth and final window – instructions to the courier for passport delivery. 2 minutes

*A parent may bring one companion to assist him/ her with the baby.

Total processing time: 15 minutes! The passport was delivered after 3 days.

Yes, parents can take advantage of this if they’re applying together with their baby. =)

II.             GETTING A U.S. VISA

Again, I am writing these info based ONLY on my experience and applicable scenario at the time of application, that:
- baby is 5 months old
- my husband and I have valid US tourist visas
- my husband’s passport is expired
- my passport is valid

I actually read a lot of articles prior application so I would know what to expect. A lot of “what ifs” and horror stories flashed into my mind and got me worried for few days or so. What made me more worried was the fact that my husband and I hold visas that would probably make the consul think that we have an intention to bring the baby to the US to live there permanently. 

But common sense erased all my worries and negativity: if I had an intention to bring my daughter to the US and stay long, I would have given birth there. For one, that would make her an instant citizen, right? So what’s there to doubt? 

Then I went on with lighter baggage…

Here’s how the process goes (for complete details, please refer to http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph):

1. Accomplish the DS-160 form. Answer all the questions truthfully! Refrain from fabricating info just to make it look impressive. Here’s the link - https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/.

2. Pay the visa application fee at any Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) branch or via BPI online. As of writing, B2 application fee is $160  = PHP 8,160. This is non-refundable. You will have to print a form that has a randomly generated receipt number that you will also be required to present at the embassy.

3. Schedule an appointment by doing an online registration at https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/?language=English&country=Philippines. When you’re logged in, the page will show the earliest available schedule. You may also call the hotline at (02)9768500-02. I suggest getting the earliest, like 7:00 AM.

4. Go to the US embassy for interview. This is the nerve-racking part. All I can think of that day was “Is that how fast my money would vanish if the application gets rejected?!” And so I though the baggage was lighter.

At the US Embassy:

You will be required to come at least 15 minutes before your appointment. Our schedule was 7:15 AM and we were there at 7:00 AM sharp. The line outside was already very long where you could see families, couples, young professionals, students and babies like my daughter, Elisse.

Only 1 parent is allowed to accompany the baby. I suggest that you have someone come along and wait for you outside because (1) mobile phones and other gadgets are not allowed (2) to help you with the baby when you’re done and (3) to carry things for you. Make sure also that you bring food and milk in case of a long wait. Luckily, I’m breastfeeding so no sweat at all.

As for the documents, I only brought what the website asked me to bring:

-       Printed copy of appointment letter

-       DS-160 confirmation page

-       2X2 photograph with White background

-       Official Receipt for the visa fee payment

-       Baby’s passport

-       My passport

-       SUPPORTING DOCUMENT: Certificate of Employment

So here it goes:

Step 1. Approach the staff at the gate and advise that application is for the baby alone. Don’t feel bad when you cut the line. This is your perk! They will give you a piece of paper where you will write your name as a visitor. Let them check the documents. You’ll also be given a card labelled “E” which means Express. You’ll show this to the marshals at every window.

Step 2. Pre-screening. The officer will check the completeness of documents so make sure that you have everything including the photo with correct specs.

Step 3. Fingerprint scanning. Though this is no longer applicable, you still have to go to the biometrics windows. The officer will just ask the baby’s name and date of birth.

Step 4. Interview! This was how the actual interview went:

Consul: So you’re going to America as a tourist.

Me: Yes.

Consul: Do you have your visa?

Me: Yeah.

Consul: Can I see your visa?

Me: (handed my passport)

Consul: OK. Her visa will arrive in a week. Have a safe trip.

I wanted to ask, “Really, is that it?”. It was like a crazy roller coaster ride that lasted for a few seconds but so damn unpredictable!

She got a 10-year multiple entry. Her passport was delivered after a week.
 

The entire process took less than 30 minutes. Mann, that’s like shorter than your noon break.

So that was how I got Elisse’s passport and visa. The swift process actually quite changed my notion about Philippine government offices (at least for document processing). Well, I know it’s because of the baby but... it has definitely improved through the years. Like, I got my driver’s license renewed in less than an hour. That’s something.

I hope this would be of little help.

Have a safe trip!

Trisha