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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider BI warns foreigners against fixers offering fake student visa

BI warns foreigners against fixers offering fake student visa

Published Jul 3, 2021 11:47 am

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has cautioned foreigners against fixers offering assistance on student visa application and processing for a fee.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente issued the warning upon receiving reports of four cases of visa tampering in June.

According to Morente, one case involved an Indian national who went to the BI’s student visa section (SVS) in Quezon City to claim his Alien Certificate of Registration Identity Card (ACR i-Card).

BI SVS chief Anthony Cabrera reported that after the assessment, the officers found that the student has no application on record, and that his passport has been marked with counterfeit visa extension stamps.

The foreign student identified a certain “Rudyard”, whom he met online, as the one who processed his and his two cousins’ application.

A complaint was later filed by one of the students against the fixer, which led to his arrest in an entrapment operation.

A second case involved another Indian student, who allegedly asked a friend to process his student visa extension.

Upon return of his passport, it was found to have been marked with a fake stamp.

Morente then expressed his dismay towards the incidents and warned the public to transact only with authorized immigration personnel.

“It is unbelievable that scam cases continue to rise even during the pandemic,” Morente said.

He said only the foreign students school’s representative is authorized to transact with the bureau on their behalf. He also advised foreign students to refrain from engaging the services of fixers as these would only bring problems to them.B

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