Missionaries Celebrate Suspension of New Changes to Philippines Immigration Law
Missionaries won't be limited to one five-year term of service in the Philippines after a meeting of the Commissioner of Immigration with various evangelical leaders
Missionaries won't be limited to one five-year term of service in the Philippines after a meeting of the Commissioner of Immigration with various evangelical leaders regarding change of visa provisions proposed last September.
For the past few months, proposed changes in the Philippines’ immigration law had drawn concern among missionaries serving in the island nation as the changes would mean limited ministry opportunities for foreign missionaries.
“Basically the gist of it came down to that all missionary workers would be limited to one, five-year term of duty here in the Philippines, non-renewable,” Send International's Philippines Director Phil Burns told Mission Network News (MNN) last month. “That sent quite a panic through the missionary community.”
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Although later in December, one renewal was granted, “that still would play great havoc with the missionary community here to be limited to an absolute 10-year window,” Burns said.
On Feb. 7, MNN reported lthat the commissioner had indefinitely postponed the implementation of the order, pending a consultation with both some of the Catholic and some of the evangelical groups that this would severely impact.
After the Feb. 21 meeting, MNN received word from Burns that the meeting "Resulted in a favorable decision to suspend the implementation of the new ruling.”
“The matter will be reviewed and revised by the Commissioner at some later date," he added.
Burns said it's his understanding that the final policy will not restrict missionaries from applying for a new visa when they reach the end of whatever length of visa is established.
