The vocabulary.SRRV glossary

The Non-Quota Immigrant Visa by Marriage, a Bureau of Immigration residency route based on marriage to a Philippine citizen.

The 13A is a separate residency path from the SRRV, granted by the Bureau of Immigration rather than PRA, on the basis of a valid marriage to a Philippine citizen. It carries no bank deposit, but it does carry annual obligations the SRRV waives: a Bureau of Immigration annual report each year and a valid ACR I-Card. It begins with a one-year probationary stage before permanent status. Married to a Filipino citizen and weighing both, the honest comparison is which obligations you would rather carry.

A bank on PRA’s approved list that may hold the SRRV deposit; the deposit must sit at one of these.

The deposit is separate from fees and subject to PRA release rules. Private-bank instructions describe an applicant account; the published DBP instructions name PRA as beneficiary. Obtain current bank-specific instructions directly from PRA before remitting.

The Bureau of Immigration registration card that the SRRV exempts you from, but which the 13A requires.

The ACR I-Card is the Alien Certificate of Registration identity card the Bureau of Immigration issues to foreign nationals. One of the SRRV benefits PRA publishes is exemption from the Bureau of Immigration annual reporting and the ACR I-Card. The 13A route does not share that exemption; it requires a valid ACR I-Card and an annual report each year. The difference in ongoing obligations is one of the honest distinctions between the two residency paths.

A standardized international certification that authenticates a public document for use abroad without further legalization.

An apostille authenticates the origin of a public document for use under the relevant convention. It does not certify the contents or reset an expiry date. Confirm the required document form, issuing authority and authentication channel before sending originals. Federal and state or local US records use different channels.

The Philippine Embassy or Consulate certification used in place of an apostille where the apostille process does not apply.

PRA’s checklist permits apostille or Philippine consular authentication for specified foreign-issued records. The applicable channel depends on the document and jurisdiction. Confirm the required certified copy and any English translation before submission.

The Philippine immigration authority that issues the SRRV under PRA’s retirement program.

BI and PRA have distinct roles. BI administers admission and immigration status, including the separate 13A marriage route. An internal agency service target should not be mistaken for the complete SRRV processing period.

Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay, which restores military retired pay that would otherwise be offset by VA compensation.

This military payment arrangement should be documented through its current official statement and kept distinct from any separate VA benefit. PRA must confirm how the payment is treated under the proposed SRRV category. Do not infer eligibility from the total arriving in a bank account.

Combat-Related Special Compensation, a separate tax-free payment for retirees with combat-related disabilities.

This military payment arrangement should be documented through its current official statement and kept distinct from any separate VA benefit. PRA must confirm how the payment is treated under the proposed SRRV category. Do not infer eligibility from the total arriving in a bank account.

Evidence of pension or benefit payments already being received.

Future entitlements are not current payments. A pensioner estimate must use current income and remains subject to PRA’s acceptance of the benefit evidence. Military Courtesy has a separate category question and cannot be decided from income alone.

A US Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.

The record documents a period of active service. A career can involve additional service or retirement records. Ask PRA which documents establish the category for the applicant’s actual service history; a DD-214 alone does not decide eligibility.

The deposit is separate from fees and subject to PRA release rules. Private-bank instructions describe an applicant account; the published DBP instructions name PRA as beneficiary. Obtain current bank-specific instructions directly from PRA before remitting.

The deposit is separate from fees and subject to PRA release rules. Private-bank instructions describe an applicant account; the published DBP instructions name PRA as beneficiary. Obtain current bank-specific instructions directly from PRA before remitting.

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service, which pays US military retired pay and issues the Retiree Account Statement.

DFAS is the US Department of Defense agency that disburses military retired pay and generates the Retiree Account Statement that documents it. The statement documents retired pay; PRA determines whether it satisfies the proposed SRRV category. DFAS retired pay and VA compensation should be documented separately.

US reporting regimes for certain foreign financial accounts and assets.

The relevant reporting obligations depend on the person, account or asset and applicable thresholds. Living in the Philippines does not by itself remove US reporting duties. Review the rules separately from any Philippine tax exemption.

VA’s Foreign Medical Program for defined medically necessary overseas care.

Review the FMP benefits letter for covered conditions. Eligible veterans no longer need advance registration. Service-connected care, qualifying aggravating conditions and VR&E care may be covered. The provider or veteran may file; confirm any up-front payment arrangement.

A transfer from abroad into the receiving Philippine bank arrangement.

PRA requires inward remittance for the visa deposit. Confirm the beneficiary, currency, reference and purpose details with PRA and the bank before transfer. Keep evidence linking the funds to the applicant, then obtain the required bank certificate.

PRA’s introductory letter for the accredited private-bank deposit process.

Confirm the process for the selected bank. The overview and older remittance PDF list different contact emails, so obtain current instructions directly from PRA. The published DBP arrangement is different from the private-bank applicant-account route.

A health certificate required for the SRRV, valid for a fixed window from the date it is issued.

The PRA medical may be completed in the Philippines or abroad on the prescribed form. If completed abroad, it requires apostille or Philippine consular authentication and an English translation where applicable. Check its six-month validity at submission.

A Philippine National Bureau of Investigation background clearance.

For SRRV, its application depends on days in the Philippines before filing. The checklist says 90 days or more; the overview says more than 90. Flag the exact boundary for PRA confirmation. Proposed total trip duration is not the relevant count.

On SRRV Classic, proving a qualifying lifetime pension lowers the required deposit; without that proof, the deposit is larger.

Classic offers a lower deposit where PRA accepts evidence of the required current lifetime pension. The threshold is $800 monthly for a single applicant or $1,000 with dependents. Future payments are excluded from our current pensioner estimate. Courtesy has separate category and age-specific questions.

The Philippine national health insurance program.

PRA lists a special rate among SRRV benefits. Confirm current enrollment, contributions and benefit limits directly with PhilHealth. The older foreign-citizen circular includes exclusions; PhilHealth does not automatically cover gaps left by other programs.

A background clearance from your home jurisdiction, valid for a fixed window, required in the SRRV document set.

A police clearance is a criminal-background certificate from your home jurisdiction, part of the SRRV document set. It is valid for 6 months from issuance, and the clock runs from the issue date, not the apostille date. Because it expires, it is gathered close to the filing trip, not early. A state-issued clearance apostilles through that state’s Secretary of State; a federal-level clearance goes through the US Department of State.

The Philippine Retirement Authority, which administers the SRRV program.

PRA publishes the retirement-program requirements and processes SRRV applications. BI is the visa-issuing authority. PRA also accredits banks and optional marketers and provides services to existing members. Applicants may apply directly.

The principal is the qualifying applicant; dependents are the spouse and qualifying children who join the visa under the principal.

The principal is the person who qualifies for and holds the SRRV; dependents are the family members who join under that principal. A legal spouse and unmarried children under 21 can be included, and the deposit certificate covers the principal plus 2 dependents. Each dependent beyond two requires an additional visa deposit of $15,000, waived for former Filipinos, and each joining dependent pays a $300 application fee. The principal’s qualification, not the dependent’s, is what the route turns on.

A DFAS Retiree Account Statement describing military retired pay.

Obtain the current statement through the official DFAS account service. It records pay and deductions and supports review of current income. PRA must confirm its acceptance for the proposed route. Coast Guard retired pay uses PPC rather than DFAS.

The Philippine retirement visa administered by PRA and issued by BI.

The SRRV supports multiple entry and indefinite stay under the retirement program’s continuing conditions. Classic and Courtesy have different qualification and deposit structures. It is a visa, not citizenship.

The general SRRV route for pensioners and non-pensioners from age 40.

Classic deposits depend on age and accepted pension evidence. Current lifetime-pension thresholds are $800 monthly single or $1,000 with dependents. At 50+, deposits are $15,000 pensioner or $30,000 non-pensioner; at 40–49, $25,000 or $50,000.

The SRRV option for published special categories and a separate former-Filipino category.

PRA’s overview and August 2025 checklist differ in military category wording and age-specific income requirements. Obtain written confirmation of the category, accepted benefit evidence and applicable deposit before remitting.

TRICARE coverage for eligible beneficiaries with Medicare Part A and Part B.

Part B requirements continue overseas. For covered overseas services, TRICARE generally pays first because Medicare generally does not cover care abroad. Deductibles, cost sharing, provider rules and service exclusions still apply.

A TRICARE overseas plan for eligible beneficiaries.

Check plan enrollment, service coverage, authorizations and the actual provider. Philippine provider certification rules matter to routine coverage; an uncertified provider is not simply a billing inconvenience. Confirm the applicable rules with TRICARE before care.