Before you spend a dollar.Know where you stand

Qualified applicants: foreign nationals and former Filipino citizens, age 40 and above. A legal spouse and unmarried children under 21 at application can join, on the initial application or after approval.

Pensioner thresholds: a lifetime pension of at least $800 per month for single applicants or $1,000 for applicants with dependents supports the lower Classic deposits.

The Courtesy categories, in PRA’s current wording: retired diplomats; officers of international organizations recognized by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs; retired military service members from countries with recognized bilateral relations with the Philippines; and high achievers in academics, business, arts, culture, music, and sports, including philanthropists. The United States and the Philippines maintain longstanding bilateral defense relations, which is why US veterans may fit Courtesy. PRA determines qualification and may request additional documents.

For US veterans, the working test on the Courtesy military track is your DD-214 plus a lifetime pension of at least $1,000 per month, currently being received. VA disability compensation counts; a pension that has not started paying yet does not, no matter what your retirement paperwork says.

Dependents: the visa deposit certificate covers the principal plus two dependents. Each dependent beyond two requires an additional $15,000 visa deposit, and each joining dependent pays a $300 application fee.

Two timing rules people miss: more than 90 days in the Philippines before filing triggers the NBI clearance step, and PRA expects you physically present in the Philippines during the 30 to 45 working days of processing.

This screener gives a probable route under published PRA rules. PRA decides qualification on the documents.