Three routes.One honest comparison
SRRV Courtesy, SRRV Classic, and the 13A marriage visa, side by side. Compare the deposit, evidence and ongoing obligations, then confirm the requirements that apply to your profile.
The short answer
Which SRRV route is right for me?
SRRV Courtesy has qualifying categories that need PRA confirmation, including a retired-military category with unresolved wording across published sources. Classic provides a separate age-and-pension comparison for pensioners and non-pensioners. The 13A is a separate Bureau of Immigration marriage visa, an option only if you are married to a Philippine citizen. The matrix below puts all three side by side, and we screen your documents before you commit.
At a glance
Two agencies, three routes
Two of these routes are PRA retirement visas, and one is not. SRRV Courtesy and SRRV Classic are both run by the Philippine Retirement Authority and built on a refundable bank deposit. The Non-Quota Immigrant Visa by Marriage, the 13A, is the Bureau of Immigration’s residency route for foreigners with a valid marriage to a Philippine citizen, and it has no SRRV deposit at all. A married US veteran often qualifies for more than one, and the right answer turns on money, timeline, and how much administration you want in your life, not on which product a website happens to sell.
SRRV Courtesy
The veteran route
PRA publishes a retired-military Courtesy category, but the overview and August 2025 checklist differ in category wording and age-specific income requirements. Confirm the applicant’s service history, accepted benefit evidence and deposit tier with PRA in writing. Income or veteran status alone does not establish eligibility.
$1,500
Visa deposit, 50 or older
SRRV Classic
The general route
By age and pension income, for anyone who does not fit a special category. Pensioner and non-pensioner rates, age 40 and up.
$15,000 to $50,000
Visa deposit range
13A by marriage
The marriage visa
The Bureau of Immigration’s route for foreigners married to a Philippine citizen. No SRRV deposit, a probationary year, and annual reporting.
No deposit
Bureau of Immigration, not PRA
Source review October 24, 2026Reviewed by Adam Juchniewicz, LL.M.Claim dates and qualifications
The decision matrix
Set your profile and the matrix highlights your likely best-fit route. All three stay side by side, so you can read the trade-offs in deposits, fees, obligations, and timeline for yourself. Veterans who want the route walked end to end can read the complete veteran SRRV guide.
Your likely planning comparison
Courtesy category review required
Military status and reported income do not establish Courtesy eligibility. PRA’s overview and checklist differ in category wording and age-specific requirements. Confirm your category in writing; compare Classic as a provisional budget.
Also worth weighing: SRRV Classic. BI dates its posted fee schedule to March 2014 and notes fees may change without prior notice, so treat those figures as approximations.
Subject to PRA and Bureau of Immigration review. We screen before you commit.
SRRV Courtesy
The low-deposit veteran route
- Who it is for
- Published special categories. Military category, accepted benefits and age-specific requirements need PRA confirmation.
- Visa deposit
- Foreign nationals: $1,500 at 50+; $3,000 pensioner or $6,000 non-pensioner at 40–49, after category confirmation.
- Government fees
- Principal processing $1,500; annual $100 for principal plus two dependents.
- Evidence to review
- Service/category records and the benefit evidence required for the applicable age and category. A DD-214 or income amount alone does not decide eligibility.
- Processing and presence
- PRA publishes 30–45 working days from complete filing; presence throughout processing.
- Dependents
- Standard deposit covers two dependents. Each additional dependent adds $15,000; each joining dependent has a $300 application fee. Former-Filipino exceptions need separate review.
- Continuing obligations
- Maintain program conditions, current documents and PRA annual fees.
SRRV Classic
The general route by age and pension
- Who it is for
- Pensioners and non-pensioners from age 40.
- Visa deposit
- 50+: $15,000 pensioner or $30,000 non-pensioner. Ages 40–49: $25,000 or $50,000.
- Government fees
- Principal processing $1,500; annual $360 for principal plus two dependents.
- Evidence to review
- Accepted lifetime pension of $800 monthly single or $1,000 with dependents for pensioner rates; non-pensioner deposits are also available.
- Processing and presence
- PRA publishes 30–45 working days from complete filing; presence throughout processing.
- Dependents
- Standard deposit covers two dependents. Each additional dependent adds $15,000; each joining dependent has a $300 application fee.
- Continuing obligations
- Maintain program conditions, current documents and PRA annual fees.
13A by Marriage
The marriage visa, Bureau of Immigration
- Who it is for
- Qualifying foreign spouses of Philippine citizens, subject to BI nationality and documentary requirements.
- Visa deposit
- No SRRV visa deposit.
- Government fees
- Confirm current BI fees. Historical reference: approximately ₱8,620, plus ACR I-Card fees. BI dates its posted fee schedule to March 2014 and notes fees may change without prior notice.
- Evidence to review
- Marriage, citizenship/nationality and the BI application requirements.
- Processing and presence
- Confirm current BI procedure and processing for the particular application. The posted route includes a probationary stage before permanent status.
- Dependents
- Family applications follow BI requirements; do not apply the SRRV deposit formula.
- Continuing obligations
- Bureau of Immigration annual report each year, plus a valid ACR I-Card
SRRV figures are PRA’s, from our verified facts library. The 13A is a Bureau of Immigration visa, not a PRA product; its fee figures are the Bureau’s posted schedule. BI dates its posted fee schedule to March 2014 and notes fees may change without prior notice. See the Official Source Library.
The marriage is the visa
Where each route wins
Courtesy uses its own category requirements
PRA publishes a retired-military Courtesy category, but the overview and August 2025 checklist differ in category wording and age-specific income requirements. Confirm the applicant’s service history, accepted benefit evidence and deposit tier with PRA in writing. Income or veteran status alone does not establish eligibility.
Classic wins on reach
No special category needed. Anyone 40 and up with qualifying age and pension income can take the SRRV, with pensioner rates from $15,000 and the same permanent, annual-reporting-exempt status as Courtesy.
The 13A wins on cash
No deposit, and Bureau of Immigration filing fees measured in hundreds of dollars. If the budget is tight, the marriage is solid, and you do not mind the probationary year, the annual report, and keeping the ACR I-Card current, the 13A is the economical route, and we will say so to your face. BI dates its posted fee schedule to March 2014 and notes fees may change without prior notice.
We sell SRRV screening and execution, not 13A petitions. If the screening says the 13A is your honest fit, we tell you that plainly and point you to the official Bureau of Immigration source rather than selling you the wrong visa. Government fees go to the government; our service fees are listed separately.
Source review October 24, 2026Reviewed by Adam Juchniewicz, LL.M.Claim dates and qualifications
One session, the full answer
Screened before you choose
The matrix routes; we screen. A structured session compares all three paths against your numbers and puts the answer in writing: your route, your document gaps, and your timeline. The fee is $99, credited toward any package.
We screen both routes before you commit, and we will tell you plainly if Classic, or the 13A, is your honest fit rather than Courtesy. SRRV Courtesy qualification is determined by the Philippine Retirement Authority on the documents.
PRA’s August 2025 Expanded SRRV Program publishes 30–45 working days from submission of complete documents. Preparation comes before that period. Physical presence is required throughout application processing; corrections and scheduling can extend the stay.
Three routes, one answer:Compare, then commit
One structured session compares Courtesy, Classic, and the 13A against your numbers and puts the answer in writing.
SRRV Courtesy qualification is determined by the Philippine Retirement Authority on the documents. Many US military retirees may qualify; others fit SRRV Classic. We screen both routes before you commit, and we will tell you plainly if the SRRV is not your best option.