Note lang - you may be asked for a PDOS/CFO sticker even if your plans are to fly to SG then to Canada. Note here - in your passport will be an immigrant visa to Canada. BI officials are wary of skirting around exit regulations sa Pilipinas, as the route of HKG, SG, KL or any other visa-free countries then flying to Canada was used by those with immigrant/work visas/TRVs to get around the PDOS/POLO/CFO requirement and fly to other destinations. Naghigpit na ang BI, so paalala, if you have a ticket enroute to Canada, makikita yan, or kapag tinanong ka anong final destination mo, at Canada - automatic hahanapan ka ng CFO sticker. Madami na dumaan sa heartbreak sa ganyan at sa last vacation ko sa PH, me nakasabay ako na ganyan - hindi umabot sa flight nya dahil walang CFO sticker, kahit na bound sya sa HKG at walang enroute ticket to Canada. Kahit wala kang ticket enroute to Canada, even if visa free ang SG, kung sasabihin mo na SG ka bound - hahanapan ka naman ng return ticket. If you do not show one, then doubt kaagad na gagamitin mo ang immigrant visa mo when in SG, pero hindi ka dumaan sa exit regulations ng PH. You may need to have a very very very good reason to dispel yung doubt na yan.
An immigrant visa on a passport, for a traveller enroute to a visa-free country without a return ticket is a red flag, so kailangan me valid reason ka na hindi mo pa ginagamit ang visa mo at reason bakit pupunta ka sa isang visa-free country on a one-way ticket kasama ang family mo...see how the plot thickens.
Yes me nakakalusot naman, pero that is not the norm - always mas malaki ang possibility na maiipit ang immigrant kung wala kang PDOS/CFO. Unfortunately, dumaan ka sa PH, we advise always ang mga nasa ibang bansa na land first sa Canada, then vacation sa Pilipinas afterwards kung ayaw mo dumaan sa CFO. Some of them vacation, go back sa work sa SG/SA/AD then resign, then go direct sa Canada.
Hindi lang ikaw ang nag isip nyan - meron na rin iba. As always, sigurista ako - and the advise I have given over the past few years sa ganito, get the PDOS/CFO sticker even for the short duration na nandyan ka sa PH, it saves you the hassle and delay plus wala ka na worries paalis. Better worry free ka paalis kesa sa exit point ka pa maiipit. Simulan mo ang bagong buhay na walang inaaalala paalis.
.../atb
