Philippines Legislators Push for Inclusion in Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program

The Philippines House of Representatives has adopted a resolution pushing the Department of Foreign Affairs to request that US President Joe Biden include the Philippines in the Guam-CNMI visa waiver program.

Such a move comes over a month after the governor of Guam, Lou Leon Guerrero addressed a similar request to the White House, VisaGuide.World reports.

For many years now, several of Guam’s elected officials have been advocating for this idea, but the White House has yet to consider the request, as reported by the Pacific Daily News.

After passing the resolution to the House of Representatives, the general manager of the Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB), Carl Gutierrez, expressed gratitude to the Filipino lawmakers, noting visa waiver would significantly impact Guam and the CNMI.

We want to thank Congressman Rufus Rodriguez and Romy Go for moving this resolution through the Philippine House of Representatives. The Filipino Guam-CNMI visa waiver will be a game changer for Guam and the CNMI.

At present, the Guam visa waiver scheme permits visa-free entry to nationals of 12 countries: Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.

Over 70,000 Filipinos Live in Guam

Among other things, the Philippine House resolution notes that Filipinos often emerge among the biggest spenders among tourists who visit Guam. As further stated, more than 70,000 Philippine nationals and hundreds of H-2B visa workers live in Guam.

According to Gutierrez, the large Filipino population in Guam is an additional reason to include the Philippines in the Guam-CNMI visa waiver program.

It makes sense that the US government consider granting our greatest ally in the Indo-Pacific sphere to make it possible for relatives and friends to fly more easily and readily for just a three-hour flight.

At present, Filipino citizens are required to obtain a US visa to enter Guam. However, it was further reported that processing can be very long due to the large number of Philippine requests for such a visa. Furthermore, approvals are not guaranteed, and the $160 application cost is not reimbursable.

Filipino Citizens Need Visas to Enter 125 Countries & Territories Worldwide

As of May 2024, the Philippine passport ranks 125th, according to the VisaGuide Passport Index. This implies that Philippine passport holders are required to obtain a traditional visa to enter 125 countries and territories, including Guam and CNMI.

On the other hand, Filipino citizens currently can enjoy visa-free travel to only 39 countries worldwide.