According to the Philippine Business Daily, individuals from mainland China continue to hold the most valid identification cards issued by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, known as the ACR-I Card.
The Bureau of Immigration Commissioner, Jaime Morente, stated that records from the Bureau's Alien Registration Office show that as of July this year, out of 189,448 registered foreigners, 61,689 are of Chinese nationality.
Director of the Alien Registration Office, Aimee Dela Cruz, mentioned that the second largest group is South Koreans, followed by Americans. Indians and Japanese are also on the list.
As of July 2011, there were 27,543 South Koreans, 24,639 Americans, 23,170 Indians, and 8,997 Japanese registered with the Bureau of Immigration.
Dela Cruz also noted that the majority of I-Card holders are 50,908 foreign nationals employed in the Philippines, all of whom hold employment visas issued by the Bureau of Immigration, which is a requirement for obtaining a foreign employment permit from the Department of Labor.
According to the Bureau's report, there are 31,656 locally born foreign nationals and 19,685 foreign students, ranking second and third on the list.
Data from the Bureau of Immigration indicates that there are currently 91,112 foreign nationals holding permanent resident status or immigrant visas, while 88,490 are non-immigrants. Additionally, 9,846 individuals hold special visas from other government agencies.
According to regulations, a foreign national who has obtained a visa must apply for an ACR-I Card, which serves as proof of their legal residency status in the Philippines.
Morente also stated that this card replaces the previous paper alien registration certificate issued by the Bureau of Immigration.
