Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) – Starting Thursday (July 16), the Bureau of Immigration (BI) will issue new Alien Certificate of Registration Identity (ACR I-) Cards featuring new, color coded-designs.
The new cards, which come in 10 colors, each assigned for specific types of visas, will each have an embedded microchip and will have additional security features to protect against fraud.
All information encoded in the cards will be accessible at airports – initially at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport – through the updated Border Control Information System (BCIS).
With the new design, Philippine visa holders will not need to bring along documents to support the issuance of the cards.
According to the BI, the cards are issued to registered aliens whose stay in the Philippines has exceeded 59 days.
Immigration Commissioner Siegfred Mison said the cards’ new design is intended to facilitate immigration processing at airports and offices of the BI.
The design will also state additional key information such as the name of the school (for student visa), the name of the company (for work visa), and the Special Security Registration Number (SSRN) – a unique number assigned to every registered foreign national.
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The new cards will follow these color codes:
Light yellow – Permanent Resident
Bronze – Native Born
Dark purple – Special Non-Immigrant
Blue – Probationary Resident
Light purple – Probationary Resident
Red – Voluntary Registrant
White – Tourist
Aqua Blue – Student
Gray – Treaty Trader
