The Bureau of Immigration reported that over 153,000 foreign nationals with immigrant and non-immigrant visas participated in this year’s annual report.

According to BI commissioner Norman Tansingco, a total of 153,651 foreign participants took part in the 2024 Annual Report, which started from 1 January to 1 March 2024.

Tansingco said this year’s reportees were higher by 13 percent than the 136,065 aliens who reported for their annual report in 2023.

The BI chief described the upswing as notable and indicated that it is an upward trend that more foreign nationals are applying for or requesting residency in the Philippines, as opposed to the Covid-19 pandemic, when relatively few foreigners arrived in the country.

However, he clarified that international tourists or short-term visits are not needed to submit the annual report; only those aliens who have registered with the BI as immigrants or non-immigrants are.

Non-immigrants are those who are temporary residents, such as foreign workers, expatriates, and students, whereas immigrants are those who live permanently in the Philippines.

BI Alien Registration Chief Atty. Jose Carlitos Licas said that 49,556 Chinese nationals topped the list of this year’s reportees, followed by 26,123 Indians, 11,671 Vietnamese, 10,912 Americans and 7,800 Taiwanese.

In addition, 6,448 South Koreans, 6,019 Indonesians, 5,214 Japanese, 3,392 British, and 2,804 Malaysians are also on the top 10 list.

Licas also added that 80 percent of the aliens were walk-ins or reported in-person at the BI field, extension, and satellite offices, as well as selected shopping malls in Metro Manila and elsewhere that were venues for this year’s annual report.