Students whose surnames start from A to L were the ones who were scheduled to get their permits while foreign students whose family names start from L to Z are scheduled for today.
Although some of the students interviewed by this reporter complained about the long line, they still feel grateful for the umbrella permits.
“It’s good to know I’ll have an umbrella permit so I won’t go back to China next year,” said a student of Eucon International School who refused to be identified.
She anticipated that the line would be too long.
“That’s why I went here early so I’ll finish early,” she said.
Other foreign students said they were in line for about 30 minutes as the processing was smooth.
But foreign students who have pending applications are worried they may not be able to get an umbrella permit.
“Maybe my application will be disapproved and I may not have an umbrella,” a Korean foreign student who calls herself “Soo” said.
In a statement, Commerce Secretary Michael Ada said based on his observation, the process of issuing umbrella permits went smoothly.
Commerce Deputy Secretary Sixto Igisomar also assured foreign student that the department was doing its best to make the umbrella permit process better.
He noted the issuing of umbrella permits for foreign investors went well.
“As for the foreign students, we were expecting the rush that we are currently experiencing but we are doing our best today and I’m sure we’ll do a lot better tomorrow and next week on the 24th and 25th,” he said.
Igisomar is reminding foreign students that only those who have an actual foreign student permit with category 240H or 706H will be granted an umbrella permit.
Umbrella permits of dependents and IR’s will not be issued by Commerce.
Students should bring their passports and entry permits, Commerce said.
Pending foreign student permit applications must be cleared by the Division of Immigration and the Department of Labor first before an umbrella permit is issued.
The release date for all umbrella permits that were not available as of today and tomorrow but have been cleared by Labor and Immigration will be on the 24th and 25th of this month.
“I’m excited for the kids and I know that they’re more excited,” Igisomar said. “Commerce is doing the best it can to accommodate the students.”
Commerce said it apologizes for any inconvenience that may have happened yesterday because of the number of people the department needed to entertain.
