ISSO: APPLYING FOR A STUDENT VISA ABROAD

Links COMPLETING THE AFFIDAVIT OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT | APPLYING FOR A STUDENT VISA ABROAD | VISA CONVERSION | COST OF LIVING & STUDY EXPENSES

PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE APPLICATION OF A STUDENT VISA ABROAD

A. Accomplish the following documents required by ATS. Documents 1-10 below can be downloaded to your computer, printed, and filled out.

1. ATS Application Form Download PDF
2. Account of Conversion
3. Record of Christian Service, signed by your pastor or church/parish official
4. Church Board Endorsement
5. Why I wish to come to the Philippines for seminary training
6. Plans after I graduate from ATS
7. Character Reference Forms (from your pastor, church official/employer and a Christian friend)
8. Waiver signed
9. Signed Statement of Beliefs
10. Doctrinal Survey fully completed and signed
11. Three pcs. (2"x 2") and one pc. (1"x1") colored photographs of yourself
12. Photocopy of most recent official TOEFL or IELTS test score sheet(s) if you do not wish to take ATS's English Proficiency Test

B. Prepare the following documents required by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration:

1. Five (5) copies of the student's Personal History Statement (PHS), duly signed by him, both in English and in his national alphabet accompanied by his personal seal, if any and containing, among others, his left and right thumb-prints and a 2x2 inch photograph or plain white background taken not more than six months prior to submission. PHS blank forms are available at the Philippine Foreign Service Post (PFSP) /Philippine Embassy located in the student's country;
2. Transcript of records/scholastic records duly authenticated by the PFSP located in the student applicant's country of origin or legal residence;
3. A notarized Affidavit of Financial Support (AFS) including bank statements or notarized notice of grant for institutional scholars to cover expenses for the students accommodation and subsistence, as well as school dues and other incidental expenses (For Cost of Living & Study Estimates, click here);
4. Photocopy of data page of the student's passport showing date and place of birth, and birth certificate or its equivalent duly authenticated by the PFSP;
5. Photocopy of the Police clearance issued by the National police authorities of the student's country of origin or legal residence duly authenticated by the Philippine Foreign Service Post having consular jurisdiction over the place.

C. When you have fully accomplished all the above documents (items A1-12 and B1-5), please send through DHL or any speed mail to:

Asian Theological Seminary
The Registrar's Office
QCCPO Box 1454-1154
1102 Quezon City, Philippines

D. Pay the non-refundable application fee equivalent to USD 25.00 (exclusive of bank fees) by wire transfer to:

For Peso Accounts - PNB Delta Branch, Acct No 212-512988-1

For Dollar Accounts - Citibank Greenhills Branch, Acct No 824 10551 41

E. When ATS has received the application fee and the documents sent by mail, the Office of the Registrar will review the documents. If all is in order, ATS will then prepare and submit a letter of recommendation to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). At the same time, ATS will issue and mail the student an original copy of Notice of Acceptance (NOA).

F. DFA will endorse the documents to the PFSP in the student's country of origin or legal residence for issuance of the corresponding visa.

G. PFSP notifies student-applicant with instruction that he appear in person to the Philippine Embassy/Consular Officer for interview and submission of required documents, as follows:

1. Original Notice of Acceptance (NOA) containing a clear impression of Asian Theological Seminary's dry seal;
2. Original Police Clearance issued by the national police authorities of the student's of origin or legal residence duly authenticated by he Philippine Foreign Service Post having consular jurisdiction over the place; and
3. Medical Health Certificate issued by an authorized physician including but not limited to standard-size chest x-ray, HIV, Hepatitis B clearance. The Consular office shall not assume the task of determining the student's scholastic fitness for the program applied for and shall issue the student visa as soon as all the requirements are accomplished.

H. Foreign Student reports to ATS and enrolls.

I. ATS ISSO assists the foreign student to obtain Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) and Certificate of Residence for Temporary student (CRTS) from the Bureau of Immigration.

J. The DFA sends notice to ATS on the issuance of the student visa to the applicant, copy furnished Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Bureau of Immigration (BI), National Intelligence Commission Association (NICA), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Since ATS operates out of a two-semestral period, the deadlines for accomplishing all the requirements of the application process, including securing a student visa to the Philippines, are:

• April 30th of the current year - in order to enroll for the 1st semester, which starts in June
• September 30th of the current year - in order to enroll for the 2nd semester, which starts in November

Please allow sufficient time for the processing and transmission of the various documents required for study in the Philippines and in Asian Theological Seminary.

For applicants who are abroad, six months is considered a sufficient period of time for the entire application process.

Ideally, the prospective student should arrive in the Philippines one month before the semester starts, so that the ISSO may have sufficient time to assist him/her with housing, orientation, finding a church, completing the enrolment process and assessing the student's competence in English for graduate level studies.