OFW Guide — USA
The United States is home to roughly 4 million Filipino-Americans, including citizens, permanent residents, and OFWs — making it both the largest remittance corridor (~40% of all OFW inflows) and the most diverse in terms of legal status. From nursing in California hospitals to IT in Texas, from caregiving in Florida to engineering in New York, Filipinos contribute across every sector. This guide focuses on US-specific essentials: federal and state taxation, FBAR/FinCEN reporting obligations on Philippine bank accounts, the wide variety of remittance channels (Wise, Remitly, Xoom, Western Union), and the multi-time-zone challenge of sending money home from PST or EST.
OFW population
~4 million Filipino-Americans (incl. citizens and permanent residents)
Time zone
PST/EST · 16 hours behind Manila
Currency
$ USD · US Dollar
Remittance corridor
#1 · ~40% of total OFW remittance
Sending money home from USA
PST is 16 hours behind Manila — a Tuesday morning send in California clears Tuesday night Manila. For EST it's 13 hours behind. Send before 12 noon US-time on a weekday for same-day PH clearance.
Common sending channels
- Wise
- Remitly
- PayMaya
- Xoom (PayPal)
- Western Union
- BPI Direct (USA branches)
- Metrobank
Taxation
US-based Filipinos are subject to US federal and state income tax. Remittances to PH are not US-taxed but transfers >USD 10,000 must be reported to FinCEN. PH does not tax personal remittances.
Public holidays in USA
The US observes 11 federal holidays. Most aligned with Philippine holidays are New Year's Day (Jan 1) and Christmas Day (Dec 25). Independence Day in 2026 falls on Saturday — observed Friday July 3.
For Philippine holidays, see the full 2026 calendar. If you plan a trip home, also check the long weekends list to maximize your time off.
Common popular jobs
- Nursing
- IT
- Caregiving
- Hospitality
- Engineering
- Education
Pitfalls to avoid
- FBAR / FinCEN reporting: if your PH bank accounts exceed USD 10,000 aggregate at any point during the year, you must file FinCEN Form 114 annually.
- US dual taxation rules: PH-sourced income (e.g. rental from PH property) may still need to be reported on US returns.
- Watch out for high transfer fees from PH consulate-recommended remittance partners — Wise and Remitly are usually cheaper than legacy options.
Best time to send money home →
Time your remittance around Philippine holidays, 13th month, and back-to-school.
13th month pay rules →
Understand the mandatory year-end bonus your family back home is entitled to.
Official sources for USA
Information on this page is sourced from the host country's official government channels and the Philippine government's consular and migrant worker agencies. Verify on the source URLs above for any payroll, taxation, or legal decisions.
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) — Foreign accounts and FBAR— US IRS
- FinCEN — Form 114 (FBAR) filing— US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
- US Department of Labor — Wage and Hour Division— US DOL
- Philippine Embassy — Washington DC— Department of Foreign Affairs (PH)
Learn how we verify and update this data — Methodology & Sources