As per experience, there are only two types of work visas that I usually apply for expatriates who come to the Philippines to work. These are the: (1) 9(g) Pre-arranged Employment visa; and (2) 47(a)(2) Special Non-Immigrant Visa.
Pre-arranged Employment visa
The Philippine Bureau of Immigration and Deportation is issuing this type of Philippine working visa to foreigners who are coming to the Philippines to work. The General requirements for this working visa are as follows:
- Joint letter request addressed to the Commissioner from the applicant and the petitioner-company;
- Duly accomplished Immigration Form for Non-Immigrant Visa;
- Photocopy of passport bio-page and latest admission with valid authorized stay;
- Photocopy of Employment Contract, Secretary’s Certificate of Election, Appointment or Assignment of the applicant, or equivalent document, with details of exact compensation, duration of employment, and comprehensive description of the nature and scope of the applicant’s position in the company;
- Copy of the Tax Identification Number (TIN) of the employee or Proof of TIN;
- Photocopy of the company’s latest Income Tax Return (ITR) with the corresponding proof of payment (official receipt, bank teller’s validation slip, BIR’s eFPS payment details’ print-out, or other similar evidence); 6. Photocopy of the corporate documents (i.e. SEC, DTI, GIS, Business Permit, etc.);
- Photocopy of Alien Employment Permit( AEP) issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE); and the actual publication of the applicant’s approved AEP or a Certificate of Publication issued by the Publisher;
- Notarized certification of the number of foreign and Filipino employees from the petitioning company;
- Special Temporary Permit for an applicant practicing a regulated profession under the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), if applicable;
- BI Clearance Certificate; and
- An original or certified true copy of Bureau of Quarantine Medical Clearance, if the applicant is a national of any of the countries listed under Annex “A” of Immigration Operations Order No. SBM-14-059-A who arrived in the Philippines on or after June 2014.
The duration of the 9(g) Pre-arranged Employment visa is for a minimum period of 1 year to a maximum period of 3 years.
47(a) 2 Special Non-Immigrant Visa
This Special Non-Immigrant visa is issued to foreign nationals who will be working in these areas:
- PEZA Registered Enterprises;
- Board of Investment Registered Enterprises;
- ROHQ/RHQ Special Non-Immigrant Visa – For foreign personnel of Regional/Area Headquarters (RHQ) or Regional/Area Operating Headquarters (ROHQ);
- Special Employment Visa for Offshore Banking Unit (SEVOBU) – For a foreign national who is assigned by any foreign bank to work in its offshore banking unit in the Philippines; and
- Employees in Oil Drilling Companies.
The duration of this visa is usually one year. There is also a company quota for the issuance of this visa which is less than 5% of the total company workforce.