# Work visa philippines



## Lucyy (1 mo ago)

I entered Philippines visa free and planning to stay here with my fiancée. I already extend my stay thru Bureau of Immigration. Is 9a tourist visa necessary for the companies when I apply? I've been seeing a lot of post in Facebook about agencies converting 9a tourist visa to work visa. Appreciate your insights.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Careful Lucyy, and welcome to the forum, good thing you're asking questions now, so I feel the reason you are asking questions is that you have some valid concerns and go with that....the Philippine Immigration is real unforgiving when it comes to working here on the wrong Visa, you'll need move up that marriage and then get your 13a Visa, you can work on a 13a Visa but there are so many requirements that have to be met in order fill that job because the Philippine citizen must first be offered that position unless your making money online or have a skill or job that is in short supply of workers.

Another important note is that there are many fake Immigration officers, you'll only want to deal with the Philippine Bureau of Immigration or an approved or accredited entities PBI approved entities listing

Worst case scenario the business gets raided as many do frequently or a jealous coworker turns you in and you happen to be working on a tourist visa 9a, that's against the law, and then you'll be stuck dealing with the bureaucracy, I wouldn't want to put myself in that position especially since your talking about marriage, if things can't be worked out you'll be detained, fined, blacklisted and then deported.

Hopefully the fiance has money, or you have a back up plan, an exit strategy = a plane ticket back home.


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## Quezon Expat (3 mo ago)

Lucyy said:


> I entered Philippines visa free and planning to stay here with my fiancée. I already extend my stay thru Bureau of Immigration. Is 9a tourist visa necessary for the companies when I apply? I've been seeing a lot of post in Facebook about agencies converting 9a tourist visa to work visa. Appreciate your insights.


 Facebook is scam central in the Philippines.


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## Shadowman (Apr 20, 2020)

Lucyy said:


> converting 9a tourist visa to work visa.


It takes 6 months for a blue 9G work visa card, BI requirements include:

1) Alien Employment Permit (AEP)

2) TIN tax card.

3) Original national newspaper clippings of the approved AEP by the Department of Labor and Employment listing the name of the visa applicant and the petitioning company.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

Lucyy said:


> I entered Philippines visa free and planning to stay here with my fiancée. I already extend my stay thru Bureau of Immigration. Is 9a tourist visa necessary for the companies when I apply? I've been seeing a lot of post in Facebook about agencies converting 9a tourist visa to work visa. Appreciate your insights.


That sounds dodgy, it's the company that enploys you that processes the work visa.


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## Tiz (Jan 23, 2016)

I agree with Gary.

I recently moved from one company to another.
This involved downgrading my 9g visa to a 9a and then reapplying for a new 9g.
The company hired immigration lawyers to do the process.

This is the instructions that we received from the immigration lawyer regarding the new 9g, AEP and ACR I-card application.
In reality the process took a lot longer than the estimates given below:

Once we receive all the required documents and information from you and the company, we will proceed to draft the application forms.
We will then arrange for the forms to be signed by you and the company and collect your personal documents.
Once all documents are in order, we will proceed to file the AEP application. The processing time of the AEP application is approximately 3-4 weeks, barring any unforeseen delays.
After the AEP application is filed, we will file the PWP application. The processing time of the PWP approval is approximately 2-3 weeks, barring any unforeseen delays.
Once the PWP is approved, you may *work lawfully* in the Philippines.
After your AEP application has been approved by DOLE, we will file your 9(g) visa application with the BI. The processing time of the 9(g) visa application is approximately 2-3 months, barring any unforeseen delays.
You may then be required to go to the Bureau of Immigration in accordance with the schedule set by the BI to attend a mandatory administrative hearing and/or data-capturing and biometrics collection. We will provide further instructions if that is the case.
After your 9(g) visa application is approved, we will collect your passport and submit it to the BI for visa stamping (“implementation”). The visa stamping will take approximately 5-7 working days to complete, barring any unforeseen delays.
Once the visa stamping has been completed, we will submit the request for your Alien Certificate of Registration Identification Card (ACR I-Card). The estimated release of the ACR I-Card is anytime within 3-4 weeks from the completion of the visa stamping, barring any unforeseen delays.


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Thanks for you detailed info Tiz and they certainly covered their derriere with "barring unforeseen delays" on all points. As an employee here on 2 occasions I never thought about work visas and obviously the [email protected] involved, my employers handled all that and seamless. Retired now and enjoying.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

bigpearl said:


> Thanks for you detailed info Tiz and they certainly covered their derriere with "barring unforeseen delays" on all points. As an employee here on 2 occasions I never thought about work visas and obviously the [email protected] involved, my employers handled all that and seamless. Retired now and enjoying.
> 
> Cheers, Steve.


The problem arises when the employer says they will handle it and knowing the formalities don't get around to it. It's not the company that gets the grief if you are court.


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

The throw back is the company that ultimately gets the grief, put it in writing, they should do if reputable and due diligence on ones own behalf of any contract. 
Only my experience but legit companies cross the tees and dot the I's no matter country and never a problem with an international company/corporation, they did all. I did my job.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Tiz (Jan 23, 2016)

bigpearl said:


> legit companies cross the tees and dot the I's no matter country and never a problem with an international company/corporation, they did all.


Yes, that's my experience as well.
Both my employer and my client are Philippine subsidiaries of Fortune 500 companies.

They had me sit on my backside doing nothing, rather than risk breaking any law while my 9g and work permits were being sorted out.


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## Lunkan (Aug 28, 2020)

If not said, there is a possibility to get a temporary work permit during the other is handled.


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## Quezon Expat (3 mo ago)

I worked in quite a few countries and it was always the employer who handled the work visa and was usually done fairly quickly. When I was sent to Singapore the company lodged me temporarily at the Mandarin Oriental while waiting on work visa. The agent contacted me after a day and said that due to Chinese New Year it may take a few weeks before I could go to work and move to permanent lodging. I told him to take his time.. 😊


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## Tiz (Jan 23, 2016)

Ha ha,

Yeah, I had the same "_problem_" when I first moved to both Singapore & here in Philippines.
You can't sign a condo rental lease in Singapore before the Employment Pass is issued, so my company also put me in a hotel until the EP was approved.
My relocation to Philippines included the first month staying in the Shangri-la Makati.


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## La Cebra (4 mo ago)

Lunkan said:


> If not said, there is a possibility to get a temporary work permit during the other is handled.


*The Special Work Permit (SWP) is a work permit intended for short term assignments/employment of up to 6 months*. A locally registered company must be willing to serve as the Petitioner. The SWP is good for 3 months during the initial application and extendible for another 3 months.

I don't know if you can use this or if it is any quicker approval, while you are waiting for a 9g approval.


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