# LTO professional license in the Philippines



## Aussie Guy (Aug 27, 2017)

Hi Guys and girls, 

My name is Adam and I am just new to this forum. 

I was wondering if anyone can help me with the LTO "Professional" license in the Philippines as every time I go to the LTO in Manila, Quezon City main the staff at the desk turn me away and tell me to go to the DOLE as I do not have a 12 month visa or as they say a 12 month work visa which is on the foreigners checklist to apply the Professional license. I have everything else on the checklist.

I have lived in the Philippines now for 2 and a half years and I have been married to my Filipino wife now for nearly 2 years. I live in the Philippines under a 13a permanent resident visa and this is a lifetime visa which enables me full working rights in the Philippines with ACR card also. 

I have the LTO license with 1 and 2 (Non Professional) and I was wanting to obtain the #3 Professional license as I am a Licensed Aircraft Engineer and was wanting to apply for positions at the NAIA airport in Manila. Many of the aircraft engineering positions here in the Philippines advertised online require 1,2 and 3 on the LTO license to apply the position as you would be required to drive all vehicles at the airport terminal. 

From reading online on the DOLE website Q&A's people who are exempted from securing an Alien Employment Permit which are 12 month or longer are, #7 Resident Foreign nationals employed or seeking employment in the Philippines (DO-41-03)

Is an AEP 12 months or longer what the LTO are wanting me to have as I have already told the staff at the desk I am exempt from this as my 13a permanent resident visa makes me exempt and I have full working rights in the Philippines with a life time 13a Permanent Resident visa. The staff still wont buy this and tell me to go to the DOLE every time. 

I have emailed the LTO and also the DOLE however both will not reply to my emails so I have no idea where I stand with this. 

Have any other foreigners here in the Philippines obtained the LTO "Professional" license 1,2 and 3 and if so how did you do it? 

Thank for your time and look forward to your assistance and replies.

Regards


Adam. Antipolo, Manila.


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

No magic solution here, I can only offer morale support. It seems as if you are caught between a rock & a hard place. Once these people have a thought in their head trying to convince them of something correct is like talking to the proverbial brick wall. As I see it, your only hope would be to keep trying till you find one who interprets the same way as you do. Would it be possible to obtain an exemption from that employment requirement? The 'Philippine First' policy here makes it extremely hard for any foreigner to do anything as one of it's requirements is that to hire on a foreigner, the job requirements must not be able to be filled by a native.

Fred


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

*Lto*



Aussie Guy said:


> Hi Guys and girls,
> 
> My name is Adam and I am just new to this forum.
> 
> ...


Adam you are correct you are able to work here on a 13a Visa here's the document. https://thisisphilippines.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/do-97-09-revised-aep.pdf

This next document is only an amendment to the original above but it does not take away the work right for 13a if you compare by sections what the changes are. https://www.dole.gov.ph/fndr/bong/files/DO 120-12.pdf

Can you use another LTO office?


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## Aussie Guy (Aug 27, 2017)

Hi, Yes i have tried the LTO in Caloocan just outside Manila however they turn me back to Quezon City Main LTO as i am a foreigner and they will not deal with foreigners with this request. 

I have literally been handballed back and forth even with my Filipino wife by my side speaking Tagalog to the LTO desk staff makes no difference at all. 

We just get told no as we cannot show a 12 month visa or as they say a 12 month working visa as per the LTO foreighners checklist requirments for professional license. They just tell us to go to DOLE and do not want to entertain us anymore at all. 

Its really frustrating.


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

*Visa*



Aussie Guy said:


> Hi, Yes i have tried the LTO in Caloocan just outside Manila however they turn me back to Quezon City Main LTO as i am a foreigner and they will not deal with foreigners with this request.
> 
> I have literally been handballed back and forth even with my Filipino wife by my side speaking Tagalog to the LTO desk staff makes no difference at all.
> 
> ...


The 13a Visa should work, and your permanent resident card on the back has the expiration date, wow strange and that's what I'd do I'd go to DOLE and have them draft something because they won't have you apply for a working permit. Have you talked with the LTO head guy there? Here's another link from DOLE that has the exceptions. Alien Employment Permit

So they are telling you that they won't deal with foreigners with this request so I'd then ask the employer if they have foreigners with a professional license and how did they get it does the employer need get involved. Yes you are a foreigner but your ACR card on the bottom right hand side reads Permanent Resident.

Worst case you might need to visit the barangay (government) and ask them if they can help you with this issue, but maybe the LTO won't allow foreigners to attain a professional license? but it sounds like they want you to get a work permit and that's ridiculous and looking at Visa requirements... Lol yet you're a permanent resident, see this is what happens with such rules, how can an LTO be able to know so much about immigration because it's not their job.

Do you have a copy or link to the LTO foreigners checklist for professional license?


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## Aussie Guy (Aug 27, 2017)

Hi, we cant even talk to the head guy as they will not even let us pass the desk staff outside and enter the building unless we have all required on the checklist. 

I have showed them 1 million times my 13a visa in my passport and my ACR card with Permenant Resident and still this does nothing at all and they direct me to the DOLE. My Filipino wife has even explained in Tagalog to the LTO desk staff that i am exempt from requiring an AEP 12 month working visa as i am a foreign national with Permenant Residence and this allows full working rights in the Philippines. They still wont buy this and just say go to the DOLE.

A few months ago i flew out of NAIA and was sitting next to a Dutch guy who had an LTO Professional license as he ran a scaffolding business at NAIA. He said he went to the LTO a few years ago to foreign convert his license and they just asked him what he wanted and he got the lot, no questions asked. 

The LTO posted up these new checklist requirements on hung up tarpaulins on the wall by the desk outside where they access what you have and allow you in or turn you away. This is at the LTO Quezon City Main. 

It specifically says at the bottom of requirments for "Professional" as a foreighner you must have a 12 month visa. When we questioned the desk staff they said this means a 12 month working visa, so i assume they are implying an Alien Employment Permit. 

I agree, how woukd the LTO desk staff know how the Bureau Of Immigration opperates and what rights a 13a visa allows. 

The LTO staff onky know what is on the checklist and if you dont have it then they turn you away, no matter what you say or what you provide. 


Regards


Adam Barry, Antipolo, Manila


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## Aussie Guy (Aug 27, 2017)

Caloocan LTO, just outside Manila will not deal with foreigners with the Professional license as they say they cannot and this needs to be done at Quezon City Main, Manila LTO. 

Quezon City Main LTO would allow me to do Professional license there so long as i fulfill the checklist requirements. As they say i just have to have a 12 month visa or 12 month working visa to apply. They will not accept my 13a Permenant Residence visa stamped in my Australian passport or my ACR card which has on R/H bottom corner Permenant Resident and on the back the issue date and expiry date.They just wont buy this at all and say go to the DOLE every time.

These new checklist requirments were rolled out just after the APEX summit in 2016 here in the Philippines and it caught many out as the LTO along with many other government departments were closed for the APEX summit 4 days. The LTO did not notify the public these changes were comming and when they would take effect. 

Both Filipinos and many foreigners now have lots of difficulties with the new regulations. Some foreigners cannot foreign convert there licenses now as they too do not hold a 12 month visa. Especially if you are on say a 6 month tourist visa or so on. 

The new regs and checklist now require Filipinos and foreigners have to have an NBI police check to apply an LTO license or obtain another class on there license. 

Its got really tough now. 


Regards

Adam Barry, Antipolo, Manila.


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## JShannon (Jan 28, 2014)

I don't know if this will get you anywhere but it would be worth looking into. I agree with everybody that you shouldn't need the AEP. In order to work here you do need a TIN(Tax identification Number), this is issued by the BIR, I know a few foreigners who have their TIN as they own businesses here and one didnt have his permanent residency yet.

Supposed to be a pretty straight forward process to get it. Once you have it maybe the LTO will see that you are allowed to work here and issue you the licence.

Worth a try, I didnt see any mention of a TIN in the thread above.


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## JasmineCruz (Sep 13, 2017)

*Philkotse news*

Fortunately, LTO’s next plan is to modernize its information technology (IT) system to enable online application for drivers’ license[/URL] and car registration. According to Edgar Galvante, LTO Chief, the initiative will make it more efficient for drivers and car owners to transact with the agency, and will promote transparency, improve LTO’s valuable services as well as prevent corruption through fixers.


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

JasmineCruz said:


> Fortunately, LTO’s next plan is to modernize its information technology (IT) system to enable online application for drivers’ license[/URL] and car registration. According to Edgar Galvante, LTO Chief, the initiative will make it more efficient for drivers and car owners to transact with the agency, and will promote transparency, improve LTO’s valuable services as well as prevent corruption through fixers.


More lofty goals which will more than likely fail to materialize. I was in one of the Govt offices the other day and they were still using the style of manual typewriter that I learned to type on back in 1955 which were manufactured in the 1930s. They have barely made it into the 20th century, much less the 21st. I certainly wouldn't hold my breath waiting for some improvement in LTO. I have just gone through a year & half getting my registration moved from region 7(Cebu) to region 6(Iloilo). Can't really say I am impressed with them. On another note, we are still trying to get our lot title transferred. We still at this time do not have a clear title to the lot so we can apply for a building permit to build the house in which we started the building of in December of 2015 and have been living in since March of 2016. Its no wonder that people here just go ahead and do what they feel like without any regard to/for any laws, rules, or regulations.

Fred


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## JShannon (Jan 28, 2014)

fmartin_gila said:


> More lofty goals which will more than likely fail to materialize. I was in one of the Govt offices the other day and they were still using the style of manual typewriter that I learned to type on back in 1955 which were manufactured in the 1930s. They have barely made it into the 20th century, much less the 21st. I certainly wouldn't hold my breath waiting for some improvement in LTO. I have just gone through a year & half getting my registration moved from region 7(Cebu) to region 6(Iloilo). Can't really say I am impressed with them. On another note, we are still trying to get our lot title transferred. We still at this time do not have a clear title to the lot so we can apply for a building permit to build the house in which we started the building of in December of 2015 and have been living in since March of 2016. Its no wonder that people here just go ahead and do what they feel like without any regard to/for any laws, rules, or regulations.
> 
> Fred


Hi Fred, I know we are getting off topic here but to let you know, about 2 weeks ago we finally got the title in our name after 2 years, 6 months and 15 days. The most frustrating thing I have ever dealt with. A while after the process started I told my Asawa that she was in charge, it was going to drive me crazy to have to deal with it. Just a bit of a difference from buying property back home where the title is in your name just days after the purchase is complete :frusty:

I am sure every office is different, which is the norm here but as far as the building permit goes we didn't have problems getting that even though the title wasn't in our name. We got that 4 months after we started construction!!

Cheers


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

Jerry, SNAFU(Situation Normal All Fxxxxed Up) seems to be the normal for almost all the govt offices here. Just what we have to get used to. LOL. I've done pretty much the same, it's to be in her name anyway so I have completely stepped aside except for the funding which seems as if it will never end.

Just to get back on subject, wonder how he made out using your suggestion as we haven't heard from him since.

Fred


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## Scott E (Jun 1, 2015)

I read this somewhere before ,, something about a "Work Permit" IE; not a work "Visa" I don't have any other details about where I read this ,, let me try to remember and back track !!


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## Austin Benta (Sep 20, 2017)

*LTO news*



JasmineCruz said:


> Fortunately, LTO’s next plan is to modernize its information technology (IT) system to enable online application for drivers’ license[/URL] and car registration. According to Edgar Galvante, LTO Chief, the initiative will make it more efficient for drivers and car owners to transact with the agency, and will promote transparency, improve LTO’s valuable services as well as prevent corruption through fixers.


I also heard about this new from my friends, Hope that this policy will be performed well in the future. Today i also by chance see some updated LTO news from <Snip> and found that outside of the LTO, Transport Secretary Arthur P. Tugade has also expressed his support for this idea :ranger:


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