How To Get Permanent Residency Visa In Philippines
Interested in immigrating to the Philippines? You’ve come to the right country but hold on a second, that’s only half the battle. The hard part is getting a permanent residency visa stamped into your passport.
The Philippines is a beautiful and friendly country with a tropical climate. It is the perfect place for starting a new life in Asia. The visa process can be a bit confusing, but this guide will help you understand each step so you can be confident about applying for immigration.
On April 1, 2013, the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) launched a new visa policy applicable to all foreign nationals who wish to live in the Philippines permanently. Under this new rule, the Bureau has divided the different types of visas into ‘tiers’ based on their requirements and financial capacity.
How To Get Permanent Residency Visa In Philippines
The Philippines Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that seeks to grant amnesty and give permanent residency to the over 200,000 illegal foreign nationals staying in the country. The Senate’s approval came just after the House of Representatives approved its counterpart measure last month.
1. You ought to be in the country for a total of three months or six months spread out over a year
Foreign nationals who enter the Philippines for long-term purposes must have the appropriate visa. The main types of Philippine visas issued for a longer duration include:
- Philippine Work Visa, which is issued to foreigners who will work for a Filipino company
- Philippine Student Visa, which is issued to foreigners who will pursue their studies in a Filipino educational institution
- Philippine Spouse Visa, which is issued to the spouses of Filipino citizens and/or their dependent children.
- Philippine Retirement Visa, which is issued to foreigners who want to retire in the Philippines and have the necessary financial requirements to do so.
Philippine long-stay visas are issued for six months to three years, depending on the type of visa you apply for and other determining factors, such as the duration of your work contract.
Applying for a Philippines Long-Stay Visa
You can apply for a Philippines Long-Stay Visa in one of two ways:
- At an Embassy or Consulate of the Philippines abroad; or
- At the Bureau of Immigration in the Philippines, in which case you have to enter with a regular Tourist Visa and then convert it at the BI into the type of visa you need.
See how to apply for a Philippines Visa at an Embassy or Consulate.
Philippines Work Visa
Foreigners who want to work in the Philippines will have to obtain a Philippines Work Visa. In addition to that, they also need a Work Permit. These two documents are issued by different governing bodies in the Philippines.
How to get a Philippines Work Permit?
There are three main types of Work Permits that the Philippines government issues:
- Alien Employment Permit (AEP), for foreigners who have a long-term work contract with a company in the Philippines.
- Special Work Permit (SWP), for foreigners who will work in a Filipino company or do a short term assignment for up to 6 months.
- Provisional Work Permit (PWP), for foreigners who still haven’t received a Work Visa but want to start working while they wait. This is valid for up to three months and will become void once the Philippines Work Visa is issued.
Your employer has to submit the application for your work permit at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in the Philippines. They must do this before you start working in their company.
It takes about 2-3 weeks for the DOLE to process an application for a Philippines Work Permit.
How to get a Philippines Work Visa?
Once the application for your Philippines Work Permit is approved, you have to apply for a Philippines Work Visa at the Immigration Bureau in the Philippines. This means that you have to enter the country first with a short-term visa and then change it into a Work Visa in the Philippines.
The Immigration Bureau in the Philippines can take up to three months, so you have to keep extending your Tourist Visa while you wait. Additionally, if you want to start working before your Philippines Work Visa is issued, you have to get a Provisional Work Permit.
What documents do you need for a Philippines Work Visa?
The documents you have to submit when applying for a Philippines Work Visa are:
- A Letter of Request for the Visa addressed to the Embassy/Consulate (by you and your employer)
- Copy of the Employment Contract or another equivalent document stating your salary, position, the duration and the nature of your work at the company in the Philippines.
- Photocopy of your employing company’s latest Income Tax Return (ITR)
- Copy of your Work Permit, issued by the Department of Labor and Employment in the Philippines
- Your employer has to obtain a Work Permit in the Philippines before you apply for the Work Visa
- Document showing the number of foreign and Filipino employees working in the company
- A Certificate of Police Clearance issued by the authorities in your country
- Health Certificate, including an X-Ray, issued by an authorized medical practitioner
- Any other documents as requested by the Embassy/Consulate or the Bureau of Immigration in the Philippines
Philippines Student Visa
Foreign students over the age of 18 who want to pursue their higher education in an educational institution accredited by the Bureau of Immigration need a Philippines Student Visa.
How to apply for a Philippines Student Visa?
You can apply for a Philippines Student Visa either in an Embassy or Consulate of the Philippines near you. The application process is as follows:
- Get accepted into a Filipino school accredited by the Bureau of Immigration
- Your school applies to the Filipino Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to approve your application for studying in the Philippines
- The Commission on Higher Education notifies the Immigration Bureau on the decision.
- If your application was approved, the Bureau of Immigration forwards the decision to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), who then notifies the Consulate Embassy in which you will apply for your Philippines Student Visa.
You can also enter the Philippines on a Tourist Visa and then convert it into a Student Visa at the Bureau of Immigration in the Philippines.
What documents do you need when applying for a Student Visa?
When applying for a Philippines Student Visa, you need the following documents:
- Certificate of Acceptance from the school
- A Certificate of Good Moral Character, issued by your school
- A Certificate of Police Clearance issued by the authorities in your country
- Health Certificate, including an X-Ray, issued by an authorized medical practitioner
- Personal History Statement forms (forms you have to submit to the school you apply to, which detail your personal and family data, your physical appearance, educational background, etc)
- A list of any contacts you have in the Philippines
- Previous educational/academic qualifications (diploma or other)
- Your School Transcripts
- Your birth certificate
- Any other documents as requested by the Embassy/Consulate or the Bureau of Immigration in the Philippines