Generally, under the Philippines’ Visa Policy, foreign nationals who are citizens of ASEAN member states, residents of non-ASEAN member states whose nationals are allowed to enter the country visa-free, and balikbayans (returning Filipinos who worked or lived abroad) temporarily returning to the Philippines do not have to obtain a visa. However, all foreign nationals are required to comply with the policy when it comes to securing an immigrant or non-immigrant visa for certain purposes.
PHLVISAS can help in processing the following documents:
NON-IMMIGRANT VISA
(9A) Temporary Visitor Visa
This is issued to foreign nationals who are staying for a short period of time, for the purpose of (1) leisure and travel, (2) conferences/business meetings and the like, and (3) medical treatment in the Philippines. Expatriates must not use this type of visa for gaining employment, putting up a business, or studying in the country. In case the abovementioned visa holders exceed the authorized stay given upon entry, they must secure extensions of their stay with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and pay the necessary immigration fees.
(9D) Treaty Trader’s Visa/Investor’s Visa
This is granted to foreign nationals of Germany, Japan, and United States of America who are entering the country solely to bring in trade through a bilateral agreement made between the Philippines and the expatriate’s country of origin. Foreigners who invest or are investing a substantial amount of capital for the purpose of developing and managing operations of an enterprise in the country can also apply for this visa.
(9G) Pre-arranged Employee Visa
This is the most common type of work visa in the Philippines. It is issued to foreign nationals who are to be employed in the country. The 9G is a company-specific visa acquired through employer sponsorship and has a validity of up to 3 years maximum. The 9g may be renewed at least 60-days before its expiration, if the company intends to acquire the service of the expatriate beyond the validity of the visa.
The processing of the 9G also includes the application of the Alien Employment Permit (AEP) in the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), 9G filing at the BI, and application of the Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) I-Card or the Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) I-Card, which is the biometric identification card of foreign nations working or residing temporarily in the Philippines
IMMIGRANT VISA
(13A) Permanent Residence Visa
The 13A, also called the Non-Quota Immigrant Visa, is issued to foreign nationals who are legally married to a Filipino citizen. On the first application, the immigrant will be issued a Probationary Residence Visa with 1-year validity. If he or she will not have any derogatory record within that period, the immigrant can then apply for the Permanent Residence Visa before the probationary visa expires. Processing of this visa usually takes more than a month.
SPECIAL NON-IMMIGRANT VISA
(47a2) Special Non-Immigrant Visa
This is a type of working visa issued to foreigners employed in regional headquarters and regional operating headquarters of multinational companies, or those employed in BOI- and/or PEZA-registered companies. While holders of the 47A2 visa to the Philippines are exempted from applying for an ACR I-Card, they can opt to get one as this is considered a good identification for expatriates.