StayingAsia
English

Pre-arranged Employment Visa (9(g))

Last updated 2026-10-22 Route skilled-work Authority Bureau of Immigration, with the Alien Employment Permit from DOLE

Official page Bureau of Immigration, 9(g) visa

Key facts

Validity
1 year, with 2 and 3 year validity available at higher fees
Stay per entry
Tied to the validity of the visa
Threshold
None. The employer petitions; the test is the job and the employer's capacity to pay
Settlement
Switch required. No path to permanent residence without moving to 13(a) or another immigrant category
PR clock
None on its own. 9(g) time does not count toward naturalisation
Local employment
Sponsor only. Changing employer requires a new visa and a new AEP

Pre-arranged Employment Visa (9(g))

A work visa petitioned by a Philippine employer for a foreign national hired before arrival, valid in one to three year blocks for as long as the job lasts.

The misunderstanding worth correcting first is that this is a route to settling. It is not. There is no path from 9(g) to permanent residence without switching to an immigrant category such as 13(a), and 9(g) time does not build residence for naturalisation. The second is that the employer’s petition is the hard part. It is not. The Alien Employment Permit from DOLE is a separate application with its own labour market test, it must be approved before the visa can be, and it is tied to one employer and one position.

Programme snapshot

ItemCurrent rule
Main audienceForeign nationals hired by a Philippine-based employer before arrival
Route familySkilled work
Validity1 year, with 2 and 3 year validity available at higher fees
Stay per entryTied to the validity of the visa
ThresholdNone. The employer petitions; the test is the job and the employer’s capacity to pay
Threshold formNo minimum salary. The employer shows its latest income tax return with proof of payment, SEC or DTI registration, and a certified count of foreign and Filipino employees
RenewalExtendable while employment continues, in 1 to 3 year blocks
SettlementSwitch required. No path to permanent residence without moving to 13(a) or another immigrant category
PR clockNone on its own. 9(g) time does not count toward naturalisation
Citizenship clockNone
FamilySpouse and unmarried children under 21 as dependents
Local employmentSponsor only. Changing employer requires a new visa and a new AEP
Tax headlineSalary is Philippine-source income and taxed here. A resident alien is taxed on worldwide income. The employer withholds
Processing4 to 8 weeks after a complete AEP and petition, including a BI hearing and biometrics

Application flow

  1. The employer obtains the Alien Employment Permit from DOLE. Budget PHP 9,000 for a one-year AEP and expect the labour market test to add time.
  2. The employer files the 9(g) petition at the Bureau of Immigration with corporate documents, tax records and the employment contract.
  3. Attend the BI hearing and complete biometrics.
  4. The visa is issued, usually for one year.
  5. Collect the ACR I-Card and complete annual reporting.
  6. Renew in 1 to 3 year blocks while the employment continues. File a new AEP and a new visa for any change of employer or position.

Good fit

A professional with a real job offer from a Philippine company that has an established tax record and a compliance team. People being transferred into a local subsidiary of a multinational. Anyone whose employer will handle the DOLE and BI filings and wait out the eight weeks, because the process is not something an applicant can drive alone.

Poor fit

Remote workers and freelancers. There is no 9(g) without a Philippine employer petitioning, and a foreign company with no Philippine entity cannot petition. Also poor fit: anyone whose plan depends on staying after the job ends, and anyone in a regulated profession who has not budgeted for the extra permit.

Watchpoints

  1. The AEP is mandatory and separate. It is a DOLE application with a labour market test, not a form attached to the visa. Without it the 9(g) cannot be approved, and the fee is PHP 9,000 for one year.
  2. The AEP is tied to one employer and one position. Promotion, transfer or a new job title means a new AEP. Only one can exist at a time.
  3. The visa dies with the job. There is no grace period worth relying on. Downgrading to tourist status afterwards is a separate BI application, and working during the gap is not permitted.
  4. Regulated professions need a Special Temporary Permit from the PRC. Doctors, engineers, accountants and teachers need this on top of the AEP and commonly discover it at the counter.
  5. Dependents hold derivative status. If the principal loses the job, the whole family loses status together.
  6. Nothing accumulates. Years on a 9(g) are not residence. The only way this becomes settlement is marriage to a Filipino citizen or a switch to another immigrant category, and neither is automatic.

Sources