What changed in 2026
June: centralisation. From 9 June 2026 regional offices stopped receiving, processing, evaluating and issuing new and renewal permits, with the head office handling them exclusively and the Bureau of Local Employment running publication and the labour market test through digital platforms. The implementing rule is Department Order No. 248-B, series of 2026, alongside Department Orders No. 248 and 248-A, series of 2025.
September: portal only. From 3 September 2026 new, renewal, exemption and exclusion applications must be filed through the official online portal; email, paper and walk-in filing are no longer accepted.
Zero contact. Under the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act (Republic Act No. 11032), status checks and general clarifications go only through the designated channel. Full detail in the 2026 online filing rules.
Same employer, new city: it is about the worksite field
The visa generally does not move and the permit does not lapse because you relocated, but the reporting duty is firm. Under Department Order No. 248, changes of company address or worksite are reported within 10 calendar days, and a quarterly list of foreign employees is filed within 30 calendar days of each quarter's end.
Worksite still matters; it matters differently. It no longer decides which regional office holds the file, but it still decides where an inspection goes, which local sector prerequisites apply and how the foreign-employee ratio is computed. Deployment and rotation are covered in when the worksite is not the employer's address.
Project moving to the provinces while HR still runs the old process — reconcile reporting before the move, not after → have Yixing build the relocation checklist
Only a change of employer means refiling — including within the group
The permit binds a specific legal person, so moving to another entity in the group is a change of employer. "Same group" carries no weight — see changing employer on a 9G.
Plan the new side's windows: publication at least 15 days before filing in a newspaper of general circulation and valid 45 days from appearance; filing within 15 calendar days of the contract or appointment letter.
The old side has deadlines too: report the separation within 10 calendar days and send the cancellation through the designated mailbox in the prescribed format. Run both in parallel and no status gap opens. Company-level changes are in name, address and share changes.
Two things still handled regionally
The labour department certification required for a Special Visa for Employment Generation is still handled by regional offices rather than the portal.
The no-objection certification for raising the foreign-employee ratio at economic zone enterprises also remains with regional offices per the announcement.
Economic zone enterprises have a parallel route to weigh: the 47(a)(2) special non-immigrant visa, with different conditions from a 9G — see what 47(a)(2) is. The Philippine Economic Zone Authority circulated the online filing rules to registered enterprises by Memorandum Circular No. 2026-054 on 3 September 2026.
A four-step plan for a cross-city move
Identify the entity. Whether the employing legal person changed decides update versus refile, and the registration number on the certificate settles it.
Schedule the reporting. Worksite changes within 10 calendar days, not saved up for renewal, with the quarterly list updated in step.
Check sector prerequisites. Construction, gaming, regulated professions and Anti-Dummy sectors carry additional authorities, and a new region can mean a new regulator to deal with.
Check the documents. Employer and address details on the registration card should match reality, or later transactions stall; where the immigration side is filed is in where a 9G is filed.
Written against rules published as of September 2026; timelines and fees follow whatever the receiving agency currently publishes. Yixing is a privately registered Philippine consultancy (SEC CS202009551, BI CA-202624381-1) with no affiliation to any government agency; this is not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does moving city mean refiling the AEP?
Only if the employing legal person changed. Same company, new city: update the worksite and report within 10 calendar days. Another entity in the group: that is a change of employer and both documents run again.
Do I now deal with the labour office in the new region?
Not for new and renewal filings. Regional offices stopped accepting them on 9 June 2026 and filing went portal-only on 3 September 2026, with clarifications through the designated channel.
Does the worksite field still matter?
Yes, differently. It no longer decides jurisdiction but still drives inspection location, local sector prerequisites and ratio computation, and changes are reported within 10 calendar days.
What is still handled regionally?
Two things: the labour certification for a Special Visa for Employment Generation, and the no-objection certification for raising the foreign-employee ratio at economic zone enterprises.
How do the windows work for an intra-group move?
New side: publication at least 15 days before filing, valid 45 days, and filing within 15 calendar days of the contract. Old side: report within 10 calendar days and cancel through the designated mailbox. Run both together.
What about moving between economic zones?
Track both the zone authority and the labour department. The zone authority circulated the online filing rules by Memorandum Circular No. 2026-054 on 3 September 2026, and 47(a)(2) is a separate route with its own conditions.
Do documents need updating after the move?
Check them. Employer and address details on the registration card should match reality, and confirm the immigration filing point against current publications rather than old habit.
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