The Alien Employment Permit (AEP) in the Philippines: What It Is, How DOLE Processes It, and How It Relates to the 9G Work Visa

What the AEP Is: DOLE's "Permit to Be Employed"

The AEP (Alien Employment Permit) is a permit issued by the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), certifying that a particular foreigner may be employed by a particular Philippine company in a particular position. In short, the AEP answers a labor-market question: "Why should this position use a foreigner rather than a local?" DOLE approves it from an employment and labor-protection angle.

Establish one concept first: the AEP is the "work permit," the 9G is the "residence visa" — they are two different things, and you need both. The AEP settles "are you eligible to be employed in the Philippines," while the 9G (issued by the Bureau of Immigration, BI) settles "are you eligible to reside." To work for pay legally, you typically need both. For the 9G itself, see our 9G work visa and AEP guide; this article focuses on the AEP.

For the full picture of how a 9G is applied for — requirements, paperwork and timeline — see Yixing’s Philippines 9G work visa page.

Who Needs an AEP: Foreigners in Paid Employment

In principle, any foreigner intending to take up gainful work in the Philippines should have their employer apply for an AEP — whether an executive or technical expert posted by a foreign firm, or a foreign employee hired by a local company. The AEP is tied to "person + position + employer": change employer or role and you generally re-apply.

Common situations:

• Foreign-company assignees (general managers, technical experts) — the most typical AEP applicants.
• Foreign employees hired by local companies — equally required.
• Short-term/temporary work — if long-term employment conditions aren't met, a Special Work Permit (SWP) or similar short-term route may bridge it, see the SWP provisional work permit.

Certain statuses are exempt from an AEP (below). Unsure whether you need an AEP, an SWP or something else? Let the Yixing visa & HR team judge by your role and length of stay.

Process and Documents: Filed by the Employer with DOLE

The AEP is applied for by the employer at the DOLE regional office where the company sits (not by the employee personally). The rough process and common documents:

• File the application. The employer completes the AEP form with supporting documents.
• Company documents. SEC registration, the local business permit, the employment contract, etc., showing a legitimate employer and a real position.
• Foreign employee documents. Passport, job description, proof of qualifications/experience (depending on the role), and so on.
• Publication. DOLE typically requires the position to be published for a period, opening it to local applications or objections — tied to the "labor-market test" (next section).

Requirement lists, forms and fees change with DOLE policy; amounts and timing follow DOLE's current rules, and we don't quote figures. Because it needs company documents, publication and dovetailing with the 9G, it is usually coordinated by the employer's HR or a professional agency to cut down repeats and delays.

2026 update: The regional-office filing described above is no longer how it works. DOLE Department Order No. 248-B, Series of 2026 moved AEP filing, evaluation, approval and issuance, adjudication and enforcement from the DOLE Regional Offices to the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) at the Central Office; according to DOLE's news release of 10 June 2026, the regional offices stopped accepting new and renewal applications from 9 June 2026. A DOLE–BLE public advisory then added that from 3 September 2026 all AEP applications (new, renewal, exemption and exclusion) must be filed through DOLE's official online portal. Email, hard-copy and walk-in submissions are no longer accepted, and only complete applications are acted on. A zero-contact policy also applies, so status queries go only through the channel named in the advisory. The step-by-step process is in the 2026 AEP online filing rules.

Labor-Market Test and Publication: Why You Must Show "No Local Was Available"

One overlooked but crucial part of AEP approval is the labor-market test and job publication. The logic: the Philippines protects local employment first, so it must confirm that this position genuinely needs a foreigner and no suitable local candidate exists.

In practice, this usually means DOLE requires the position to be publicly published for a period, giving local jobseekers a chance to apply or object. If a qualified Filipino applies, it may trigger an "understudy/train-a-local" arrangement, requiring the employer to develop a local successor. So in the AEP application, the "job description" and the case for "why a foreigner is needed" matter — the more high-skill, scarce and hard to replace locally the role is, the smoother it usually goes; the more ordinary and locally abundant the role, the more it is questioned. Thinking this logic through when preparing documents saves detours.

AEP Before 9G: Permit First, Visa Second

This is what most people get wrong. The correct general order is: get the AEP (DOLE) first, then the 9G work visa (BI). A 9G application usually needs the AEP as a prerequisite document — immigration wants to see that labor has cleared you to be employed before granting the corresponding work-residence visa.

• AEP (DOLE): grants the "right to work" — you may be employed in the Philippines.
• 9G (BI): grants the "right to reside for work" — you may lawfully reside in work status.

They sit with different agencies and solve different problems; both must be in place for lawful work-residence. While the 9G is being processed, if the formal visa isn't yet in hand but you need to start work, a PWP/SWP (provisional/special work permit) is sometimes used to bridge. For the full 9G timeline and bottlenecks, see our 9G work visa and AEP guide; for short-term bridges, see the SWP provisional work permit. To keep AEP and 9G in smooth sequence and avoid a "working without a permit" gap, plan the whole thing.

Validity and Renewal: Renew Before It Expires

An AEP has a validity period, usually tied to the employment contract, with a maximum term (often set in multi-year bands — per DOLE's rules). Apply for renewal in time before expiry to keep the work permit valid and avoid a "working without a valid AEP" violation.

Also remember the AEP's "tied" nature: changing employer or position generally means re-applying, not carrying over the old one. If you resign, the close-out of your work-residence status (e.g. a 9G downgrade) must be handled too — see downgrading a work visa before leaving. Practical tip: fold the AEP expiry into one reminder set alongside the 9G, ACR and the like, updating them in step as employment changes, so no single document falls behind. Having the Yixing visa & HR team track the whole set's renewal rhythm markedly cuts the risk of a missed renewal.

Who Is Exempt from an AEP

Not every employed foreigner needs an AEP; the Philippines exempts certain specific statuses. Common exemptions/special cases include (exact scope per DOLE's current rules):

• Members of foreign diplomatic missions and consular posts in the Philippines and those they employ under reciprocity;
• Officers and employees of international organizations with which the Philippine government has agreements;
• Foreigners holding certain permanent-resident statuses;
• Other categories expressly exempted under specific rules.

To stress: the exemption scope is limited and specifically defined — don't assume "I should qualify." Whether you're exempt, or should take a different permit route, must be judged against DOLE's rules for your specific status. If unsure, don't rush into working — verify with DOLE or the Yixing visa & HR team first to avoid the violation of working without a permit.

See also: Do Foreign Directors Need an AEP; Managing Iglesia ni Cristo Employees in the Philippines; How to Negotiate a Salary Offer in the Philippines; Overstayed in the Philippines for Six Months, a Year or Two.

What Changed in 2026: Who Processes the AEP and Where You File

Two dates matter. According to a DOLE press release dated 10 June 2026, Administrative Order No. 199 (Series of 2026) took effect on 9 June 2026: regional offices stopped accepting, processing and issuing new and renewal AEP applications, and all of that work moved to the DOLE central office. The Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) now runs the local publication and labor market test itself, through a digital platform. The second date is 3 September 2026. From then on, new, renewal, exemption and exclusion applications are accepted only through the official online entry points; email, paper and walk-in filing are no longer accepted, incomplete applications are not processed, and status inquiries go only through the channel named in the announcement. Our step-by-step breakdown of the new online process is in AEP online filing under the 2026 rules, so this section only covers what the change means for you.

The rulebook underneath is still Department Order No. 248 (Series of 2025) as amended by 248-A and 248-B, and the BLE's 2026 FAQ handbook is written around it. What changed is who reviews and where you submit. What has not changed is what is being reviewed: whether the position can be filled locally, whether the employer is in good standing, and whether the applicant fits the job.

Three practical consequences for employers

• The friendly counter is gone. Some employers used to visit the regional office to ask about progress or fix a missing paper on the spot. Review is now central and contact is written-only. If someone tells you a personal visit will speed things up, check that claim against the current official announcement first.
• Your paperwork has to speak for itself. This is our own working judgment, not an official statement: with no chance to explain in person, the reasons a local hire is unavailable, why the applicant's background fits the role, and why the contract and the form agree must all be on paper. A gap usually produces a request for documents, not a conversation.
• Old guides deserve a discount. Anything that tells you to file at a regional office, queue in person or mail your papers describes the process before June 2026. When you receive a consultant's quote or a how-to guide, check whether its process matches the new online entry points.

What is still unclear

For applications submitted after 9 June and before 3 September, practice varied by office, and we found no separate DOLE statement dealing with that batch. Treat the BLE's reply to your written inquiry as the deciding word. Fees, penalty schedules and processing times are deliberately not listed here; rely on the current DOLE announcement.

Which Permit Fits Your Situation: AEP, PWP, SWP or Something Else

Much of the confusion online comes from treating several similarly named permits as one thing. Start with your situation.

• If you are being hired by a Philippine company for long-term work → the main road is AEP plus 9G. The employer first applies to DOLE for the AEP, then sponsors the 9G at the Bureau of Immigration (BI). You are not the applicant; the employer is. The sequence is explained in which to file first, AEP or 9G, and the "who does what" question is answered in the 9G question router.
• If your AEP or 9G application is filed and pending, but the company wants you to start → look at the Provisional Work Permit (PWP). BI describes it as issued to a foreign national during the pendency of a pre-arranged employment visa application, and the 2026 Citizen's Charter frames it as permission to work under an employment arrangement pending issuance of the AEP or the 9(g) visa. Its checklist asks for the official receipt of the AEP or 9G application, which means it sits on top of an application that has already been filed. It is not a substitute for the AEP.
• If you are coming for a specific, short engagement and are not employed by a Philippine company → the Special Work Permit (SWP) may be the right category. The Charter lists 14 kinds of applicants, including professional athletes, performers, film crews, trainers and lecturers, culinary specialists and chefs, and consultants or specialists. BI's SWP page describes it as for a foreign national who will engage in gainful employment for three to six months. Guest-chef practice is covered in hiring a foreign chef for a restaurant.
• If you are a director or shareholder → the test is not your title but whether you take part in management and day-to-day operations. See does a foreign director need an AEP.
• If you believe you fall within an exemption or exclusion → exemption looks at who you are, exclusion at what role you play, and in most cases you still have to apply for a certificate. We do not go into the categories here; see who does not need an AEP.
• If you are a teacher, a BPO language specialist, or hold documents from Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan → each has a dedicated page: teaching in the Philippines, foreign language specialists in BPO, Hong Kong and Macau applicants, Taiwan applicants.
• If you hold only a study permit or a visitor status → neither carries a right to work. See can you work on an SSP; to work lawfully you return to the AEP plus 9G road.
• If your AEP was denied → read the reasons in the decision before doing anything else; see what to do when an AEP is denied.

The table helps you find the entrance; it is not a ruling on your case. The position, the contract term and the type of employer can change the route. If you are unsure, check with the agency directly or ask the Yixing visa and HR team.

The Document Matrix: What Each Issuer Provides

The AEP and the 9G are reviewed by two different agencies, but the corporate papers, the contract and the passport are shared. Sorting documents by who issues them is safer than sorting them by filing order. The table below merges both sides: the AEP side follows the BLE's published list and our verified articles; the 9G side follows the checklist for 9G conversion and extension in the Bureau of Immigration's 2026 Citizen's Charter.

Practical notes

• Get the shared documents right once, because both filings use them. If the contract changes, both filings must change with it.
• The AEP line on the 9G checklist reads: an AEP issued by DOLE, or a certificate of exclusion or exemption with validity, with the original receipt. The AEP is one piece of the puzzle, not the whole picture; once you have it, the remaining items still have to be checked one by one.
• Checklists change. Use the current official version. For the full 9G list and the differences between first application, renewal and change of employer, see the 9G document checklist; for how the cost is structured, see the cost structure of a work visa. We list no amounts here.

Building the Position Case: Publication, Recruitment Evidence and Skills Transfer

The labor market test does not ask whether the candidate is good. It asks whether this position can be filled by someone in the local market. The BLE's 2026 FAQ handbook on the current rules defines the test as confirming that, at the time of application, there is no Filipino citizen who is able, competent and willing to perform the service. There is also an economic needs test, which looks at whether the hire fills a gap in the local labor market in the nature of the role, the level of expertise or the requirements of the industry. A good case therefore answers three questions: why the job is specific, how you can show the local market was tried, and how the role will be localized later.

First, write the job concretely

Generic titles such as "manager" or "supervisor" are the easiest to challenge. Say what the person does, who they report to, what they manage, and which overseas systems or standards they must work with. The wording in your recruitment ad and in the application form should point to the same job: who you are hiring, to do what, on what background. Using one template for several different roles almost invites trouble.

Second, anchor irreplaceability in things that can be checked

Checkable conditions include a specific industry certification, a combination of language and market experience, or hands-on experience with the parent company's internal systems and processes. Writing only "speaks Chinese" is usually not enough; you have to show why the business needs someone who speaks the language and knows a particular system. Reasons such as "assigned by headquarters" or "we trust this person" carry little weight, and they are common in applications that are sent back.

Third, leave a paper trail of recruitment

Under the BLE handbook, the employer publishes the vacancy in a newspaper of general circulation at least 15 days before filing, and the clipping is valid for 45 days from publication. Online job postings are expressly not accepted as proof, but the position must also be posted on PhilJobNet and at the local public employment service office. The ad should describe the real job: skills, years of experience and certification. Keep records of where and when you recruited, how many applications came in, how many people you interviewed, and the specific reasons for not hiring. The same records support the labor market test and become the backbone of your reply if someone objects during the publication period.

Fourth, name people and dates in the skills-transfer plan

The handbook describes two programs. The Understudy Training Program transfers the foreign employee's skills to at least two regular employees ranked immediately below. The Skills Development Program transfers skills to at least two regular Filipino employees for each foreign employee. Not every company must file one. The handbook names three groups: enterprises registered under the Foreign Investments Act that enjoy fiscal incentives, enterprises operating public utilities or critical infrastructure, and enterprises designated as strategic investments. An ordinary employer outside those groups still benefits from a short written plan that names two local staff, lists the skills to be passed on and gives a timetable, because it makes the "no local was available" claim more credible and prepares the ground for renewal. Ratios and counting rules are in the foreign-worker ratio and understudy guide.

What not to write

Applications that read like a generic job advertisement, that rest on "headquarters assigned" or "trust", or that reuse one template across different roles are the classic ways to be found replaceable. For the wider compliance framework, see hiring foreign nationals in the Philippines.

Why Applications Stall: Common Rejection Reasons and Blockers

A denied AEP is not just a "no". The decision usually states its grounds. Copy them out one by one and sort them; that is far more useful than resubmitting, because the same papers filed again generally produce the same result. The grounds fall into five groups.

Once sorted, the judgment is straightforward: document and procedure problems can often be turned around with supplements and explanations, while position and employer problems need a real change in the case or a repair of the employer's own situation. The remedy steps are in what to do when an AEP is denied. The rest of this section deals with the layer before that: why things reach the point of being sent back.

Blocker one: prerequisites left undone

The Establishment Registration Number, the newspaper publication and the filing window after signing are easy to overlook. Under Department Order 248 and its amendments, the AEP is to be filed within 15 calendar days of signing the employment contract or issuing the appointment letter, and late filing is itself penalized; the publication must still be within its 45-day validity when you file. So the order is: publish, sign, file within two weeks of signing. If these dates are not managed on one sheet, they drift apart.

Blocker two: two filings that disagree

In practice this is a frequent problem. The position, duties and term on the AEP form differ slightly from the contract used for the 9G, or the contract was amended and only one filing was updated. BI requires a contract stating the duration of employment, the exact compensation and benefits, and the nature and scope of the position; DOLE reviews the same contract. When the two agencies see different things, you get a return.

Blocker three: nobody answers the notice

After the move to zero-contact, requests for documents and card-release notices go to the contact details on the application form. Under Department Order 248, failing without good reason to claim the card within 10 working days of the release notice can lead to cancellation. A personal mailbox belonging to someone about to leave is a common cause of missed deadlines. Use a shared company mailbox and name a backup.

Blocker four: an objection during publication with no written answer

During the publication period any interested party may object to the hiring of a foreigner for that position, and silence is treated as no objection. Objections tend to come from three sources: local jobseekers who claim they can do the job, trade associations or unions, and competitors or people with a grudge. The general principle in reply is to write what the job needs, not whom you would like to hire: list the specific requirements that make the role hard to fill, show how the applicant meets them, and explain why open recruitment did not produce a local candidate. To a local jobseeker, respond directly to the gap between his or her qualifications and the requirements; "we prefer a foreigner" is not an answer.

Blocker five: the AEP is approved, but the 9G is a separate hurdle

The AEP is a prerequisite document for the 9G, but the Bureau of Immigration reviews the 9G separately. In the 2026 Citizen's Charter, the commercial 9G is handled by the Visa Processing Center at the main office and is classified as "Highly Technical". BI's FAQ says processing usually takes 40 days, depending on the volume of applicants and provided the documents are complete. Read that as the agency's statement, not a promise; your own case may differ. For a full timeline, see the 9G timeline guide.

Blocker six: trouble after approval

An AEP that lapses while the 9G is still valid is the most common silent accident; consequences and remedies are in when the AEP has expired but the 9G is still valid. Job changes, transfers between cities and work locations that differ from what was filed are covered in changing job titles, moving between cities and work location that differs from the employer's.

The Downside: When an AEP Is the Wrong Tool and Where You Lose Time

Articles about the AEP usually explain how to file and skip the question of whether to. These are the drawbacks a reader should know first.

• The job is an ordinary one with plenty of local supply. The AEP exists to protect local employment. The more ordinary the role and the more local candidates there are, the easier it is to be found replaceable, and the harder the case is to write. Pushing ahead in that situation is often wasted time. The openings actually available to foreigners are narrow; see how hard is it to find a job in the Philippines.
• You cannot do this alone. The applicant for both the AEP and the 9G is the employer; the employee is the beneficiary. Without an employer willing to sponsor you there is no road, and no third party can start it in your own name.
• The permit is tied to you, the position and the employer. A new employer means starting the whole process again, and a substantive change in the position may mean the same. The gap in between is where violations happen. Telling yourself you will "start now and fix it later" puts risk on the employer as well as on you; see the consequences of hiring without a work permit.
• Timing is hard to predict, and there is no counter to chase. BI's statement for the 9G is usually 40 days, depending on volume and completeness of documents. On the AEP side, zero-contact means there is no window to visit. Planning to the fastest case is the most common cause of a wasted trip.
• There is no public online way to verify an AEP. Based on our earlier review, the DOLE and BLE sites offer no public online AEP verification system; the official route is a written inquiry through the BLE's AEP Inquiry Form. That means keeping your own scanned copy of the card and filing it by year is more reliable than trying to check afterwards. The 9G, by contrast, has two BI online checks; see how to check a 9G and an AEP.
• There is no single price. BI fees, DOLE permit costs, third-party costs and service fees are separate layers, and nobody can quote a real total out of thin air. If someone opens with an all-in price, ask for it to be broken down line by line. We list no amounts; rely on the current agency announcements.
• Working "for now" on a status that gives no right to work. A visitor status or a study permit does not carry work rights, and side jobs carry the same risk for foreigners; see is part-time work legal in the Philippines.

Approval authority belongs to the agencies. Yixing is a private consultancy: we help with document compliance, sequencing and follow-through, we do not decide outcomes, and we do not promise approval. For individual cases, consult a practicing lawyer; this article is not legal advice. If you want the Yixing visa and HR team to run a document check first, that is the place to start.

After Approval: The Calendar Your HR Team Should Keep

Getting the card is not the finish line. After the AEP there is a series of dates that expire, changes that must be reported and filings that recur, and without a register something will be missed. The Yixing visa and HR team can help you set the register up.

Track the two expiry dates separately

The AEP and the 9G run on separate validity periods. BI's FAQ says the 9G can be granted for an initial period of one, two or three years and extended for one, two or three years depending on the employer-employee contract. The AEP's validity is set by DOLE and is generally tied to the employment contract. Treating the two dates as one is the root of the familiar problem where the 9G is still fine but the AEP lapsed some months ago. Keep them in separate columns of your register and leave time for early renewal.

The annual report for 9G holders

Under the 9G entry of the Bureau of Immigration's 2026 Citizen's Charter, 9G holders must perform the Annual Report within the first 60 days of every calendar year. It is a fixed yearly task; put it in the HR calendar in January rather than remembering it late. The method and the entry point follow the current BI announcement.

Report changes promptly

Changes in work location, position, company name or address carry reporting duties under DOLE rules, and the time limits follow the current rules. The most common situations each have a dedicated page: does a job change require a new AEP and 9G, moving from Manila to Cebu, and client-site, multi-site and home-based work. If the card is lost or the details are wrong, see replacing a lost AEP card; cancellations, card reprints and agency accreditation go through the channels named in the announcements.

Verify and file for yourself

Once the AEP is issued, file the scanned card, the application acknowledgment, the newspaper clipping, the recruitment records and the contract by year. On the 9G side, use the application number or the receipt number from the official receipt to search the BI agenda list and the eServices approval verification page. On the AEP side there is currently no public online search; when you need confirmation, submit a written inquiry through the channel the BLE publishes.

Onboarding and payroll

Once the permits are in place there is still a first-week list of tax number, social insurance and a bank account; see the first week in a new job. Common payroll mistakes that draw attention during labor inspections are in payroll compliance mistakes. If a labor dispute arises, first work out whether it is a DOLE inspection matter or belongs elsewhere; see how to file a complaint with DOLE.

Official Sources and Last Check

The added material is based on the official pages below. Pages are updated, so use the current version before you act.

• Bureau of Immigration: Pre-arranged Employment Visa (9G)
• Bureau of Immigration: FAQs (including the pre-arranged employee visa)
• Bureau of Immigration: Citizen's Charter (2026 edition)
• Bureau of Immigration: Provisional Work Permit
• Bureau of Immigration: Special Work Permit, Commercial
• DOLE Bureau of Local Employment: Alien Employment Regulation
• DOLE: news release on the centralization of AEP processing

One caveat: when we checked, the DOLE and BLE websites presented a verification challenge to automated access, so we could not read the page text directly. The DOLE-side details rest on the official release headline and summary and on our own previously verified articles. Please rely on the current announcement you can open in your own browser, and where it differs from this article, the official version prevails.

Last checked: September 2026.

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Summary and Disclaimer

To sum up: to work legally in the Philippines, you need both an AEP and a 9G — the AEP is DOLE's "work permit" (can you be employed) and the 9G is BI's "work-residence visa" (can you reside), generally AEP first, then 9G. The AEP is filed by the employer with DOLE, includes job publication and a labor-market test, is tied to "person + position + employer," has a validity period needing timely renewal, and must be re-applied on changing employer or role; certain statuses are exempt.

This article is general information, not legal or work-permit advice. The AEP's application documents, process, publication requirement, validity, fees and exemption scope, and how it dovetails with the 9G and SWP, change with policy and by case, and are governed by the current rules of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI). When planning compliant hiring for foreign staff or arranging your own employment status, verify with official channels or the Yixing visa & HR team and coordinate early — don't get caught in a "working without a permit" gap.