9G Work Visa Philippines + AEP Alien Employment Permit: Requirements, Process & Pitfalls

How to Get a Work Visa in the Philippines: AEP + 9G

To be legally employed in the Philippines, a foreigner follows a two-step path — AEP then 9G — issued by two different agencies, both mandatory:

• AEP (Alien Employment Permit): issued by DOLE. It is the prerequisite for any foreigner working in the country, proving the role genuinely needs a foreign hire and that no suitable local candidate exists.
• 9G Work Visa (Pre-arranged Employment Visa): issued by the Bureau of Immigration (BI). You can only apply after you have an AEP. It ties your legal stay and right to work to a sponsoring employer.

In short: the AEP answers "can this company hire you," and the 9G answers "can you live and work here long term." Both require employer sponsorship, so it usually starts with a properly registered Philippine company">properly registered Philippine company as sponsor. If you are coming to invest or retire rather than be employed, the route differs — see SIRV/SRRV investor and retirement visas. The process involves newspaper postings and multiple agencies; Yixing's visa and HR services can handle it end to end.

Step One: Getting the AEP Alien Employment Permit

The AEP is the foundation of the path and must be initiated by the employer. What DOLE really scrutinizes is the "labor market test" — proof that no qualified Filipino is available for the role. Key elements include:

• Job posting: the position typically must be publicly advertised for a period through designated channels to show no suitable local candidate was found.
• Skills transfer plan: how the foreign employee will pass knowledge to local colleagues — an important factor in approval.
• Role and qualifications match: the duties must align with the applicant's education, credentials, and experience.

Once approved, the AEP is issued as a permit card and becomes the mandatory prerequisite for the 9G. The posting's timing and format requirements are commonly overlooked, and that is where many applications stall. Yixing's expat compliance team can prepare the posting record and skills transfer plan to reduce the risk of rejection.

Step Two: 9G Work Visa Requirements & Process

With the AEP in hand, you apply to the Bureau of Immigration for the 9G. A 9G typically carries a validity of 1–3 years, is renewable, and is firmly tied to the sponsoring employer. The process generally runs: a joint employer–employee filing (with the AEP and employment contract) → BI review and background checks → issuance and stamping once approved.

Typical 9G visa requirements include:

• A joint application by employer and employee, plus the employment contract;
• Company SEC / DTI registration documents and corporate income tax returns;
• Job description, local recruitment posting record, and skills transfer plan;
• Passport, ID photos, and proof of education and qualifications;
• Notarized statement of the company's workforce composition.

The exact checklist depends on BI's current rules and your case; translation, authentication, and notarization are the most time-consuming parts.

Working Legally While You Wait: the PWP Provisional Work Permit

The AEP and 9G together take a while to process, so can an employee start work during the wait? Yes — but they need a PWP (Provisional Work Permit). It is a bridging document during 9G processing, letting a foreign employee work legally before the formal visa is granted and closing the gap between "person on the ground" and "visa still in progress." The PWP is temporary and still resolves to a formal 9G — in practice, many companies build their onboarding timeline around it. Whether a PWP is needed and how it dovetails with the AEP/9G timeline is best coordinated by a professional consultant to avoid crossing the "working without a permit" line.

After You Arrive: ACR I-Card and Biometrics

Getting the 9G is not the end of the paperwork. Foreigners staying long term must also obtain an ACR I-Card (Alien Certificate of Registration Identity Card) and complete biometrics capture (fingerprints and photo). The ACR I-Card is the physical proof of your legal residence status, frequently needed for bank account opening, immigration clearance, and renewals. It goes hand in hand with the 9G and cannot be skipped. Only when the AEP, 9G, PWP, and ACR I-Card are sequenced in the right order and at the right time is an expat employee truly set up in full compliance.

Renewals, Changing Employers, and How Yixing Helps

A 9G is not "set and forget." A few rules matter, or you risk illegal stay or illegal work:

• Renew before expiry: renew the 9G ahead of expiration and update the AEP before it lapses — keep both timelines aligned.
• Invalid on job change; must be redone: the 9G is bound to the sponsoring employer. Leave for a new company and the old 9G becomes invalid — the new employer must apply for a fresh AEP and 9G. You cannot carry the visa to a new job.
• Do not work on a tourist visa: this is a violation and can lead to fines, blacklisting, or deportation.

These steps are sensitive to timing and document continuity — one gap can disrupt an employee's work. Yixing, based in Makati, can manage the whole chain — AEP posting and skills transfer plan, 9G documents, PWP bridging, ACR I-Card, and renewals — and coordinate it alongside company registration">company registration so your sponsoring entity and work permits line up. Whether you are posting your first employee or handling several at once, start with a free consultation and let our visa and HR consultants map out your timeline and checklist.