Before you start

A job offer from a Philippine-registered employer willing to sponsor
Evidence that the role requires skills not readily available locally
Passport valid well beyond the intended stay
Employer documentation including business registration and financial statements

Step-by-step

1
Employer applies for the Alien Employment Permit
DOLE assesses whether a Filipino could fill the role. The application is published to allow objections. Nothing at the Bureau of Immigration can proceed until this is issued.
Via employerWho: Your employerCommonly 2–4 weeks
2
Enter the Philippines on an appropriate visa
Many applicants enter as a temporary visitor and convert in-country. Your employer's immigration counsel will advise which entry status suits the conversion route.
In personWho: You
3
Apply to convert to a 9(g) visa
With the AEP in hand, the employer petitions the Bureau of Immigration to convert your status to pre-arranged employment. This is the visa that actually authorises the work.
Via employerWho: Your employerCommonly 3–6 weeks
4
Obtain the ACR I-Card within 30 days
Once the 9(g) is approved, the Alien Certificate of Registration Identity Card must be applied for within thirty days. It is your residence ID and is checked at departure.
In personWho: YouWithin 30 days of visa approval
5
Get a Tax Identification Number
Register with the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Your employer usually handles this alongside onboarding, and it is needed for payroll.
Via employerWho: You and your employer
6
Renew annually, well before expiry
Extensions must be filed with the Bureau of Immigration at least thirty days before expiry, accompanied by a renewed AEP. Both documents run on annual cycles.
Via employerWho: Your employerAt least 30 days before expiry

Documents you’ll need

Passport with adequate validity
Alien Employment Permit from DOLE
Employment contract
Employer's business registration and financial documents
Medical clearance, where required
NBI or police clearance, depending on route
Passport photographs

Things most newcomers don’t know

The order is fixed: no AEP means no 9(g), full stop.

The Bureau of Immigration will not issue the working visa until DOLE has issued the employment permit. Employers unfamiliar with hiring foreigners sometimes start at the wrong end and lose weeks. Confirm your employer has done this before, or that they've engaged counsel who has.

Source: DOLE and Bureau of Immigration procedure

The 30-day ACR I-Card window starts at visa approval, not arrival.

It's easy to treat the 9(g) approval as the finish line and miss the card deadline behind it. The ACR I-Card is checked when you leave the country, so the problem surfaces at the airport rather than at a desk.

Source: Bureau of Immigration ACR I-Card requirements

Everything renews annually and the renewal window opens before expiry.

Extensions must be filed at least thirty days ahead with a renewed AEP already in hand. Because two agencies are involved, a late start on the AEP cascades into an immigration overstay — plan renewals two to three months out.

Source: Bureau of Immigration extension requirements

If you're over 35 with retirement income, the SRRV is a completely different proposition.

The Special Resident Retiree's Visa grants indefinite multiple-entry residence against a bank deposit, without employer sponsorship or annual employment permits. For anyone with passive income it is dramatically simpler than the 9(g) treadmill, and it's rarely mentioned to people who assume they need a work visa.

Source: Philippine Retirement Authority — SRRV

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming a job offer alone permits work — the AEP and 9(g) are separate and sequential.
Missing the 30-day ACR I-Card window after visa approval.
Starting the annual renewal too late and drifting into overstay.
Accepting an offer without written confirmation of who pays the immigration costs.
Overlooking the SRRV if you qualify — it avoids the entire annual cycle.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.