13a Visa and the right to work…

The question I get asked most is ‘how can I work in the Philippines’… in fact, if I got 10 peso for everytime that was asked, well, I wouldn’t be working here!

Unfortunately, if that is your question your on the wrong page – we’ll go into that in another article.  This is about those of us lucky enough to be married to a Filipina/Filipino and holding either the 13a Probationary or 13a Permanent visa.

One of the things I battled with when moving here was the ‘right to work’.  Most foreign nationals require an Alien Employment Permit (an AEP card, as they are more commonly known).  This is the thing that gives you that right to work, not, as many get confused by, the number of your visa.

However, there are various exemptions to the AEP rules, and thankfully, ‘Foreign Residents’ are covered under this.  The important document is DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) Order 97-09 (linked here for those that won’t believe me and for use should any government official not believe you – it does happen – 13a’s are still relatively uncommon, especially in rural areas!)

The part to take note of is:

SEC 2: The following categories of foreign nationals are exempt from securing AEP:

g) Resident foreign nationals and temporary or probationary resident visa holders employed or seeking employment in the Philippines.

Highlighted for you is the applicable wording.  Anyone with a ‘resident’ visa (of which the 13a is!) is exempt from the requirement to secure an Alien Employment Permit.

Do NOT get confused.  An AEP is different from an ACR (The Alien Certificate of Registration from the Bureau of Immigration) and you DO need the ACR card as a 13a Resident.

The Order 97-09 was amended in a subsequent order, but it does not affect the exemptions.  You can see the new amendment here as Order 120-12

If the above links don’t work it is because the DOLE website is down… Click the following link to download DO 97-09 Revised AEP from this site directly instead!