No points, no draw — four agencies run parallel doors: BI for work and marriage, PRA for retirement, BOI for investment, with DOLE gatekeeping every job.
Overview
The Philippines selects migrants through agency-administered routes under the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 (Commonwealth Act No. 613), not a points system. The Bureau of Immigration (BI), an attached agency of the Department of Justice, decides non-immigrant visas under Section 9 — including the 9(g) pre-arranged employment visa — and immigrant visas under Section 13, including the 13(a) marriage visa; conversion applications are approved by the BI Board of Commissioners after a hearing. Employment is double-gated: before the BI will touch a 9(g) petition, the employer must obtain an Alien Employment Permit (AEP) from the Department of Labor and Employment under Department Order No. 248, s. 2025, which requires a labour market test proving no Filipino is competent, able and willing to do the job. Two special resident visas bypass the BI process at the front end: the SRRV, administered by the Philippine Retirement Authority for applicants aged 40+, and the SIRV, administered by the Board of Investments for investors remitting at least US$75,000. Verified against immigration.gov.ph, pra.gov.ph, boi.gov.ph and ncr.dole.gov.ph as of June 2026.
The Main Routes at a Glance
| Route | Legal basis / agency | Core requirement | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa-free entry / 9(a) visitor | EO 408 / BI; consular 9(a) via DFA posts | Most nationalities: 30 days visa-free, extendable at BI | Temporary stay, extendable in increments; no work rights |
| 9(g) pre-arranged employment | CA 613 §9(g) / BI Board of Commissioners | AEP from DOLE first; employer petition with ITR, SEC papers, staffing certification | Work visa tied to employer, typically co-terminous with the AEP (1–3 years) |
| 13(a) marriage visa | CA 613 §13(a) / BI | Valid marriage to a Philippine citizen; NBI clearance if applying 6+ months after arrival | Probationary residence for 1 year, then amendment to permanent |
| Section 13 quota visa | CA 613 §13 / BI | Nationality quota — 50 visas per country per year; financial capacity or qualifications | Permanent residence without a Filipino petitioner |
| SRRV retirement | EO 1037 / Philippine Retirement Authority | Age 40+, deposit US$1,500–50,000 by age/pension/category | Indefinite multiple-entry residence while deposit is maintained |
| SIRV investment | Omnibus Investments Code Book V / Board of Investments | US$75,000 inward remittance invested in eligible activities within 6 months | Indefinite residence while the investment subsists |
| 47(a)(2) special non-immigrant | CA 613 §47(a)(2) / DOJ-delegated (e.g., PEZA enterprises) | Employment with a qualifying registered enterprise | Work-authorised stay outside the standard 9(g) track |
The Double Gate for Workers: DOLE First, Then BI
- Step 1 — Alien Employment Permit (DOLE): under Department Order No. 248, s. 2025 (effective 10 February 2025), the employer files at the DOLE Regional Office within 15 calendar days of signing the employment contract. The labour market test requires publication of the vacancy in a newspaper of general circulation; the application must show no Filipino is competent, able and willing to perform the job.
- Step 2 — 9(g) conversion (BI): with the AEP issued, the employer petitions the BI to convert your status. The checklist (BI Form V-NI-007) includes the joint letter request to the Commissioner, your employment contract with exact compensation, the employer's latest income tax return with proof of payment, SEC registration and General Information Sheet, the AEP and its publication, a notarised foreign-to-Filipino employee count, and a BI Clearance Certificate.
- Regulated professions: if the job is a PRC-regulated profession (engineering, medicine, accountancy, teaching and ~40 others), the checklist additionally demands a PRC Special Temporary Permit — the AEP alone is not enough.
- Who decides: 9(g) and other conversion applications go to the BI Board of Commissioners (the Commissioner and two Associate Commissioners); approved applications appear on the Board's published agenda. Expect a hearing appearance.
- Exemptions and other tracks: certain categories are AEP-exempt under DO 248-25 (e.g., diplomatic personnel, accredited international organisation officials); employees of PEZA and similar registered enterprises may instead use the 47(a)(2) special non-immigrant visa.
Resident Routes Without an Employer
- SRRV (PRA): open to applicants aged 40+ since 1 September 2025. Deposit tiers: Classic non-pensioner US$50,000 (40–49) / US$30,000 (50+); pensioner US$25,000 / US$15,000 with proof of a lifetime pension of US$800/month (single) or US$1,000 (family); Courtesy options from US$1,500. Processing is 30–45 working days from complete documents, and you must be physically in the Philippines for the whole application. POGO/internet-gaming operators and workers are disqualified under EO 74, s. 2024.
- SIRV (BOI): any foreign national 21+, no criminal conviction involving moral turpitude, no dangerous contagious disease, willing to remit US$75,000 through an accredited bank. A probationary SIRV is issued for six months, within which the funds must be converted into qualifying investments under Book V of the Omnibus Investments Code — leaving the money in the bank does not qualify.
- 13(a) marriage: the BI first grants a probationary non-quota immigrant visa valid one year, then converts it to permanent on a second application showing the marriage subsists. The Filipino spouse is the petitioner throughout.
- Quota visa: Section 13 of CA 613 caps quota immigrant visas at 50 per nationality per year — one of the few permanent routes needing neither a Filipino relative nor a deposit, but scrutiny of financial capacity is correspondingly high.
- No points, no caps elsewhere: apart from the 50-per-nationality quota, Philippine routes are tested against documentary requirements, not ranked scores or lotteries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Philippines have a points-based immigration system?
No. Selection is route-by-route under the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 (CA 613) and special laws. Each application is tested against a documentary checklist and decided by the responsible agency — the BI Board of Commissioners for visa conversions, the PRA for the SRRV, the BOI for the SIRV, and DOLE for the work permit that precedes any employment visa. There are no scores, pools, draws or sponsorship lotteries. The only numerical cap is the Section 13 quota visa: 50 immigrant visas per nationality per calendar year.
Can I just find a job and apply for a work visa myself?
Not unilaterally — the system is employer-driven at both gates. Your employer must first obtain an Alien Employment Permit from the DOLE Regional Office, filing within 15 calendar days of the signed contract and publishing the vacancy in a newspaper of general circulation to show no Filipino is competent, able and willing to take the job (DO 248-25). Only then can the employer petition the BI for your 9(g) conversion, submitting its own tax return, SEC papers and staffing certification alongside your documents. A foreign national cannot self-petition a 9(g); freelancers and remote workers have no dedicated route and typically use visitor extensions or the SRRV.
What changed in the SRRV in September 2025?
Three big things. The minimum age dropped from 50 to 40 — the first structural widening since the SRRV Smile track was suspended in 2020. Deposits were re-tiered by age and pension status: a 50+ pensioner needs US$15,000, a 40–49 non-pensioner needs US$50,000. And vetting tightened — every applicant now needs a Bureau of Immigration Clearance Certificate, and POGO/internet-gaming licensee operators and workers are disqualified outright under EO 74, s. 2024, with the visa subject to cancellation if involvement surfaces later. Pension proof must be apostilled and show at least US$800/month (single) or US$1,000 (family).
Which is better for me — SRRV or SIRV?
They serve different profiles. The SRRV (PRA) is passive: you place a refundable deposit (US$15,000–50,000 for Classic), keep it in a PRA-accredited bank or convert it to an approved condominium purchase or long-term lease, and hold indefinite residence from age 40 with no business obligation. The SIRV (BOI) demands active investment: US$75,000 remitted and then actually deployed into eligible economic activities within the six-month probationary window — parking it in the bank disqualifies you — but it has no minimum age beyond 21 and suits people building a business. The SRRV also straightforwardly covers a spouse and children under 21; the SIRV admits the same dependents.
How does the 13(a) marriage visa progress to permanent residence?
In two stages. The BI first issues a probationary non-quota immigrant visa valid for one year, on a petition by your Filipino spouse with your PSA marriage certificate, passport, BI Clearance Certificate and — if you apply six months or more after first arrival — a valid NBI clearance. Before the probationary year ends, you file a second application to amend the visa to permanent, demonstrating the marriage still subsists and you have not become deportable. Both stages go through the Board of Commissioners. Note the route follows the marriage: annulment or the spouse's loss of Philippine citizenship undermines the basis of the visa.
Who actually signs off on my visa application inside the Bureau of Immigration?
Conversion and immigrant visa applications are decided by the BI Board of Commissioners — the Commissioner and two Associate Commissioners sitting as a collegial body. Your file is received by the Central Receiving Unit, pre-screened, assessed for fees on an Order of Payment Slip, then evaluated by visa officers who may interview you before elevating the case to the Board's agenda; approved cases appear on agenda lists published on immigration.gov.ph. This is why processing is measured in weeks to months and why a complete, correctly-ordered documentary folder matters — incomplete filings are summarily dismissed rather than queued.