Philippines / Employing a foreign national / The AEP publication rule

The AEP publication rule

Before DOLE will look at a foreign worker's application, the employer has to prove that no Filipino was available. The proof is a newspaper publication with a shelf life.

Publish at least 15 days before filing, and file within 45 days of publication. Earlier and the notice period has not run. Later and the publication has expired and must be repeated. The window is 30 days wide, and it is the single most common reason an AEP file loses two weeks.

What the government charges

Item	Amount
Publication Paid to the newspaper, not to DOLE	publisher's rate
AEP filing after publication The permit itself	₱6,000

The publication is bought from a newspaper of general circulation. Keep the clipping and the publisher's certificate: the application is refused without the actual page.

Who needs this

Every employer filing a new AEP.
Employers renewing, unless the exemption applies.

Who does not

Positions covered by a Certificate of Exclusion or Exemption.

How it is done

Pick a newspaper of general circulationNot a trade sheet and not a website. The clipping is the evidence.
Publish the position as it will be contractedTitle, duties and salary. A mismatch with the contract is a refusal, not a clarification.
Wait 15 daysThen file. Do not file the same week.
File inside day 45Keep the clipping, the publisher's certificate and the affidavit that no Filipino applicant was found.

Deadline and what happens if you miss it

Day 15 to day 45 after publication. Missing the window means paying for the publication twice, which is a real cost and, in practice, a two-week delay to the whole file.

Why files get refused at the counter

A clipping without the publication date visible.
A position title in the advertisement that differs from the employment contract.
An affidavit signed by someone without authority to bind the employer.

Who does what

You

Approve the advertisement text against the contract before it goes out.

LPP

Set the publish date and the filing date as a pair, and hold the file until day 15.

Accredited partner

Files on day 15 or shortly after, with the clipping and the affidavit complete.

Have this filed without the guesswork

Send the file to us. We confirm the current fee with the agency, prepare the documents, and tell you in writing what is missing before anything is submitted.

Start this case See our fees

Sources

DOLE, AEP FAQs, 15 June 2026: https://dole.gov.ph/php_assets/uploads/2026/06/AEP-FAQs.pdf

Last verified against the issuing agency on 2026-10-24. If an agency changes a fee or a deadline after that date, this page is out of date and we correct it before quoting.