Philippines / Visas and immigration / 9G work visa (pre-arranged employment)

9G work visa (pre-arranged employment)

The 9G is the visa a foreign employee holds in the Philippines. It is employer-sponsored, it cannot be issued before the labour side is settled, and the two agencies involved charge separately.

The Bureau of Immigration charges ₱10,130 to convert to a 9G for one year where the employer is not among the top 1,000 corporations: ₱17,170 for two years, ₱24,210 for three. The ACR I-Card adds US$50, US$100 or US$150 depending on validity. Before any of that, DOLE must issue the AEP at ₱6,000 for one year.

What the government charges

Item	Amount
9G conversion, 1 year, employer outside the top 1,000 Bureau of Immigration	₱10,130
9G conversion, 2 years Bureau of Immigration	₱17,170
9G conversion, 3 years Bureau of Immigration	₱24,210
ACR I-Card, 1 year Charged in US dollars	US$50
ACR I-Card, 2 or 3 years Charged in US dollars	US$100 / US$150
Alien Employment Permit, 1 year, paid first Department of Labor and Employment	₱6,000
Each additional year of AEP validity Department of Labor and Employment	₱5,000

Two agencies, two payments. BI fees as published on the 9G page, which the Bureau footnotes as updated 6 March 2014, so confirm at filing. Dependent rates at one year are ₱8,120 for a spouse, ₱7,870 for a B16 dependent and ₱7,370 for a B14 dependent.

Who needs this

A foreign national taking up a lawful occupation in the Philippines for wages, salary or other compensation.
Executives, managers, technical staff and confidential positions where a Filipino candidate was not found.
Employees converting from a temporary visitor visa inside the country, or issued abroad through a Philippine embassy after DFA authority.

Who does not

Consultants and contractors with no employment relationship, who need a different status.
Foreign nationals working for a PEZA or BOI registered enterprise, who may fall under the 47(a)(2) route.
Anyone whose AEP has not been issued or exempted.

How it is done

Employer registers and publishes the vacancyThe Philippine employer must post the position in a newspaper of general circulation at least 15 days before filing, and the publication is only valid for 45 days. This step, not the BI form, is what delays most files.
DOLE issues the AEPFiled at the DOLE central office since the June 2026 reorganisation, with a ₱6,000 fee for one year. Processing is 15 working days after payment.
BI pre-screeningThe CGAF form, the joint letter request signed by employer and employee, the employment contract, the employer's current year GIS and Mayor's Permit, the latest income tax return with proof of payment, and the notarised headcount certification.
Hearing and biometricsThe Bureau sets a hearing, then takes the photograph and fingerprints for the ACR I-Card.
Visa implementation and card releaseThe passport is submitted for the visa to be stamped, then the ACR I-Card is released.

Deadline and what happens if you miss it

The AEP must be renewed before it expires, and the visa is co-terminus with it. Renewal can be filed as early as 60 days before expiry.

Do not let the visa run past the AEP: the Bureau cannot issue a 9G that outlives the permit behind it. A lapse means a new conversion rather than a renewal, which costs the full ₱10,130 again.

Why files get refused at the counter

Less than 30 days of authorised stay left in the passport at the time fees are assessed.
A General Information Sheet or Mayor's Permit from the previous year. Both must be current.
The income tax return without its proof of payment attached.
No evidence that the AEP was published, or publication older than 45 days.
A headcount certification that is not notarised.

Who does what

You

Provide the passport, credentials, contract signature and dependents' papers. Stay long enough in status to file.

LPP

Build the document set against the Bureau checklist, run the sequencing between DOLE and BI, and tell you in writing what is missing before submission.

Accredited partner

Files and follows the petition at the Bureau, attends the hearing where required, and collects the ACR I-Card.

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

Bureau of Immigration, Pre-arranged Employment Visa (9G): https://immigration.gov.ph/pre-4-arranged-employment-visa-9g/
Bureau of Immigration, 9G documentary checklist: https://immigration.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/pdf/06%20Non-Immigrant%20Visa/9G_Checklist_131-A.pdf
DOLE, Alien Employment Permit 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.