In November 2021, the Philippines Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) introduced a new work visa for foreigners who are sponsored to work in the Philippines by companies registered with PEZA.

Under the new PEZA visa, foreign investors and workers must now obtain a PEZA visa in lieu of 47(a)(2) visas. The PEZA applications are processed within 10 business days (from the previous time of 1 month) and the visa is valid for up to two years with the option of renewing once for another two years, for a maximum validity period of four years.

Applicants looking to shift from an expired 47(a)(2) visa to a PEZA visa should know that they will be treated as new PEZA visa applications.

PEZA is one of 19 investment promotion agencies (IPA) tasked with assisting foreign investors to facilitate their investments in the Philippines. Each IPA offers its own fiscal and non-fiscal incentives ranging from income tax holidays to exemption of value-added tax to special visa privileges for foreign workers, among many others.

The foreign national needs the following general documents to obtain the PEZA visa:

The dependent(s) of the foreign employee must submit the following documents:

Once the applicant’s documents have been verified, the PEZA-registered enterprise will apply for the PEZA visa on behalf of the applicant to the PEZA zone administrator or manager of the ecozone where the enterprise is located.

Read More

This article was first published by AseanBriefing which is produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The firm assists foreign investors throughout Asia from offices across the world, including in in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, India, and Russia. Readers may write to [email protected]

About the author

ASEAN Briefing features business news, regulatory updates and extensive data on ASEAN free trade, double tax agreements and foreign direct investment laws in the region. Covering all ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam)

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Get notified of our weekly selection of news

You May Also Like

Are you wealthy enough to be a Long-Term Resident in Thailand?

Applications are now open for the 10-year long-term resident visa, which offers multiple benefits for the holder including a 10-year visa (extendable), fast track airport service, multiple re-entry permit, and permission to work in the kingdom.

Thailand Opens Digital Free Trade Hub in partnership with Alibaba

The launch of the digital free trade hub is part of Thailand’s efforts to position itself as one of Southeast Asia’s key logistics centers for trade and e-commerce.

Global Woes Cast Shadow over ASEAN+3 Growth

The continuing strict dynamic zero-COVID policy and real estate sector weakness in China and potential recessions in the United States and the euro area are weighing on the region’s outlook.