DumagueteInfo has a new home and you are viewing an archived article. Get the latest of what the new DumagueteInfo has to offer after reading this article. Thank you! Read more →

Obtaining a Work Permit | Dumaguete Info

Let’s face it, with very limited jobs to go around for qualified Filipinos, it is quite difficult to find a job for an expat in the Philippines.

The Philippine government ensured that Filipino jobs are practically for the locals. Certain laws have been put up to secure the stand of locals against foreigners seeking to work in Filipino companies. Unless you are married to a Filipino, you will find it hard to move around here to earn an income. If you have got some capital funds to spare for a business or two is an entirely different thing. Foreign investors are warmly welcomed in the Philippines; foreign workers are not.

Obtaining a work permit in the Philippines could be pretty challenging. You will have to be pre-employed first. That is easier that way than obtaining one with just prospective job offers in the horizon. After securing a job, your employer would most likely make the recommendation that you be awarded a working visa. In this case, you will have to go to a local embassy of your home country. From there, you will also have to go through the Philippines’ Depart of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and obtain an alien employment permit from there. The process usually take three to six months long; the validity of the working visa is mostly for one to two years depending on the circumstances you were awarded it. Renewal of the working visa is much easier than putting everything in place the first time. Unless you have made a pretty bad record, you will most likely get your renewal in a no-sweat fashion.

Yes, a foreigner may stand a chance at taking the best jobs in the Philippines because of the high quality standard of their degrees as compared with the locals. But the government is keeping expats off guard, especially with millions of Filipinos waiting in line to be hired. If you are extremely skilled in your profession and you know you could do well with a Filipino company, start applying for jobs. You have all the right to. If the company gets you, go through the painful process of obtaining a working permit and you are on a roll. Be aware, however, that compensation packages in the Philippines are not as impressive. You will need to find your way through a meek salary if you really want to be employed. As mentioned earlier, it is different when you are funding to build a new business there. That is mostly the advisable deal for expats.