Philippines | Clarification and guidance on issuance of Alien Employment Permits

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) issued supplemental guidelines for Department Order No. 248 to provide more information, clarification and guidance on the issuance of Alien Employment Permits (AEP).

Key Points:

• Department Order No. 248 was published earlier this year, introducing changes to the employment of foreign nationals in the Philippines.
• The supplemental guidelines clarify that:
  • Publishing job vacancies in the PhilJobNet and with the Public Employment Service Office/Job Placement Office is encouraged, but not a precondition to filing the AEP application.
  • Entities registered under the Foreign Investment Act must also enjoy fiscal incentives to be covered under the requirements for the Understudy Training Program (UTP) or Skills Development Program (SDP).
  • AEP renewal applications can be accepted by DOLE with an affidavit committing to publish and submit the UTP or SDP within 60 days from the date of submission rather than as a precondition to filing the renewal.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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