PEZA and Bureau of Immigration Provide Amended Guidelines For The Application, Evaluation, and Processing of the PEZA Visa

On 20 June 2022, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (“PEZA”) and the Bureau of Immigration (“BI”) issued Joint PEZA-BI Memorandum Circular No. 2022-001 (“Joint MC”) which provides the amended guidelines governing the documentary requirements and procedure for the application, evaluation, and processing of the PEZA Visa to foreign nationals working and/or employed by PEZA-registered ecozone locator enterprises and to their qualified dependents. The Joint MC was also issued in order to address various requests for clarifications because the provisions of the Memorandum of Agreement (“MOA”) between the PEZA and BI, and its implementing rules and regulations (“IRR”), do not encompass some situations as a result of the transition from the 47 (a) (2) visa to the PEZA visa.

The changes brought about by the Joint MC are as follows:

1. The submission of a mere photocopy of the Company PEZA Certificate of Registration is sufficient;

2. An applicant of the PEZA visa may submit either: (i) a certified true copy of the Alien Employment Permit (“AEP”) or (ii) email confirmation from the relevant DOLE Regional Office on the duly issued AEP
   
   It must be noted that the BI reserves the right to requite the presentation of the original AEP Card prior to the implementation of the PEZA Visa.

3. For initial PEZA Visa applications, submission of any of the following is sufficient:
   
   
   1. Original copy of the apostilled, authenticated, or attested marriage/birth certificate; or
   2. Certified True Copy of the apostilled, authenticated, or attested marriage, birth certificate from the appropriate issuing foreign office; or
   3. Print out of the emailed apostilled, authenticated, or attested marriage/birth certificate from the appropriate foreign office accompanied by a Notarized Undertaking/Affidavit signed by the foreign national, attesting to the veracity and validity of the issuance of the said print out copy.
   
   

   For applications for renewal of the PEZA Visa, submission of a mere photocopy of the apostilled, authenticated, or attested marriage/birth certificate is sufficient.

The Joint MC also reminds applicants that only applications with complete requirements shall be received, evaluated, and processed. Incomplete applications will not be entertained. Further, compliances, re-submissions, corrections, revisions, from the applicant after the PEZA Head Office accepted and started evaluating the application will restart the process and the five (5) working day processing time will start again. 

For applications for renewal filed less than thirty (30) days prior to the visa expiry the applicant should include a letter addressed to the PEZA Director General stating therein the justifiable circumstance/s for late filing. It must be noted that such applications should have complete documentary requirements for it to be considered duly received by the PEZA Head Office prior to the expiry of the visa. Further, applicants who filed their application for renewal in less than thirty (30) days prior to the visa expiry are discouraged from finalizing travel arrangements intending to use the PEZA Visa, until after the implementation of the PEZA Visa.

The PEZA and BI shall not be responsible for any costs or damages suffered by the applicant as a result of travel arrangements made in contravention to the foregoing rules or any provisions of the PEZA-BI MOA and its IRR.