Work Visas

[illmill]

Hi, I have stayed in the Philippines before, but it was a short time - four months - and I traveled a lot during that time and left the country. I think I only needed to extend my tourist visa once. I'm an american, btw.

Now I am looking at moving there on a more long term basis. I will be working there as well. My wife is Malaysian and our son has passports from the US and Malaysia. My company is going to have me relocate there (maybe, depends on their laws and how easy it is) and manage a call center, as well as set up the local office and file paperwork. I looked up stuff on the type of legal entity to open there and I think it will be a rep office. My staff will be both locals and foreigners from all different countries (Thailand, USA, UK, China, etc.). Okay, so now my questions:

How long does it usually take to get a work permit?

How much does it cost and how long is it valid for?

What's the proper office I can contact in Manila to apply and find out more?

I know how corrupt it is in the Philippines and from experience in Malaysia you won't get a work visa unless you pay the right people. Is it like that in PH??

Do you need to have the work visa approved before the employee shows up, or can the applicant just go there on a tourist visa and then get the work visa?

Thanks in advance!

[Jack Peterson]

Hi, I have stayed in the Philippines before, but it was a short time - four months - and I traveled a lot during that time and left the country. I think I only needed to extend my tourist visa once. I'm an american, btw.

Now I am looking at moving there on a more long term basis. I will be working there as well. My wife is Malaysian and our son has passports from the US and Malaysia. My company is going to have me relocate there (maybe, depends on their laws and how easy it is) and manage a call center, as well as set up the local office and file paperwork. I looked up stuff on the type of legal entity to open there and I think it will be a rep office. My staff will be both locals and foreigners from all different countries (Thailand, USA, UK, China, etc.). Okay, so now my questions:

How long does it usually take to get a work permit?

How much does it cost and how long is it valid for?

What's the proper office I can contact in Manila to apply and find out more?

I know how corrupt it is in the Philippines and from experience in Malaysia you won't get a work visa unless you pay the right people. Is it like that in PH??

Do you need to have the work visa approved before the employee shows up, or can the applicant just go there on a tourist visa and then get the work visa?

Thanks in advance!

Please excuse my head on Reply , there are some things that make me think and this one of them. I would have thought your Company would have this information to hand, if they plan to relocate you. Maybe you mean, you will try to run an offshoot of their Business. whichever, before you can even begin to think about employees and any work permits, you will have to Form a company and have it registered in the PI.and for this you need 60% Filipino Partners. obtaining Work permits for Foreigners on a new venture will be a Very tough call.

Call centres have no real need of any expertise, not found in local employees and this will be a hurdle for you. Unless you are a very large Company with some Top level Connections I honestly cant see you achieving what you propose. As to corruption, I think you will be ill Advised to go down this road of trying to obtain WP's under the table. NOW! As you are asking about WP's, I wonder why you think you know,there is corruption? on the work permit issue, In the Philipines .I have attached a web page for you to read and research a little.

http://www.doingbusi...ing-a-business/

Respectfully. Jack P. :tiphat:

[JJReyes]

If your moving to the Philippines is to establish a call center for your current company, first try the Board of Investment (BOI). Call centers are considered a "pioneering industry" and once the application is approved, you get all kinds of privileges. This includes visas for management and technical/supervisory staff. You are also exempt from paying corporate income taxes for a minimum four years. You can import equipment duty free.

One requirement for call centers is location in a building approved by the BOI. This makes sense because of the prior capital commitment for high-speed bandwidth (I believe the buildings must have T-3 as a minimum) and no interruption alternative power sources. The buildings are also air-conditioned 24/7 and have food service 24/7 for call center operators and employees. The BOI will assist you with all the local licensing requirements or "recommend" from a list of approved suppliers. I will be applying with the BOI next year. To avoid all the hassles, I plan to hire a knowledgeable law firm.

If you are establishing a subsidiary office with no intent of generating local income, a law firm can quickly establish one. The example would be is to have a local office to sub-contract business to call centers. Send me a PM if you need more specific assistance like who to contact or a BOI handbook in PDF format.

Edited August 14, 2012 by JJR

[illmill]

Hi, I have stayed in the Philippines before, but it was a short time - four months - and I traveled a lot during that time and left the country. I think I only needed to extend my tourist visa once. I'm an american, btw.

Now I am looking at moving there on a more long term basis. I will be working there as well. My wife is Malaysian and our son has passports from the US and Malaysia. My company is going to have me relocate there (maybe, depends on their laws and how easy it is) and manage a call center, as well as set up the local office and file paperwork. I looked up stuff on the type of legal entity to open there and I think it will be a rep office. My staff will be both locals and foreigners from all different countries (Thailand, USA, UK, China, etc.). Okay, so now my questions:

How long does it usually take to get a work permit?

How much does it cost and how long is it valid for?

What's the proper office I can contact in Manila to apply and find out more?

I know how corrupt it is in the Philippines and from experience in Malaysia you won't get a work visa unless you pay the right people. Is it like that in PH??

Do you need to have the work visa approved before the employee shows up, or can the applicant just go there on a tourist visa and then get the work visa?

Thanks in advance!

Please excuse my head on Reply , there are some things that make me think and this one of them. I would have thought your Company would have this information to hand, if they plan to relocate you. Maybe you mean, you will try to run an offshoot of their Business. whichever, before you can even begin to think about employees and any work permits, you will have to Form a company and have it registered in the PI.and for this you need 60% Filipino Partners. obtaining Work permits for Foreigners on a new venture will be a Very tough call.

Call centres have no real need of any expertise, not found in local employees and this will be a hurdle for you. Unless you are a very large Company with some Top level Connections I honestly cant see you achieving what you propose. As to corruption, I think you will be ill Advised to go down this road of trying to obtain WP's under the table. NOW! As you are asking about WP's, I wonder why you think you know,there is corruption? on the work permit issue, In the Philipines .I have attached a web page for you to read and research a little.

http://www.doingbusi...ing-a-business/

Respectfully. Jack P. :tiphat:

Sorry for not explaining further. I am a director in the company and it is my team that will be relocating there (Manila), so it's my responsibility to find all this out. I am just going to call the immigration (or the right agency) office today and ask them my questions. The websites that the philippines gov't has are pretty much useless. And the corruption thing is pretty common knowledge. I have interviewed the top level government people there, so I am aware of some of the issues they have there. Oh, and all the foreigners I will be hiring speak languages that not many filipinos will (ie. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, European languages, etc.). I would love to get locals who speak these languages because that will be cheaper for me and easier, so that will be my first priority.

[JJReyes]

What is the nature of your call center business? Is it medical transcription, tech support or teaching language? It is possible to get Filipinos who speak foreign languages, but it won't be Level III Proficiency. The exceptions are Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese, Fookienese) and Spanish. If they are bi-lingual or multi-lingual, the salary expectations are very high. The international companies and embassies pay premium prices because they need local translators and interpreters.

Filipino English is heavy accent. My associate, an American is a trainor for call centers teaching their staff to speak in neutral-accented, standard American English. (The United States has 10 English dialects.)

Starting this weekend, my colleagues and I have a workshop for visiting Japanese teachers of English. The workshop topic is International English. My lecture is teaching using the Voice of America Special English.

Edited August 15, 2012 by JJR