The Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said in a news release dated 28 October 2026 that Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino has signed Department Order No. 248-C, Series of 2026, further simplifying how the Philippines alien employment permit (AEP) is filed and evaluated. It is the second revision of the same order family after AEP processing was centralised at the DOLE head office in June 2026: four prerequisite documents are dropped, newspaper publication ends, the approval window is cut to 10 working days, and employers may file through their own human resources staff.
What changed
The logic is to remove the layer of proving that a permit application has been filed with another agency, while moving the process online. The main changes:
- Prerequisite documents: applicants no longer submit the Philippine Construction Accreditation Board License, the Professional Regulation Commission Special Temporary Permit, the Department of Justice Authority to Employ Alien, or the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Authority to Hire Foreign National, and no longer submit proof that those applications were filed. DOLE notes that compliance with each agency's own rules is still mandatory.
- Publication: the applicant-funded broadsheet publication of the labour market test notice is discontinued. Notices now go through the DOLE official portal or public repository, or are filed with the University of the Philippines Law Center.
- Processing time: cut from 15 to 10 working days, with a one-time extension of up to 10 more days, for a ceiling of 20 working days.
- Who may file: employers can file through their own HR personnel, officers or legal counsel instead of accredited agents.
- When fees are paid: nothing is collected at filing; an order of payment slip is issued only after technical evaluation and approval.
- Endorsement channel: Philippine embassies and consulates may back an application with an official note sent straight to the labour department's Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), or routed through the Department of Foreign Affairs.
- Other provisions: DOLE may require applicants to attend an orientation on Philippine history and cultural diversity, and lawfully employed foreign workers receive medical care benefits in government hospitals.
To save time, the order reduces AEP application processing from 15 to 10 working days and allows a one-time 10-day extension, up to a 20-day maximum.
Old rules against the new order
| Step | After centralisation (from June 2026) | Department Order 248-C (from October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisite permits | Construction accreditation, PRC temporary permit, DOJ and DENR authorities required | No longer submitted, though substantive compliance remains |
| Labour market test notice | Applicant-funded broadsheet publication | DOLE portal, public repository or UP Law Center |
| Processing time | 15 working days | 10 working days, extendable by 10, ceiling of 20 |
| Who files | Accredited agent or authorised representative | The employer's own HR, officers or counsel |
| When fees are paid | At filing | After approval, against an order of payment |
| Embassy endorsement | No explicit channel | Official note to BLE or DFA |
Who is most affected?
First, companies with a Philippine entity that sponsor foreign staff. The four prerequisite documents were often the bottleneck of an entire application: construction firms waited on the accreditation board, professionals on the PRC temporary permit, and regulated sectors on the DOJ or DENR authority. None of those timelines sat inside DOLE's control, so a single AEP file could stall for months. Separating documentary prerequisites from substantive compliance removes a large share of that drag on time and cash flow.
Second, foreign employees holding a 9(g) work visa. The AEP is issued by DOLE and the 9(g) by the Bureau of Immigration; in practice the AEP usually comes first. A shorter approval window moves onboarding, reporting and payroll start dates forward. Fewer documents, however, do not mean looser scrutiny: technical evaluation continues, and a request for additional documents still consumes the clock.
Third, Chinese companies posting teams to Manila, Cebu or Clark. Filing through in-house HR pulls the capability back inside the company. In exchange, DOLE states plainly that the employer is responsible for the accuracy and completeness of what is submitted, so the buffer that agents used to provide is gone.
Timeline and practical details
The order takes effect 15 days after newspaper publication, not on the signing date. Until that publication appears, filings still follow current practice, and this is the point most often misread in internal planning. Teams should schedule the switch at publication plus 15 days rather than at 28 October 2026.
The second detail is the end of payment at filing. Because nothing is collected on submission, budget approval and treasury steps begin only after approval, so finance teams should allow time between the order of payment and the actual remittance.
The third is embassy endorsement. This channel is more useful for applicants still in China: an embassy or consulate can issue an official note confirming identity and the absence of a derogatory record, which then enters the process through BLE or DFA. On the removal of agent accreditation, the Secretary's power to revoke an AEP on national security grounds, and discretionary grants in meritorious cases, Envoy Global's summary sets out a fuller list; operational practice should still follow DOLE's formal text and implementing instructions as published.
- Question
How long does the Philippines alien employment permit take now?
- AIAIG answersTen working days for standard processing, five days faster than the previous 15. The order allows a one-time extension of up to 10 working days, so the ceiling is 20. The clock starts once a complete file enters technical evaluation, and a request for additional documents can still consume the allotted time, so real-world timing depends on file quality.
- Question
Does dropping the prerequisite documents mean construction accreditation or a PRC permit is no longer needed?
- AIAIG answersNo. What the order removes is the duty to submit those permits as part of the AEP file; each agency's own licensing requirements stand. DOLE states in the release that compliance with those agencies' laws remains mandatory. For regulated sectors such as construction, healthcare and education, the sequence of securing the sector licence before deployment is unchanged.
- Question
Is the AEP the same as a 9(g) work visa?
- AIAIG answersNo. The AEP is issued by DOLE and authorises an employer to hire a foreign national; the 9(g) visa is issued by the Bureau of Immigration and governs whether the person may reside in the Philippines for work. In practice they run in sequence, with the AEP usually first. The new order simplifies only the AEP leg; 9(g) requirements and timelines are untouched.
- Question
Do foreign employees already working in the Philippines need to reapply?
- AIAIG answersThe order addresses filing and evaluation, and does not require existing holders to reapply. A valid AEP stays valid, and renewal or a change of employer follows the rules in force at that time. Where the employer, position or work location changes, a corresponding amendment or a new application is normally still required, subject to DOLE and BLE instructions.
AIAIG View
For companies planning to hire foreign staff in the Philippines, the real value of this order lies in scheduling rather than eligibility: with approval down from 15 to 10 working days and newspaper publication gone, a fresh AEP file can plausibly clear within a month. Build "publication date plus 15 days" into the internal timetable, and confirm the current checklist with BLE before filing.
For individual applicants, fewer documents do not mean looser review. Salary, the genuineness of the role and the employer's standing remain the core of technical evaluation; a mismatch between qualifications and position will still attract requests for additional evidence. Prepare on the assumption that supplementary proof will be asked for.
For regulated sectors such as construction, healthcare and education, securing the sector licence before the AEP is unchanged. Removing four documents from the AEP checklist lets the two approval tracks run in parallel; it does not make the sector licence optional.
For applicants hoping to use the embassy endorsement route, the saving is in trips and agents, not in substance: an endorsement confirms identity and the absence of a derogatory record, and does not replace the employer's responsibility. That responsibility is stated more plainly under the new order.
For companies still weighing timing, two risks matter. First, effect depends on newspaper publication, and filings before that still follow the old rules. Second, wider discretion at the Secretary's level, including revocation on national security grounds and grants in meritorious cases, adds case-by-case uncertainty. Check the official notice for details.
Sources
Last updated Nov 10, 2026