A foreigner who wants to work or invest in the Philippines usually runs into three visa names — the 9(g), the 47(a)(2), and the SIRV — and they're easy to confuse. They lead to similar outcomes (legal, longer-term stay) by very different routes: employment, a government-endorsed project, and investment. Picking the right one starts with how you're connected to the Philippines, not with the visa itself.
The three routes at a glance
| Visa | Anchored on | Typical holder |
|---|---|---|
| 9(g) | Employment with a PH company | Foreign staff and executives |
| 47(a)(2) | A government-endorsed or registered project | Personnel of PEZA/BOI or special-law projects |
| SIRV | A US$75,000 investment | Active investors |
9(g): the employment visa
The 9(g) is the standard work visa. It's for a foreigner employed by a Philippine company, and it's tied to that employer and role — the company petitions for it on your behalf. In practice it usually follows an Alien Employment Permit (AEP) from the Department of Labor, which establishes that the role can be filled by a foreigner. If you're being hired into a Philippine company, the 9(g) is almost always your path.
Tip
The 9(g) lives or dies with the job. It's employer-sponsored and role-specific, so if you leave the company, the visa doesn't simply travel with you — plan any move with that dependency in mind.
47(a)(2): the special project visa
The 47(a)(2) is a special non-immigrant visa issued under the Immigration Act for foreign nationals working on projects that the government has endorsed or that fall under registered enterprises and special laws — think personnel tied to PEZA- or BOI-registered operations, or to specific government-approved undertakings. It's granted on the strength of that endorsement rather than an ordinary employment petition, which can make it a smoother route for staff of a qualifying registered enterprise than the standard 9(g).
SIRV: the investor visa
The SIRV (Special Investor's Resident Visa) doesn't depend on a job at all. It's anchored on maintaining a US$75,000 investment in qualifying Philippine shares, and it grants indefinite residency administered by the Board of Investments. It suits the person who's putting capital in rather than taking a salary — a founder or active investor, not an employee. (It has its own guide if that's your situation.)
Matching the visa to your situation
The decision is really about your relationship to the country:
- Employed by a Philippine company? The 9(g) is your route.
- Working for a PEZA/BOI-registered enterprise or a government-endorsed project? The 47(a)(2) may fit better than a standard work visa.
- Investing rather than working for a salary? The SIRV ties your stay to that investment.
It's common for one company to use more than one of these — a 47(a)(2) for staff under its registered project, 9(g)s for other hires, and a SIRV for an investing founder. The labels aren't competing options so much as different doors for different people.
Key takeaways
- The 9(g) is an employer-sponsored work visa, usually preceded by an Alien Employment Permit.
- The 47(a)(2) is a special visa for personnel of government-endorsed or registered (PEZA/BOI) projects.
- The SIRV grants indefinite residency based on a US$75,000 investment, with no employment needed.
- Choose by your link to the country: employment, a registered project, or investment.
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