Bureau of Immigration launches special visa to generate employment

CEBU, Philippines - To attract more investors and generate more local jobs, the Bureau of Immigration has started processing the Special Visa for Employment Generation to non-immigrants.

BI acting regional director Casimiro Madarang III said the new program will be officially launched here in Cebu on July 3 with BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan.

Madarang said he is tasked by Libanan to have at least 20 investors during the launching. The BI office has been conducting lectures among prospective investors on the new program.

Under the Executive Order 758 or the guidelines for the issuance of a SVEG for non-immigrants that was signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo late last year, the special visa is issued to a qualified non-immigrant foreigner who shall actually employ at least 10 Filipinos in a lawful and sustainable enterprise, trade or industry.

Under Section 1 of the said EO, qualified foreigners who are granted the SVEG shall be considered special immigrants with multiply entry privileges and conditional extended stay, without need of prior departure from the Philippines.

The EO added that there are foreigners who want to maintain a lawful presence in the country by actually, directly or exclusively engaging in lawful, viable, and sustainable trade, business, industry or activity offering local employment. This job creation opportunity is one of the advocacies of the Arroyo administration under its 10-point agenda.

A non-immigrant foreigner who wishes to avail of the SVEG should comply with some conditions like engaging in a viable and sustainable commercial investment/enterprise in the country, he must have a genuine intention to indefinitely remain in the Philippines and he is not a risk to national security. The foreigner’s commercial investment or enterprise must provide actual employment to at least 10 Filipinos in accordance with Philippine labor laws and other applicable special laws.

The EO added that the BID commissioner shall revoke the SVEG granted if the holder fails to maintain compliance with any of the conditions, if it was obtained through fraud or willful misrepresentation of material facts and upon conviction of the foreigner by final judgment for a crime or offense committed in the country. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/WAB (THE FREEMAN)