Alien businessmen urged to get job generation visa

By Maria Aprila W. Cruz

BAGUIO CITY-- The Bureau of Immigration hereurged foreign nationals here to employ more Filipino workers so they can avail of a visa that would enable them to stay indefinitely in the country.

In a presentation by Mylene Victoria of the BI Baguio field office during a recent meeting with the Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee, she reported one of their programwas the issuance of Special Visa for Employment Generation (SVEG).

She said the SVEG is a special non-immigrant visa issued to a foreigner who shall employ at least ten Filipinos in a lawful and sustainable enterprise, trade or industry in the Philippines.

The foreign national shall actually, directly and exclusively engage in a viable and sustainable investment in the Philippines and perform management acts or the authority to hire, promote and dismiss employees therein, she said.

Victoria said the employment of at least 10 Filipino workers shall be for managerial, executive, professional, technical, skilled or unskilled positions in a business activity, investment, enterprise or industry in the Philippines, excluding personal employees of the foreign national such as household workers and the like.

“Foreign nationals who are granted SVEG shall be considered special non-immigrants with multiple entry privileges and conditional extended stay, without need of prior departure from the Philippines,” Victoria added.

SVEG holders are exempt from securing Special Return Certificates and Exit Clearance Certificates.

However, they shall be required to submit and/or file their annual report pursuant to the requirements of the Alien Registration Act of 1950, as amended.

The privileges of SVEG may extend to the legal spouse of the qualified foreign national as well as their unmarried children below 18 years of age, whether legitimate, illegitimate or adopted, according to Victoria.

The SVEG may be cancelled based on the following grounds: upon verification it was obtained through fraud or willful misrepresentation of material facts; upon conviction by final judgment of the SVEG holder for a crime or offense in the Philippines and upon final determination of the Board of Commissioner that the SVEG holder poses a risk to the general welfare or national security; death of the principal SVEG holder.

This this case, the SVEG of dependents shall also be revoked.

Also ground for revocation is upon withdrawal of investment or termination of the operation of the business activity, investment, enterprise or industry, except when there is only a change in the type of business activity, investment, enterprise or industry duly notified to the Bureau of Immigration at least 30 days before the actual closure or change of the type of business.