The Career Services Office (CSO) of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in partnership with Deloitte Philippines hosted an online Zoom webinar called Immigration 101: Visa, work permit, and tax must-knows for expats in the Philippines on 01 September 2021, specifically for international students and alumni considering employment in the Philippines.
The webinar provided participants with information on how to plan their career strategies in lieu of changes in the international job market and immigration procedures brought about by the pandemic.
“Because of the pandemic and the special circumstance we and the whole world is in, immigration and work permit regulations are fluid,” said resource speaker, accredited tax adviser, and immigration practitioner Attorney Alvin Noel R. Saldaña of Deloitte Philippines.
Saldaña discussed the immigration and application processes for Philippine visas, the types of special and provisional work permit, and the prospects of the Philippine job market for international employees. Saldaña draws on his experience working at a law firm, the national court of appeals, and some universities in Manila. He has worked with an array of clients in services, consumer businesses, healthcare, and media and telecommunication industries.
The online discussion focused on immigration to cater to AIM’s diverse student population—approximately one-third of which consist of international students. Some of the key learnings include:
- Applying for the right visa depends on the type of company you will be seeking employment from.
- Applicants must have a sponsoring company prior to applying for a visa or work permit.
- Visas need to be periodically renewed.
- Changing employers requires downgrading your visa and undergoing the application process again.
- Applying for immigration to the Philippines is an in-country process that cannot be done online.
The webinar saw a turnout of attendees hailing from Indonesia, the United States, Germany, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Australia.
CSO helps graduating students of AIM recognize their strengths and interests, clarify career goals, discover employment opportunities, and expand their network across industries. CSO offers one-on-one career coaching, career management sessions, employment opportunities, and access to career development resources to help them reach their professional goals. For more information, visit https://wsgsb.aim.edu/career-services/ or email careerservices@aim.edu.
