WHAT: Foreign employees leaving their Philippine employer and attempting to downgrade their 9G or PEZA work visa to a 9A Temporary Visitor (tourist) visa without leaving the country.
WHERE: Bureau of Immigration (BI) Main Office in Intramuros, Manila.
THE REALITY: When a foreign national resigns or is terminated from a PEZA or 9G registered company, the employer is legally required to cancel the work visa. The standard BI procedure for this cancellation involves issuing an “Order to Leave” (OTL). While some outdated or informal advice suggests you can simply “downgrade” to a tourist visa and stay indefinitely, the BI’s current strict enforcement mandates the OTL, requiring the foreigner to depart the Philippines within a specified period (usually 15 to 30 days). Attempting to bypass the OTL or ignore it can result in being flagged as an overstayer or facing deportation proceedings.
WHEN REPORTED: Ongoing. The BI has significantly tightened enforcement on work visa cancellations to prevent illegal employment switching and tax evasion.
SOURCE: Bureau of Immigration (BI) official guidelines on visa cancellation and downgrading procedures.
STATUS: Confirmed. An Order to Leave is the standard, expected, and legally mandated outcome of a 9G/PEZA visa cancellation.
WHAT TO DO: Do not resign from your PEZA/9G employer without a clear exit strategy. Coordinate with your company’s HR and a licensed immigration lawyer to process the visa cancellation properly. Expect the Order to Leave, plan your departure accordingly, and if you wish to return as a tourist, do so on a fresh entry after the OTL period has been fully satisfied.