Dole 7 to foreign workers: Renew permits on time

WORKING foreign nationals with expiring alien employment permits (AEP) should apply and renew their permit on time, said Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) 7 Director Salome O. Siaton.

The AEP is a document issued by Dole as one of the requirements for a foreign national to work in the country.

Citing the guidelines of Department Order 186-2017, the Dole 7 head stressed that an application for renewal of AEP should be filed not earlier than 60 days before its expiration.

“In the event that the foreign national needs to leave the country or is into other similar circumstances that will hinder the filing of renewal within the 60-day prescribed period, the application may be filed earlier,” she added.

In case appointment or election of a foreign national as officer takes place before the expiration of AEP, the application must be filed not later than 15 working days after the appointment or before its expiration, whichever comes later.

Siaton added that in case the appointment or election takes place after expiration of AEP, the application for renewal must be filed before the expiration of the AEP, which can be renewed for one year.

“We are appealing to our clients to observe the prescribed period in filing their applications, while the Dole is also doing its share to deliver said service, within the prescribed process cycle time,” she said.

Applications for the issuance of new AEP will be processed and issued within three working days after publication or within seven calendar days after publication and payment of required fees and fines, if there are any.

Renewal of work permits will be processed within one day after payment of fees and fines, if there are any. Siaton reminded applicants–foreign nationals and their employers–that only applications with complete documents and those with fully paid fees plus fines will be received for processing.

For nationalized businesses or industries covered by the anti-dummy law, Siaton said they should comply first and submit the authority to employ foreign national from the Department of Justice or the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, for mining firms.

Dole 7 has received 463 new AEP applications and around 136 applications for AEP renewal as of April. /