Those who plan to immigrate to Philippines from Canada must know that there are no visa requirements for stays up to 30 days. However, if you plan to extend your visit, you must get a long-stay visa from local authorities before the initial 30-day period ends. Multiple types of long-stay visas are available, depending on the purpose of your travel, such as studying, employment, or family reunification. Our specialists will help you move to the Philippines, obtain the required visa, and handle the process on your behalf.
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Types of visas in the Philippines
After the initial period of 30 days ends, all individuals who wish to immigrate to Philippines from Canada must apply for a long-stay visa. Your passport must be valid six months before your departure date from the Philippines. The main type of long-stay visas available in Philippines are:
- Student visa;
- Pre-arranged employee visa (if you are relocating to Philippines from Canada for work purposes);
- Family reunification visas.
Please note that the family reunification visa is only given to those who are:
- Spouses of Filipino citizens;
- Minor children of Filipino citizens;
- Children born abroad while their mother (who must have been a permanent resident of the Philipines) was temporarily visiting another country;
- Children born after their parents got an immigrant visa and are moving to Philippines with that parent;
- Foreigners who previously lived in the Philippines as permanent residents and are relocating to Philippines from Canada to live there again;
- Former Filipino citizens who wish to live back in the country.
Our team can assist the immigration process and even help you start a company in Philippines if you desire to invest in the country.
Retirement visa in Philippines
If you wish to immigrate to Philippines from Canada for retirement, the Philippines government has created a special program called the Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV). However, to qualify for this program you must either:
- Be retired and maintain an SRRV deposit of 20,000 USD in a Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) accredited bank;
- Be 50 years or older and maintain a deposit of 10,000 USD (with a pension) or 20,000 USD (without a pension) and purchase a property worth at least 50,000 dollars. Please note that the pension must be at least 800 USD/month for a single applicant or 1,000 USD/month for a couple.
- Retirees 50 years or older who need medical care can also move to Philippines from Canada. However, they must have a pension of at least 1,500 USD, health insurance accepted in the Philippines, and an SRRV deposit of 10,000 USD;
- Be a retired Armed Forces, aged 50 and above. You must also have an SRRV deposit of 1,500 USD and a monthly pension of at least 1,000 USD. This deposit also includes 2 other dependents.
Through this program, you can immigrate to Philippines and retire together with your spouse or dependent. Our team can help you with more information on this program and its requirements.
Statistics about immigration in Philippines
Those interested in moving to Philippines from Canada can find these statistics about the Filipino population living in Canada of interest. The information was provided by Statistics Canada for the year 2022:
- Over 957,355 Canadians have Filipino roots;
- 79.1% of Canadians reporting Filipino roots are immigrants;
- The Philippines is the third largest source country for immigration to Canada, following India (1.2 million) and China (830,980);
- 76.5% of Filipino Canadians live in Ontario, Alberta, or British Columbia.
Aside from our immigration services, we can also assist in company formation in Philippines.
Do not hesitate to contact us if you plan to relocate to Philippines from Canada and need any assistance in the relocation process.