Guidelines on Foreign Student Entry and Stay

Policy, purpose, and national security

The Order directs that the government must continuously promote the Philippines as a center for education in the region by encouraging foreign students, developing awareness of the Philippine educational system, and allowing duly accepted foreign students to use the educational facilities of the Philippines.
The Order requires procedures to address national security and other concerns and to determine bona fide foreign students seeking to study using the country’s educational facilities.

Who is covered and required conditions

The Order covers aliens who seek to stay temporarily in the Philippines solely to take a course higher than high school.
Coverage is limited to students enrolling in a university, seminary, academy, college, or school duly authorized to accept foreign students.
Covered foreign students must be at least eighteen (18) years of age at the time of enrollment.
Covered foreign students must have means sufficient for education and study support.

Only authorized schools may admit

Only schools whose programs are recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) are authorized to accept foreign students.
CHED must prepare, at regular intervals, an updated list of authorized schools and forward it to the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
In preparing the list, CHED and BI must consult each other using their mandates under existing laws and regulations.
CHED must furnish copies of the list to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), and the authorized schools.

Foreign students unit and reporting duty

Each authorized school must establish a foreign students unit within its organization to maintain its authorization.
To maintain authorization, a school, through its foreign students unit, must submit:
- an acceptance/enrollment report on foreign students one month after the end of each enrollment period, and
- a monthly status report to the BI, with copies furnished to CHED and NICA, emphasizing who is missing, has transferred, or has dropped from the rolls.
Non-compliance with the submission requirements is a ground for CHED cancellation of the school’s authority to accept foreign students.

Certificate of Eligibility (CEA) for restricted courses

A Certificate of Eligibility for Admission (CEA) addressed to the accepting school is issued by CHED only when restrictions exist on enrollment of foreign students due to shortage of facilities (e.g., medicine and dentistry).
Once issued, the CEA remains valid for the duration of the course of study, provided the student:
- attends classes, and
- continues to receive satisfactory grades.
Within sixty (60) days from effectivity, CHED must prepare distribution lists to the DFA, BI, NBI, and NICA, consisting of:
- the list of schools authorized to accept foreign students, and
- an updated list of programs/courses with restrictions or quota due to shortage of facilities.
CHED may update the restriction/quota list from time to time as necessary.

Educational equivalency and enrollment prerequisites

CHED, in consultation with the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), must provide all schools comparative equivalencies between major foreign educational systems or programs and those of the Philippines.
If any question arises concerning equivalencies, the school must secure CHED comments before accepting a foreign student for enrollment.
Enrollment at any level requires completion of the lower level; for example, a tertiary/collegiate applicant must be a high school graduate or its equivalent.

Information campaigns and direct student communication

Schools may launch information campaigns to solicit and receive applications directly from prospective foreign students.
Schools may seek assistance from the DFA and the Department of Tourism for these information campaigns.
The foreign student must communicate directly with the school and comply with the school’s institutional requirements, including document submission.

Student documents required for school processing

Foreign students must submit:
- the original copy of the student’s Personal History Statement, duly signed by the student in English and in the student’s national alphabet, containing among others left and right hand thumbprints and a 2x2-inch photograph on plain white background taken not more than six (6) months prior to submission, and bearing the student’s personal seal, if any;
- documentary proof of adequate financial support covering accommodation and subsistence, school dues, and other incidental expenses; and
- scholastic records duly authenticated by the Philippine Foreign Service Post in the student’s country of origin or legal residence.

Notice of Acceptance (NOA) and school-to-DFA transmission

After satisfying itself of the student’s compliance, the school must issue a Notice of Acceptance (NOA) to the student and submit a duplicate copy to the DFA.
The submission to DFA must include:
- a certified true copy of the CHED CEA when necessary,
- the original Personal History Statement,
- copies of scholastic records, and
- proof of the student’s financial capacity/support.
The documents must be hand carried to the DFA by the school’s designated liaison officer using a cover letter on the school’s official stationery signed by the registrar and stamped with the school’s official dry seal, requesting issuance of a student visa.
A copy of the NOA (and the CHED CEA when applicable) must be furnished by the school to CHED and BI.

Student visa issuance and consular requirements

Foreign students with approved student visa applications must obtain visas from the Philippine Foreign Service Post in their country of origin or legal residence, regardless of their location at the time of application.
Conversion from another visa category to a student visa is not permitted.
The Philippine Foreign Service Post must notify the student in writing of document receipt and require personal appearance before a Consular Officer for interview and consular requirements.
In addition to DFA-transmitted documents, the student must submit to the Consular Officer:
- the original NOA with a clear impression of the school’s dry seal;
- the original CEA if enrolled in restricted courses/programs such as Medicine or Dentistry;
- a Police Clearance issued by the national police authorities in the student’s country of origin or legal residence and authenticated by the Philippine Foreign Service Post with consular jurisdiction; and
- a Medical Health Certificate issued by an authorized physician including a standard-size chest x-ray.
The consular office must not determine the student’s scholastic fitness for the applied program.
The student visa is issued once all requirements are accomplished.
Upon receiving a report from the issuing post, the DFA must furnish notice of visa issuance to the school, CHED, BI, NBI, and NICA.
The Foreign Service Post must forward copies of all foreign students’ documents to CHED for filing, and the documents must be made available to BI, NBI, and NICA when necessary.

Entry, enrollment, ACR/CRTS, and authorized stay

Upon arrival, the student must immediately report to the accepting school as part of the entry processing requirements.
The student must enroll only in the school that issued the NOA.
The school must reassess the student’s competency level and establish scholastic comparative equivalence if needed.
The school must assist the student in obtaining the Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) and the Certificate of Residence for Temporary Student (CRTS) from the BI.
The student’s authorized period of stay must be consistent with the length of the course of study accepted by the Philippine school.

Monitoring, reports, security checks, and enforcement

Within one month after the close of the enrollment period, the school must promptly report to the BI, CHED, and NICA the names of foreign students accepted but who failed to enroll for first time or for subsequent terms.
The school must submit a monthly status report of foreign students to the BI as may be deemed necessary by the Committee.
At the end of each term, the school must report to BI, CHED, and NICA:
- foreign students who dropped out,
- those who failed to take the final examination for the term, and
- those who completed their courses.
Failure of schools to submit required reports is a ground for CHED cancellation of their authority to accept foreign students.
The NICA and NBI must check foreign students’ activities whenever necessary when those activities appear inimical to the security of the State.
Criminal complaints filed against foreign students must be referred to the NBI for investigation and appropriate action.
The BI must investigate, apprehend, and prosecute foreign students who do not comply with Philippine immigration laws and regulations.
Violation of immigration laws and regulations is a ground for cancellation of the student visa and deportation of the student concerned.

Exemptions and special enrollment privileges

Tertiary enrollment in Philippine schools is exempt from the Order for:
- spouses and unmarried dependent children below 21 years old of categories of aliens, who are not required to secure a student visa and the BI special study permit, including:
  1. permanent foreign residents;
  2. aliens with valid working permits under Section 9(d), 9(g) and 47(a)(2) of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, as amended;
  3. personnel of foreign diplomat and consular missions residing in the Philippines;
  4. personnel of duly accredited international organizations residing in the Philippines;
  5. holders of Special Investor's Resident Visa (SIRV) and Special Retiree's Resident Visa (SRRV); and
  6. foreign students coming to the Philippines with 47(a)(2) visas issued pursuant to existing laws (e.g., P.D. 2021).
The exemption privilege is also extended to principals who wish to take advantage of educational facilities in the country.
Children already enrolled before marriage and/or before reaching 21 years old may finish studies without needing a student visa and a BI special study permit, as long as their principals remain in the country under any of the above-mentioned admission categories.
Spouses and children of personnel of foreign diplomatic and consular missions and duly accredited international organizations residing in the Philippines may convert their admission category to that of a student visa under Section 9(f) of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, as amended if their principals lose their admission category as foreign government officials under Section 9(e), following applicable procedure.
The conversion privilege is also extended to principals who wish to take advantage of educational facilities in the country.

Committee creation and membership

An Inter-Agency Committee on Foreign Students is created, referred to as the Committee.
The Committee’s membership includes:
- Commission on Higher Education as Chairman;
- Department of Foreign Affairs as Co-Chairman;
- Department of Education, Culture and Sports as Member;
- Bureau of Immigration as Member;
- National Bureau of Investigation as Member; and
- National Intelligence Coordinating Agency as Member.

Committee duties and timelines

The Committee must promulgate simplified procedures and implementing guidelines governing foreign students’ entry and stay in the Philippines.
The Committee must issue rules limiting school transfers and course shifting of foreign students in accordance with the Executive Order’s provisions within sixty (60) days from effectivity.
The Committee must monitor and coordinate implementation with the concerned departments and agencies.
The Committee must meet regularly to assess program progress and ensure effective encouragement and undertaking of promotion of the Philippines as a center for education in the region.
The Committee must submit a semi-annual report to the Office of the President through the Office of the Executive Secretary, submitted before the end of:
- September, and
- February,
  covering the first and second semesters of each school year.
The CHED must provide the secretariat to support the Committee’s functions.

Repeal and separability

Section 5 repeals all other executive issuances, regulations, or parts thereof that are inconsistent with the Executive Order’s provisions.
Section 6 provides that if any part or provision is held unconstitutional or contrary to law, the remaining parts not affected continue in full force and effect.