SSP and SWP: Short-Term Study and Work
Bureau of Immigration · immigration
Quick answer
A Special Study Permit costs ₱4,740.00 or ₱5,240.00 depending on the immigration office, plus a US $50.00 ACR I-Card fee. A Special Work Permit costs ₱6,440.00 and covers employment of 3 to 6 months. Neither extends your authorized stay.
Last verified
Where these figures come from
About these figures: the numbers below come from Bureau of Immigration's official published sources: Bureau of Immigration | Citizen's Charter 2025, 1st Edition (https://immigration.gov.ph/citizens-charter/, retrieved 2026-09-01). Agencies change fees and rates without notice, so confirm with Bureau of Immigration before you rely on them. Last verified: 2026-09-01.
Two permits that are not visas
Both of these let you do something on a temporary admission without converting to a full visa. Neither one lengthens the stay you already have.
| Special Study Permit | Special Work Permit | |
|---|---|---|
| For | Non-degree study, minors, aviation courses | Gainful employment of 3 to 6 months |
| Fee | ₱4,740.00 or ₱5,240.00, by office | ₱6,440.00 |
| ACR I-Card | US $50.00 at the BSP rate | US $50.00 for 1 year, where a card is issued |
| Classification | Simple or Complex | Simple or Complex |
| Published total time | Review step alone is 3 working days | 1 day, 27 minutes |
| Office in the charter’s example | Dasmariñas Immigration Field Office | Calbayog Immigration Field Office |
The SSP fee depends on which office you file at
The charter does not publish one national SSP fee. It publishes two, and they are split across immigration offices rather than across applicant types:
| Fee | Offices that publish it in the 2025 charter |
|---|---|
| ₱4,740.00 | Tuguegarao, Iloilo, Boac, among others |
| ₱5,240.00 | Cagayan De Oro, Butuan, among others |
The gap is exactly ₱500.00, the express lane fee, and the two figures never appear on the same page of the charter. Some offices fold the express lane into the published total and some do not, and at least one office labels ₱4,740.00 itself as the express rate. Take the figure from the office you will actually file at rather than from any single national number, including this one.
The permit is not an extension. The charter says so of the SSP in terms worth quoting: it is issued as a matter of privilege and must not be considered an extension of the alien’s last valid stay. Your underlying admission still has to be valid, and extended separately through the tourist visa extension route.
Special Study Permit
Four groups qualify:
- Foreign nationals below 18 years old enrolled in bachelor degree courses;
- Anyone enrolled and admitted in a non-degree course;
- Anyone in a short course of less than 1 year, or in 2-year courses and ESDA courses;
- Anyone in an English language course.
The permit also covers professional aviation courses, and flying schools bring one extra requirement: an NBI clearance.
What the school provides
Most of the paperwork is the institution’s, not yours:
| Document | From |
|---|---|
| Certificate of Acceptance from a BI-accredited learning institution, stating the number of months of study, or the course level for applicants under 18 | Petitioning school |
| Photocopy of the BI school accreditation ID of the registrar or school representative | Petitioning school |
| NBI clearance, for flying schools | NBI |
| BI Clearance Certificate | The field office |
The school must already be accredited by BI to accept foreign students. If it is not, no SSP is possible, and that is a question to settle before paying tuition.
The steps
| Step | Time |
|---|---|
| Submit the form and documents, claim stub issued to the school representative | 5 minutes |
| Review completeness and enter details in the system | 3 working days |
| Present the claim stub, Order of Payment Slip issued | 5 minutes |
| Payment: ₱4,740.00 or ₱5,240.00, plus US $50.00 for the card | 10 minutes |
The charter adds a caution about volume: processing time is for a single application and compounds for each added application. A school filing for twenty students is not filing one three-day application.
Special Work Permit
The SWP covers gainful employment for three to six months. Below three months you are not really its subject; beyond six, the 9(g) visa is the route.
The core documents
| Document | Detail |
|---|---|
| Letter-request to the Commissioner | From the petitioning company |
| CGAF, BI Form CGAF-002-Rev 3 | Duly accomplished |
| Passport bio-page, entry visa, latest admission and valid authorized stay | Photocopy |
| Contract of Service, or Secretary’s Certificate of election, appointment, assignment, secondment or deployment | Must state duration, compensation and benefits, and scope of duties |
| TIN card or proof of TIN | BIR Forms 1901, 1902, 1904, or an AEP showing a TIN |
| BI Clearance Certificate | From the field office |
The TIN requirement catches people out. A short-term worker still needs a Philippine tax identity, which means a TIN registration before the permit application is complete.
If you are a consultant or specialist
Two hard conditions:
| Condition | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Age | At least 25 years old |
| Education | Certified true copy of a diploma or certificate of completion, attested by the HR manager or an officer authorised by board resolution or SPA |
| Experience | Certificate of training, course completion or resume proving at least 2 years of relevant work experience or training, similarly attested |
Both documents must be attested by the company, not merely supplied by you.
If your profession is regulated
You need a Special Temporary Permit issued by the PRC. That is a separate application to a separate agency, and it goes into the SWP folder rather than replacing anything in it.
Which one you actually need
| Situation | Route |
|---|---|
| Non-degree course, language school, minor at school | Special Study Permit |
| Working 3 to 6 months | Special Work Permit |
| Working longer, with an employer sponsoring you | 9(g) work visa, plus a DOLE Alien Employment Permit |
The study and work permit calculator totals either route, including the US $50.00 card that both of them add.
Where this goes wrong
Treating a permit as extra stay. Neither extends your authorized stay, which must remain valid underneath.
Enrolling at an unaccredited school. The Certificate of Acceptance must come from an institution BI has accredited to accept foreign students.
Working past six months on an SWP. That is 9(g) territory.
Skipping the TIN. Proof of TIN is on the SWP checklist.
Assuming a consultant only needs a contract. Age 25, attested education and attested 2 years of experience are all required.
Frequently asked questions
- How much is a Special Study Permit?
- Either ₱4,740.00 or ₱5,240.00, plus an ACR I-Card fee of US $50.00 at the BSP forex rate. The two figures differ by exactly the ₱500.00 express lane fee and are split by immigration office: Tuguegarao, Iloilo and Boac publish ₱4,740.00, while Cagayan De Oro and Butuan publish ₱5,240.00. Check the office you will actually file at.
- How much is a Special Work Permit?
- ₱6,440.00, and the charter gives the same total whether or not an I-Card is issued. Where a card is needed there is an additional US $50.00 for a 1-year ACR I-Card on top.
- Does a permit extend my stay?
- No, and the charter is explicit about it for the SSP: it is issued as a matter of privilege and must not be considered an extension of the alien's last valid stay. You still need a valid authorized stay underneath the permit, extended separately.
- Who needs a Special Study Permit?
- Foreign nationals below 18 enrolled in bachelor degree courses, anyone enrolled in a non-degree course, anyone in a short course of under one year or in two-year and ESDA courses, and anyone in an English language course.
- How long can I work on an SWP?
- Three to six months. The charter defines eligibility as a foreign national who shall engage in gainful employment for three to six months, so it is the bridge between visiting and converting to a 9(g) work visa.
- Are there extra rules for consultants?
- Yes. A consultant or specialist must be at least 25 years old, and must prove educational attainment with a certified diploma or certificate of completion, plus at least 2 years of relevant work experience or training, both attested by the HR manager or an officer authorised by board resolution or SPA.
- What if my profession is regulated here?
- You need a Special Temporary Permit issued by the Professional Regulation Commission, submitted with the SWP application. That is separate from anything the Bureau of Immigration issues.
- How long does each take?
- The SWP total is 1 day and 27 minutes. The SSP has no published total but its review step alone is 3 working days, and the charter notes processing time is for a single application and compounds for each added application.