SIRV — Special Investor's Resident Visa (Philippines)

The Special Investor’s Resident Visa (SIRV) grants a foreigner indefinite residence in the Philippines in exchange for a qualifying investment. It is one of the cleanest routes to long-term residence for investors and founders who want their status tied to their own capital rather than to an employer or a retirement deposit.

What the SIRV is

The SIRV is a residence-through-investment visa administered jointly by the Board of Investments (BOI) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI). It is usually issued as a probationary visa first, then converted to indefinite status once your investment has been made and verified. As long as the investment is maintained, you can live in the Philippines without the renewals and employer dependencies that come with most other long-stay options.

Crucially, the SIRV is about residence, not employment — it lets you live in the country and hold your investment, but does not by itself authorise you to actively work in a salaried role.

The US$75,000 qualifying investment

The core requirement is a qualifying investment of at least US$75,000 placed in either:

• eligible Philippine securities, or
• a qualifying Philippine enterprise (an operating business that meets the program’s criteria).

The investment must be maintained for the life of the visa — the point investors most often underestimate. The SIRV is not a one-time payment for a status you then keep regardless: if you withdraw or run the qualifying investment below the threshold, your residence is exposed. Treat the US$75,000 as committed capital, not a fee.

If you plan to put that capital into your own company, the way you structure the entity matters — including foreign-equity limits. See 100% foreign ownership for when full foreign ownership is available.

Who the SIRV suits

The SIRV is a strong fit if you:

• want indefinite residence without tying it to a specific job or employer,
• are deploying at least US$75,000 into Philippine securities or a qualifying business, and
• intend to invest and oversee rather than draw a Philippine salary.

It is less suited to someone whose primary need is simply to be employed in the Philippines — that profile usually points to a work visa instead.

The application process: BOI endorsement, then BI

At a high level, a SIRV runs in two stages:

1. BOI endorsement. You file with the Board of Investments, evidencing the qualifying investment and your eligibility. The BOI assesses and endorses the application.
2. BI issuance. With BOI endorsement, the Bureau of Immigration issues the visa — typically probationary at first, then made indefinite once the investment is verified as actually placed and maintained.

The documentation, sequencing, and proof-of-investment steps are where applications stall. Chamberlain manages the BOI-to-BI flow end to end and keeps your evidence aligned with what each agency expects.

Dependents

The SIRV can usually cover your immediate family. A spouse and unmarried children under 21 can typically be included as dependents, so the household holds residence under the principal investor’s application rather than each member pursuing a separate route. Documentary requirements apply, so confirm eligibility for each dependent early.

SIRV vs 9(g) vs SRRV

These three are often confused because they all lead to long stays, but they answer different questions:

• SIRV — residence through investment. Best when your status should follow your capital.
• 9(g) work visa — residence through employment with a sponsoring Philippine employer. This is the route if you need to actively work; it is commonly paired with an AEP (Alien Employment Permit).
• SRRV retirement visa — residence through a retirement deposit, aimed at retirees rather than active investors.

If you are a founder weighing investment-based residence against an employment route, 9(g) vs SIRV: which visa for a foreign founder walks through the trade-offs in detail.

Maintaining the visa

Holding a SIRV is not “set and forget.” The visa stands on the continued existence of the qualifying investment — keep it at or above the threshold and in an eligible form, and stay current with any BI reporting obligations that apply to resident foreigners. Withdrawing capital, letting a qualifying business lapse, or falling out of compliance can put indefinite status at risk.

How Chamberlain helps

Chamberlain helps foreign investors and founders choose the right residence route, structure the qualifying investment so it actually qualifies, and run the BOI-to-BI process without avoidable delays. Where the SIRV needs to sit alongside a company setup or work authorisation, we map the cleanest combination for your situation — see also how to set up a company in the Philippines. Book a consultation.