MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) officially launched its online student visa and permit application system on Wednesday, a move aimed at modernizing and streamlining the application process for foreign students.

During the launch of the system Wednesday, BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado noted the system’s potential to simplify the application process.

“This is a priority project of the BI to make things easier and more secure for foreign students applying for their visas and permits,” Viado said, saying the importance of digitizing public services in the country.

The new system allows educational institutions to submit visa and permit applications directly to the BI online, removing the need for physical paperwork and providing a more convenient and secure process, he said.

The online service is accessible through the BI’s e-services website at e-services.immigration.gov.ph.

Viado also noted that the system aligns with the government’s vision to enhance the Philippines’ standing as a destination for international students.

While the BI touts the system as a step forward in automation, it remains to be seen how it will impact processing times and overall accessibility for students from diverse backgrounds.

A May report showed that in 2023, the immigration bureau issued a total of 24,189 student visas to foreign nationals, with 16,190 of those granted to Chinese nationals across the Philippines. 

The majority of these students are based in the National Capital Region.

Chinese nationals continue to be the leading source of foreign students in many countries. In the United States, 289,526 Chinese nationals received student visas, while Malaysia issued approximately 130,000 student visas to Chinese citizens in 2022. In Thailand, over 20,000 Chinese students were enrolled in the same year.