<PAGE>
As filed with Securities and Exchange Commission on
April 6, 1999
Registration No. 33-88082
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
----------------------------
FORM S-6
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 5
TO REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
----------------------------
NEW ENGLAND VARIABLE LIFE SEPARATE ACCOUNT
(Exact Name of Trust)
NEW ENGLAND LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
(Name of Depositor)
501 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02117
(Address of depositor's principal executive offices)
----------------------------
MARIE C. SWIFT
Counsel
New England Life Insurance Company
501 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02117
(Name and address of agent for service)
Copies to:
STEPHEN E. ROTH
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP
1275 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004
----------------------------
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)
[_] immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
[X] on April 30, 1999 pursuant to paragraph (b)
[_] 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
[_] on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485
[X] this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a
previously filed post-effective amendment
Title of Securities Being Registered: Units of Interest in Flexible Premium
Adjustable Variable Life Insurance Policies.
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Note:
The prospectus and Part II included in Post-Effective Amendment No 4 to the
Registration Statement on Form S-6 (File No. 33-88082) filed on January 20, 1999
pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485 are incorporated herein by reference.
<PAGE>
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant,
New England Variable Life Separate Account, certifies that it meets all of the
requirements for effectiveness of this amendment to the Registration Statement
pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused
this amendment to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized, and its seal to be hereunto affixed and
attested, all in the city of Boston, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on
the 5th day of April, 1999.
New England Variable Life Separate
Account
(Registrant)
By: New England Life Insurance
Company
(Depositor)
By: /s/ H. James Wilson
--------------------------
H. James Wilson
Executive Vice President and
General Counsel
Attest:
/s/ Marie C. Swift
- -----------------------
Marie C. Swift
<PAGE>
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, New England
Life Insurance Company certifies that it meets all of the requirements for
effectiveness of this amendment to the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule
485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this amendment to
the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned
thereunto duly authorized, and its seal to be hereunto affixed and attested, all
in the city of Boston, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on the 5th day of
April, 1999.
New England Life Insurance Company
(Seal)
Attest: /s/ Marie C. Swift By: /s/ H. James Wilson
-------------------- ---------------------------
Marie C. Swift H. James Wilson
Executive Vice President and
General Counsel
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amendment
to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in
the capacities indicated on April 5, 1999.
* Chairman, President and
- ------- -------------- Chief Executive Officer
James M. Benson
* Director
- ------- --------------
Robert H. Benmosche
* Director
- ------- --------------
Susan C. Crampton
* Director
- ------- --------------
Edward A. Fox
* Director
- ------- --------------
George J. Goodman
* Director
- ------- --------------
Evelyn E. Handler
* Director
- ------- --------------
Philip K. Howard, Esq.
* Director
- ------- --------------
Bernard A. Leventhal
* Director
- ------- --------------
Thomas J. May
<PAGE>
* Director
- ------- --------------
Stewart G. Nagler
* Director
- ------- --------------
Catherine A. Rein
* Second Vice President and
- ------- -------------- chief accounting officer
Richard A. Robinson
* Executive Vice President and
- ------- -------------- Chief Financial Officer
David Y. Rogers
* Director
- ------- --------------
Rand N. Stowell
* Director
- ---------- ------------
Alexander B. Trowbridge
By: /s/ Anne M. Goggin
------------------------
Anne M. Goggin, Esq.
Attorney-in-fact
* Executed by Anne M. Goggin, Esquire on behalf of those indicated pursuant
to powers of attorney filed with the Variable Account's Form S-6
Registration Statement, File No. 333-21767, on February 13, 1997 and
Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Variable Account's Form S-6
Registration Statement, File No. 333-46401, on July 9, 1998 and
Post-Effective Amendment No. 4 to the Variable Account's Form S-6
Registration Statement, File No. 33-88082, on January 20, 1999.
