<PAGE>
New England Life Insurance Company
501 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116-3700
May 3, 2000
VIA EDGAR
- ---------
Securities and Exchange Commission
Office of Insurance Products
Division of Investment Management
Judiciary Plaza
450 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20549
Re: New England Variable Life Separate Account
File No. 333-21767 - (Zenith Variable Whole Life)
Rule 497(j) Certification
------------------------------------------------
Commissioners:
On behalf of New England Life Insurance Company (the "Company") and New
England Variable Life Separate Account (the "Account"), I hereby certify,
pursuant to paragraph (j) of Rule 497 under the Securities Act of 1933, that the
form of prospectus and supplement being used for certain variable life insurance
policies offered by the Company through the Account and otherwise required to be
filed under paragraph (b) of Rule 497 does not differ from the prospectus and
supplement contained in Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 for the Account filed
electronically with the Commission on April 27, 2000.
If you have any questions, please contact me at (617) 578-2857.
Sincerely,
Marie C. Swift