<PAGE>
New England Life Insurance Company
501 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116-3700
May 5, 1997
VIA EDGAR
- ---------
Securities and Exchange Commission
Office of Insurance Products
Division of Investment Management
Judiciary Plaza
450 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, D.C.
Re: New England Variable Account
File No. 333-11131
Rule 497(j) Certification
-------------------------
Commissioners:
On behalf of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (the"Company") and New
England Variable Account (the "Account"), we hereby certify, pursuant to
paragraph (j) of Rule 497 under the Securities Act of 1933, that the form of
prospectus and statement of additional information ("SAI") being used for
certain variable annuity contracts offered by the Company through the Account
and otherwise required to be filed under paragraph (c) of Rule 497 does not
differ from the prospectus and SAI contained in Post-Effective Amendment No. 1
for the Account filed electronically with the Commission on April 30, 1997.
If you have any questions, please contact me at (617) 578-3104.
Sincerely,
Maura A. Murphy
