Planning to work overseas?

Here are the answers to Frequently Asked Questions on overseas employment.

Q: Where do I file an application for overseas job?

A: Prospective workers may file their applications through:

• Private Recruitment Agencies licensed by the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)
• POEA Government Placement Branch (GPB)

Q: How do I know if an agency is licensed by the POEA and the job vacancy abroad actually exists?

A: The following are the procedures that are usually observed in recruitment:

• File an application and submit all the requirements being asked from you. The basic documents include the transcript of records, high school and college diplomas, certificate(s), training and trade certificates (id applicable), passport, and 2″x2″ photos.
• You may have to go through a pre-application briefing by your recruiter/local agent so you can be informed of the details of the employment offer.
• If you meet the minimum qualifications of the job, you will be asked to undergo testing and / or interview, among other screening procedures.
• If selected, you will be instructed to proceed to an accredited medical clinic for basic medical examination to ensure that you are fit for work.
• When you pass the medical exam, you will be asked to sign an employment contract. REMEMBER, before signing a contract, read and study first all the provisions. Do not sign the contract, nor pay any fee unless you have fully understood and agreed to the indicated terms and conditions.
• You local agent will  now proceed to process your documents with the following entities:

          Concerned Foreign Embassy – for visa issuance or stamping

          Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) – for registration and documentation of employment contracts. An e-Receipt or overseas employment certificate (OEC) shall be issued to serve as an exit permit.

          Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) – for translation and authentication (i.e. employment contract written wholly in the foreign language).

Q: How can I avail of POEA-GPB job placements?

A: A POEA-GPB applicant can either register at the POEA Manpower Registry Division (MRD), or apply directly to the POEA-GPB as soon as a job opening which is commensurate to his skills / profession / education is available.

This job vacancies are posted at the POEA website www.poea.gov.ph, and its bulletin boards or announced through the tri-media (print, radio, TV).

Q: What are the requirements for registration of application-workers at the POEA?

A: You have to submit the following original documents (fastened in one folder), to the Manpower Registry Division, BFO Bldg., or to any POEA regional office nearest your locality:

• Self-made bio-data or resume with detailed job description
• Two (2) pieces passport size or 2″x2″ photos (For Ministry of Health-KSA Applications: 6 copies passport size or 2″x2″ photos)
• Certificated of Employment of at least two (2) years experience in one job position
• School credentials (High School Diploma, College Diploma, Post Graduate Diploma (if applicable), Transcript of Records)
• Office of Muslim Affairs (OMA) Certificate for Muslim applicants (Certification from DFA or Camp Crame)
• Passport (for applicants with overseas job experience)

IF APPLICABLE

• License / Board (Valid Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Identification Card, Board License, Board Rating)
• Training Certificate(s)
• Marriage Contract, for female applicants

Note: Same set of documents will be required for job vacancies at the POEA Government Placement Branch.

Q: How much will I pay for placement fee?

A: The POEA does not allow the collection of placement fees in countries where it is prohibited. Seafarers as well as workers recruited through POEA-GPB do not pay placement fees.

In countries where collection is allowed, the maximum placement fee charged by licensed recruitment agencies from hired workers must not be more than the countries which have special hiring structures.

The amount does not include documentation and processing costs.

Q: What are included under documentation costs? Fees / costs chargeable to the foreign employer?

A: Documentation costs, which are usually paid by the worker, include expenses for the following: passport, medical examination, NBI ? Police Clearance, PhilHealth/Medicare premium. trade test (if necessary), authentication and inoculation as required by the host country.

Unless otherwise provided, the foreign principal shall responsible for the payment of visa fee, airfare, on-side documentation, POEA processing fee and OWWA membership.

Q: What are the usual Modus Operandi of illegal recruiters?

A: Be wary of the following schemes commonly employed by illegal recruiters:

1. ESCORT SERVICES
   Undocumented workers are escorted at the airport or any international port, often through a syndicate, to evade the legal process of documenting workers.
2. TOURIST-WORKER SCHEME
   Workers leave the country as tourists but have been promised jobs abroad, whether existing or non-existing.
3. DIRECT  HIRING
   Workers are hired and deployed by foreign employers without passing through the POEA and  / or licensed recruitment agencies. Being undocumented, they are therefore without protection.
4. SPORTS COMPETITION, RELIGIOUS OR MISSIONARY SCHEME
   Hired workers are distinguished as part of a group with legitimate purposes like sports competitions or religious missions abroad.
5. MAIL ORDER BRIDE SCHEME
   A Filipina is paired with a foreigner allegedly for marriage but in reality being hired to work for the prospective groom.
6. BACKDOOR EXIT POINT SCHEME
   Workers are sent abroad not through regular exit channels like airports but are deployed usually through seaports to board cargo ships.
7. VISA ASSISTANCE IMMIGRATION / CONSULTANCY SCHEME
   Immigration consultants or travel agencies offer in securing immigrant visas for applicants, but in reality, these offices are engaging in the recruitment business where they are prohibited.
8. BLIND ADS SCHEME
   Workers are enticed to apply and send cash or postal money order payment addressed to a Postal Office Box where workers have no chance to meet and communicate personally with the recruiter.
9. TRAINING CENTERS
   Trainees are given courses for certain skills under the guise of guaranteed employment upon completion of the training, and promised immediate placement / employment abroad after the training.

Q: What should I do if I am victimized by an illegal recruiter?

A: 1. You can report the incident to the following offices:

• POEA, Anti-illegal Recruitment Branch
  4th Floor, Blas F. Ople(BFO) Bldg.
  Ortigas Avenue Cor. EDSA
  Mandaluyong City.
  Tel. Nos. 722-1189 / 722-1192
• POEA Regional  Offices located nearest your locality
• National Bureau of Investigation
  Anti-Human Trafficking Division (NBI)
• Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG)
• Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) nearest your location.

A: 2 . You can also file an illegal recruitment case directly with the Fiscal;s Office.

Q: Should I be able to secure a job through the help of a friend, or a relative who resides abroad, or through the Internet, What will I so with the documents sent to me?

A: Individuals who are able to seek employment on their own or without the help of a local agency are classified as direct hires. They should present the following documents to the POEA Direct Hire Unit for processing:

• Employment Contract duly signed by the employer and the woker, verified / authenticated by the Philippine Embassy / Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) nearest the jobsite.
• Valid working visa/ work permit / No Objection Certificate (NOC) or visa assurance from the employer or any equivalent document
• Valid passport
• Passport-size photos for medical forms
  
  Worker is subject for medical and Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) after evaluation of documents.

Q: What are the fees that I have to pay for the processing of my documents as a Direct Hire?

A: Direct Hired workers must pay the following fees:

• POEA Processing Fee – US$100 or its peso equivalent
• OWWA Membership Fee – US$25 or its peso equivalent
• Philhealth – Php 900 / year

Direct Hires also opt to pay SSS contributions under the voluntary membership scheme.

Q: I am spending my vacation in the Philippines and will go back to my employer after one month. Do I have to go to the POEA for processing of my documents all over again?

A: A returning OFW (vacationing worker) or Balik-Mangagawa, has to secure an e-Receipt or Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) in order to leave the country and avail of privileges such as travel tax terminal fee exemptions.

An OEC can be obtained at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) at the jobsite, the POEA Main Office and its regional offices. The Labor Assistance Center at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport also issues OEC that is valid for 24 hours only.

Worker’s passport, re-entry visa / work permit, and return ticket are presented for the issuance of the e-Receipt or OEC.

Q: I plan to visit my husband at his worksite and bring along our children. Do we have to pay travel tax?

A: The family of an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) may avail of reduced travel tax granted by the Department of Toursim (DOT). A certified true copy of the OFW Information Sheet must be obtained from the POEA for presentation to the DOT.