POEA: Immigration consultants, travel agencies offering jobs abroad are illegal recruiters

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) reminded jobseekers that  immigration consultants and travel agencies promising overseas employment are illegal recruiters.

In a news release on Monday, POEA administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said under Republic Act No. 8042, amended by Republic Act No. 10022, offering overseas employment in the guise of visa assistance without license or authority from the POEA constitutes illegal recruitment.  

The participation of foreign and local immigration consultancy agencies in the recruitment and placement of overseas Filipino workers is regulated by POEA Memorandum Circular No. 10, Series of 2003.

The POEA said immigration consultants are required to obtain a license from the agency 

before they could engage in recruitment and placement activities.

 

Cacdac urged jobseekers to be wary of immigration consultants that charge thousands of dollars for supposed working visas in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.

“By having an agent, they would be paying for information and counsel that are free and 

readily available in the said countries' respective websites. Also, the documents required 

by the immigration offices of these countries could only be produced by the applicant and 

not by the consultant,” Cacdac said.  

For information about working or migrating to Canada, US, Australia, and UK, Cacdac suggested the following websites:

Cacdac said travel agencies are also not allowed to engage in the recruitment and 

placement of Filipino workers. The POEA noted that some travel agencies include in their tour packages “the 

opportunity to hunt for jobs” as they travel abroad. Other travel agencies are more blatant, directly offering “overseas jobs” to clients, the POEA noted.  

If found illegally recruiting OFWs, Cacdac said travel and immigration consultancy agencies,would be closed down and the owners will be prosecuted. - VVP, GMA News