Top 10 Ways to Avoid Illegal Recruitment

Overseas employment is becoming more of the rule rather than a career alternative for Filipino nurses nowadays. And with the employment crisis that Filipino nurses experience in the country today, it seems that there are no reasons for them to stay longer. However, while more and more people are enticed to secure a fulfilling employment abroad, several carpetbaggers are also creating more bogus schemes to let Filipino aspirants fall into their traps. For this reason, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration has released a list of 10 essential information that any OFW wannabe should remember to avoid becoming victims of illegal recruiters nowadays.

1. Do not apply at recruitment agencies not licensed by POEA.

Checking the status of the recruitment agency where you will submit your application is one way to decrease your risk of ending up to an illegal recruiter. Every recruitment agency, be it land-based or sea-based, is required to secure a license from POEA before it can start its recruitment. The status of this license can change anytime and can be a good basis to determine whether a particular recruitment agency has been performing good or not. You can check the status of a recruitment agency through this link  or by calling POEA hotline numbers at 722-1144 and 722-1155. To determine if a recruitment agency is reliable, you need to know two things: its status and its license validity. With regard to Status, be wary of agencies whose current standing with the POEA are Delisted, Cancelled, Preventive Suspension, or Forever Banned. However, an agency with a good standing won’t assure you of an excellent service all the time as the status of agencies stored in POEA database can change anytime. This is the reason why you have to check it regularly.

2. Do not deal with licensed agencies without job orders.

Some illegal recruiters might advice you to take medical examinations without even presenting a proof that a valid job order or employment contract is available for you. This is a big no-no because in order for you to work abroad, a valid job order from a licensed recruitment agency is required. You can check the current job orders approved by POEA through this link.

3. Do not deal with any person who is not an authorized representative of a licensed agency.

A lot of people have been fooled by illegal recruiters disguising as legal representatives of POEA. They can even present to you some their fake identification cards so you will buy every thing that they will tell you. Usually, they are those people who prefer transactions outside their make-believe offices and won’t give the details about the fake job order unless you give a down payment for the expensive placement fee. Avoid being victims of these kind of illegal recruiters by choosing legal transactions through POEA offices rather than backdoor negotiations with unknown strangers.

4. Do not transact business outside the registered address of the agency. If recruitment is conducted in the province, check if the agency has a provincial recruitment authority.

Never trust a person who introduces himself as a representative of a recruitment agency and mostly prefers meet-ups in public places like fast-food restaurants or coffee shops for an important transaction involving money. The legal way of securing a job is through POEA and not through questionable out-of-office transactions.

5. Do not pay more than the allowed placement fee. It should be equivalent to one month’s salary, exclusive of documentation and processing costs.

A placement fee that is equal or equivalent to your one month’s salary is the only fee mandated by law and should not be more than than that. In addition to this, new OFWs should also remember that a job offered in Canada requires NO PLACEMENT FEE.

6. Do not pay any placement fee unless you have a valid employment contract and an official receipt.

This is actually a no-brainer. Why would you pay someone a big amount of money if he can’t even present a valid employment contract and even an official receipt that you can use as a proof of payment? You should know your rights as an individual and don’t be afraid to doubt once you smell something fishy in the middle of your transaction.

7. Do not be enticed by ads or brochures requiring you to reply to a Post Office (P.O.) Box, and to enclose payment for processing of papers.

Don’t ever buy this kind of transactions because it will only direct your money to illegal recruiters. Always prefer direct and face-to-face transactions in a licensed recruitment agency with a good POEA standing. You should also be careful with other illegal schemes like house-to-house recruitment or those who require referrals for faster processing of your travel documents.

8. Do not deal with training centers and travel agencies, which promise overseas employment.

A lot of illegal recruiters are disguising themselves as part of a particular travel agency or training center just to win your trust but the fact that they are using these institutions to recruit people is already wrong in the first place. Always make sure that you are dealing with trustworthy recruitment agencies that have good to excellent track records.

9. Do not accept a tourist visa.

You want an easy way out? Then try a tourist visa. However, using a tourist visa to secure employment abroad is illegal both in the Philippines and in the host country where you will do the  job search. Always remember that cutting corners is not advisable especially if you want to get a job overseas. In addition to that, this method is one of the leading strategies used by illegal recruiters to convince hapless victims to try their luck abroad.

10. Do not deal with fixers.

Here is the list of reminders on how to avoid dealing with fixers:

*Prepare all the needed requirements for your application. You inquire at the NSO, POEA, DFA  assistance hotlines
a. NSO 737-1111 (for borth,marriage, death, CENOMAR certificates)
b. DFA 737-1000 (for passport appointment and application)
c. POEA 737-7777 (for OFW OEC applciation)

or visit the websites of NSO Helpline, DFA Passpport Appointment, and POEA Overseas Exit Clearance Service

*Do not deal with people outside the NSO, POEA, DFA premises
a. Go directly to the entrance guard
b. Show your requirements so you can enter
c. Proceed to the STEP 1 area of the establishment

*Do not be afaird to ask, but do not be quick to believe. Read the procedures available in the area. Do not rush yourself into making a decision; know what you need to do first.

*All government agencies are equipped with informative materials to guide you on how to process your requests; this can be done by any individual without too much complication.

*If a person insists on helping you or assisting you, chances are they could be fixers. Ask for assistance or info at the INFORMATION counter.

Sources:

http://mastercitizen.wordpress.com/2010/09/21/how-to-avoid-fixers/

Top 5 Things A Filipino Nurse Must Know About “Saudization”

Image via Wikipedia

Just recently, the Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia announced that there are job vacancies available  for female Filipino nurses trained in special areas. However, most applicants are hesitant to pursue their job applications because they are well-informed about the present employment crisis, termed as “Saudization”,  that has enveloped the rich Arab country since June 2011. Although this is a serious issue that we have to deal with as a country, there are a lot of misconceptions that we have to clear out about this “Saudization” phenomenon before anything else. And as a nurse with a sole intention to educate my fellow nurses, I want to share this five essential information that you must know about the “Saudization”:

1. Saudization is a strict law but it will not cause massive displacement of Filipino nurses.

Saudization or the Saudi Nationalization Scheme (Nitaqat system) is the recent law implemented in Saudi that compels institutions and enterprises to fill-up their labor force with Saudi nationals. This is an answer to the country’s growing number of unemployed citizens. According to www.nursing.ph, companies which fail to comply with the said policy will not be allowed to apply for new, replacement or seasonal visa for their foreign workers nor can they change their foreign workers’ profession. They cannot also file an application to open new enterprises or branches. This in turn will inhibit them to hire foreign employees thus decreasing job offers in our country. On the upside, enterprises which are able to fulfill the said requirement can hire more foreign employees. For this reason, it is clear that “Saudization” will not cause massive termination of Filipino nurses and OFWs; only those who are working for companies that failed to comply with the requirements of Saudization have the chance to lose their jobs.

2. Saudization has been implemented for regulation purposes only so annual recruitment of Filipino nurses is still allowed.

 The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) calmed the public by saying that the Saudization would not have an immediate impact on OFWs because it would be implemented in a gradual manner. Some areas are not yet affected of the law and several companies have successfully complied with the Saudization requirements so the demands for Filipino nurses and other skilled workers remain high.

3. Filipino nurses from non-compliant companies will be allowed to be rehired by other companies if they pass a certain standard.

Workers, who are employed on companies that are not compliant to the policy and yet have exceeded 6 years of stay in KSA, can still be hired by compliant companies without the permission of their employers. (www.nursing.ph)

4. The Philippine government, through the assistance of DOLE, is doing its best to save Filipino nurses and other OFWs from the wrath of Saudization.

The Department of Labor and Employment of the Philippines(DOLE) has taken measures to provide immediate assistance to OFW’s affected by this phenomenon. It has created an online registration system to put up a database which consist accurate information of the workers affected by Saudization. Moreover, DOLE also made an on-site re-employment assistance which helps transfer affected workers to compliant companies, and reintegration assistance for returning OFW’s. (www.nursing.ph)

5. There is a possibility that Saudization might fail, at least according to predictions of some Arab nationals.

A news report published on www.filipinosabroad.com has revealed that after six months of implementation, labor officials in Saudi are saying that Saudization is so far a failure. As a matter of fact, 50% of private companies in Saudi are non-compliant with the scheme despite warnings that they would not be issued new work visas. This information appeared in an article in Emirates 24/7, a news site based in Dubai, UAE. In addition to that, other nationalities have failed to imitate the quality of care that Filipino nurses provide to their patients so it won’t be surprising at all if KSA will one day announce that Saudization is no longer in effect.

Sources:

http://www.filipinosabroad.com/ofw-news/saudi-companies-complying-saudization-policy.html

http://www.nursing.ph/how-saudization-affects-filipino-nurses.html

POEA: Opportunities Await Filipino Nurses in 2012

Filipino nurses have something to look forward to on this coming year 2012 as opportunities to work in countries such as Australia and Guam await those who will be qualified, according to the latest report by POEA.

Yesterday, December 30, 2011, POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) released a report that it is eyeing job opportunities in Australia in 2012 for nurses and skilled workers. Although Australia pales in comparison with U.S.A. in terms of popularity as a country of destination for Filipino nurses, Labor Attache Jalilo Dela Torre of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) said the shortage of nurses in Australia is 40,000 until 2015.

During an interview with GMA News, POEA Administrator Carlos Cao, Jr. said Filipinos should take advantage of the shortage of workers in Australia which might be beneficial for Filipino nurses and construction and mining workers. In addition to that, recent estimates revealed that by 2050, 25 percent of Australia’s population of 23 million will be over 65 years old, and by then, the country will need 5.2 million skilled migrants.

Why Choose Australia?

In recent years, Philippines have witnessed a steady decline of nurses taking up NCLEX  and those who aspire to work as nurses in the “land of the milk and honey”.  We can attribute this phenomenon to the current retrogression being experienced in the U.S., where new American nurses are also struggling to get a job. Nonetheless, Filipino nurses still have other career options to choose from and this coming year must be an opportune time to jump start a nursing career in the land Down Under. Though the exchange rate of the Australian dollar to the Philippine peso is less, Atty. Imelda Argel, a practising Filipino lawyer and a registered migration agent based in Sydney, Australia, have listed down certain points that will enlighten those Australian nurse-wannabes out there:

a. The processing time for a working visa to Australia  could be as short as six week compared to the long processing period of a working visa to the USA and the UK.  If you are under 45 years old and have worked as registered nurse for a year before application for permanent residency, visa grant is generally achievable within 12 months.

b. The return airfare from Manila to Sydney is cheaper than to the USA or the UK.

c. You are allowed to include your entire family (spouse and dependent children below 25 years old) in your permanent resident visa.

d. If you are a registered nurse in the Philippines but not registered in the UK, USA, or New Zealand, you will need to first register in a State or Territory in Australia before you can apply for a working visa or permanent resident visa. As a general rule, Philippine educated nurses are required to pass an English Test, then the nursing competency test.

e. In regard to pay, your salary usually starts from A$37,700 per year and increases depending on your work experience and expertise. Most of those who have five years experience start from A$46,000.00 per year. Those with eight years of experience can earn as high a A$90,000.00 to A$100,000.00 per year with overtime pay.

 

According to POEA, every two minutes and 38 seconds, Australia welcomes a migrant from overseas. Australia is a multi-cultural society with 7% Asians and 2.3% aboriginal. Also, 40% of the Australian population are foreign-born or with parents overseas, it added.

Other Option: GUAM

Another good news for Filipino nurses is the fact that Guam will soon open its doors in 2012 for Filipino nurses and other skilled professionals. Two years ago, Guam Governor Felix Camacho disclosed the news that the transfer of a military base from Okinawa Japan to Guam makes the massive recruitment of foreign workers to Guam necessary.

Employment opportunities in the expanded naval hospital will also be needing medical technicians in radiology, cardio laboratories and CT scan, occupational and physical therapists, medical transcriptionists and medical administrative personnel.

Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government.

 

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guam

http://ofw.talk-pick.com/health-care-jobs-in-guam-by-2012/

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/243118/pinoyabroad/poea-eyeing-jobs-for-nurses-in-australia-in-2012

http://www.iargel.com.au/Portals/Iargel/articles/nurse.PDF