PROCEDURES & REQUIREMENTS IN HIRING FILIPINO WORKERS FROM THE PHILIPPINES THROUGH A LICENSED PHILIPPINE RECRUITMENT AGENCY (PRA)

WHAT's FIRST?

Before a foreign Principal (Employer/Contractor/Placement Agent), can be legally authorized to hire or bring in Filipino workers to an overseas worksite for employment, said Principal needs to be accredited and registered first, with our labor office (POLO/Philippine Embassy) in the jobsite and with our Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) in Manila, respectively.

Under the 2016 POEA Rules & Regulations which took effect last 28 April 2016, the accreditation and registration process, requires a foreign client (Principal/Employer) and the Philippine agency, to submit and sign certain recruitment & employment documents, as follows -

1. MOU or Recruitment Service Agreement (RSA) - a document containing partnership roles and terms of agreement between Philippine agency and the Principal/Employer.

2. Employment Contract – a work-agreement between Employer and worker. It contains the Employer’s employment policies and conditions, which should also comply with POEA’s minimum employment requirements. This Employment Contract should have the Employer’s signature on every page.

3. Job Order (document must be in employing company's logo or stationery) -- a list of Principal/client's current/immediate & upcoming manpower requirements, including basic monthly salary (specific or range).

4. Commercial Registration or Business License (of Principal/client), with English translation -- one proof of client's professional existence, the nature and scope of its business, the manpower complement, its years of operations, etc.

**Contingency Plan (required in selected work destinations) - a document stating contingency measures or safety programs of the Principal for all its hired employees, in case of war or emergency situations in the worksite.

** Visa or visa guaranty - required as a proof showing that appropriate visa will be obtained by Employer,  for the selected worker before or upon arrival in the overseas jobsite.

WHAT's NEXT?

• Principal/Employer to submit the documents (1 to 4) to the Philippine Embassy/POLO (Posts) in the host country for “verification” and / or “authentication”. In the absence of a Philippine Embassy/POLO, the nearest Philippine Consulate in the worksite, may do the verification and/or authentication process. In the absence further of Consulate in an overseas worksite, POEA may directly perform the required accreditation process.

          Embassy/POLO in the host country, or POEA, may require additional documents.

• Hired applicants will be made to sign the Job Offer (summarizing employment terms), supporting the Employment Contract registered in POEA. Visa processing and other mobilization procedures, to be undertaken.
• When documents are released from the Philippine embassy/POLO (duly-verified/authenticated), originals are to mailed to Philippine agency, which shall submit the same to POEA for "registration and job order approval".
• When Principal/Employer is registered with and approved by POEA, the recruiting and hiring activities of the Principal/Employer, becomes official and legal.
• Prior to actual deployment of the worker/s, agency will secure from POEA the “exit clearance” also called Overseas Employment Certificate (or OEC). It is a written proof that bearer is an 0verseas Filipino Worker (OFW), thus, is exempted from paying any travel tax or terminal fees at the Philippine airport. The same certificate proves that worker is properly documented, passing thru a legal deployment process (using the services of a licensed agency and the POEA).

Should you need more information regarding the recruitment of Filipino workers, please feel free to contact us anytime, thru telephone numbers : (+63)-02-5235455 or (+63)-02-525-0280. You may also fax your concerns to : (+63)-02-5250278 or email to : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Thank you.